Carlos Rodon (6-6, 4.10 ERA) and Carlos Carrasco (12-9, 3.53 ERA) start in the second of a three-game series between the Chicago White Sox (65-71) and the Cleveland Indians (67-69) at U.S. Cellular Field. The Indians won the last game 3-2 and Cleveland leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 8:10 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Sep. 8 and can be seen on WPWR and STOh.
Rodon pitched 6.0 innings in his most recent start, surrendering two runs, striking out four and walking three in a 3-0 defeat to the Twins. Carrasco went 6.2 innings, surrendering one run, striking out 11 and walking one in a 7-3 win over the Yankees in his last outing. Michael Brantley (.320, 62 Rs, 12 HRs, 75 RBIs, 14 SBs) went 1 for 1 yesterday.
Cleveland takes on Chicago as a -121 favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at eight runs. The White Sox have an overall money line of -623 and a record as the underdog of 34-43. Chicago has had a discouraging season against division opponents, earning records of 13-18 and 24-33 as the underdog and SU respectively. The White Sox have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 5.3 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 3.9 runs per game. The White Sox are one of the best in the MLB in terms of extra base hits with 358.
In games where it is the favorite, Cleveland has a 45-41 record and an overall money line of -1,413. They played solid baseball as the favorite over their last 10 games with a 5-1 record, and a 7-3 record SU. Cleveland is excellent at drawing walks with 3.2 per road game, ranking third in the AL. Cleveland’s pitching staff is one of the top in the AL, with a 3.76 ERA. When it comes to preventing batters from getting on base, the Indians are one of the best in the league with a WHIP of 1.18 for the season. The Indians have established a reputation of overwhelming hitters with an AL-best 8.8 strikeouts per game.
The White Sox lead the season series, 8-6. The White Sox have a 50-55 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Carrasco takes the mound. Rodon (LHP) will be on the hill against the Indians, who have an 18-27 record against left-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – Cle, O/U – Over
Notes
The Indians won their last game by a one-run margin. In games decided by one run, the White Sox are 24-27. The Indians are 15-17 in close games this season.
The White Sox are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Indians have a 9-17 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Indians are 9-51. The White Sox have a 10-54 record when opponents outhit them.
Chicago and Cleveland both rank near the bottom of the league in home runs. Chicago sits at 26th with 112 home runs this season and Cleveland ranks 22nd with 113.
Chicago and Cleveland both rank in the top 10 of the league in hits. Chicago sits at seventh with 8.70 hits per game and Cleveland ranks ninth with 8.62.
Ranking 26th, Chicago is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.691). Cleveland ranks in the bottom half at 16th with an OPS of .720.
When the Indians allow at least one home run, they are 39-56. When the White Sox allow one or more homers, they have a 31-54 record.
