Erik Johnson (3-1, 3.45 ERA) and Justin Verlander (5-8, 3.39 ERA) take the hill in the second of a three-game series between the Chicago White Sox (75-85) and the Detroit Tigers (73-86) at U.S. Cellular Field. The White Sox won the last game 2-1 and Chicago leads the series 1-0. Action begins at 7:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, Oct. 3 and can be seen on WGN and FSDT.
Johnson pitched 5.2 innings in his last outing, surrendering two runs (one unearned), striking out five and walking four in a 6-1 defeat to the Yankees. Jose Abreu (.292, 88 Rs, 30 HRs, 101 RBIs) continued his strong play yesterday, going 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Verlander went 6.0 innings, surrendering one run, striking out five and walking two in a 7-4 win over the Rangers in his most recent start.
Detroit takes on Chicago as a -116 favorite. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is sitting at eight runs. The White Sox have an overall money line of -1,270 and a record as the underdog of 40-50. Chicago has recorded a disappointing 2-6 record as the underdog over its last 10 games. The White Sox have seen a decline in scoring as of late, averaging 2.7 runs during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 3.9 runs per game. Turning to the pitchers, opponents have consistently been struck out by the White Sox, who rank third in the AL in strikeouts per game with 8.4.
In games where it is the favorite, Detroit has a 37-30 record and an overall money line of -1,040. They played solid baseball as the favorite over their last 10 games with a 3-1 record, and a 4-6 record SU. The Tigers capitalize on their at-bats at a high percentage, leading the league with a .271 team batting average.
The Tigers lead the season series, 9-8. The White Sox have a 56-68 record against right-handed starting pitchers on the year, which is what they’ll be facing when Verlander takes the mound. Johnson (RHP) will be on the hill against the Tigers, who have a 53-69 record against right-handed starting pitchers.
Predictions: SU Winner – Det, O/U – Under
Notes
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Chi White Sox’s last 8 games.
Chi White Sox are 3-7 SU in their last 10 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Chi White Sox’s last 5 games when playing Detroit.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Detroit’s last 5 games when playing Chi White Sox.
The Tigers lost their last game by a one-run margin. In games decided by one run, the White Sox are 28-30. The Tigers are 26-21 in close games this season.
The White Sox are coming into this game after allowing one walk during their last outing. The Tigers have a 12-31 record when opponents give up that many walks or fewer.
When they are outhit, the Tigers are 8-58. The White Sox have a 12-65 record when opponents outhit them.
Ranking 26th in home runs, Chicago has hit 136 this season. Detroit ranks 18th with 150 home runs.
Detroit tops the league in hits with 9.42 per game this season. Chicago ranks in the top 10 at ninth with 8.58.
Ranking 27th, Chicago is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.691). Detroit ranks in the top five at fourth with an OPS of .750.
The Tigers are 36-68 when they allow at least one home run. The White Sox perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 38-65 record.
