Anibal Sanchez (6-7, 4.59 ERA) and the Detroit Tigers (37-36) go up against Jose Quintana (3-7, 3.92 ERA) and the Chicago White Sox (32-40) in the second of a four-game division series at Comerica Park. The White Sox won the last game 8-7 and Chicago leads the series 1-0. The game gets underway at 7:08 p.m. ET on Friday, Jun. 26 and will air on CSN-CHI and FSN-DET.
Sanchez is 2-5 with a 5.45 ERA, 40 strikeouts and 15 walks against the White Sox in his career. Miguel Cabrera (.348, 42 Rs, 15 HRs, 52 RBIs, 1 SB) went 1 for 5 yesterday. In his pitching opportunities against the Tigers, Quintana is 4-3 with a 4.26 ERA. He meets a solid Detroit offense that’s batting .274. Avisail Garcia (.262, 30 Rs, 7 HRs, 27 RBIs, 2 SBs) went 1 for 4 yesterday with two runs and one RBI.
Detroit, a -168 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Chicago. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is set at eight runs. The Tigers are 22-18 as the favorite and have an overall money line of -47. They have impressive records of 16-6 as the favorite and 24-13 SU within their division. Detroit has averaged 5.4 runs per game over the last 10 games, higher than its season average of 4.3. The Tigers are a stellar hitting team with an MLB-best .274 team batting average. They have been a terror on the base paths, ranking fifth in all of baseball with 53 steals. Detroit’s pitching staff has fallen apart in the past 10 games. Its average runs allowed per game rose to 5.5 during that span, compared to its 4.4 season average. The Tigers don’t give up many walks to opposing batters, ranking fourth in the AL with only 2.7 walks allowed per game.
Across the field, the White Sox have a subpar record of 12-25 when they are the underdog and are -1,235 overall with the money line. Over the last 10 games, they were winless as the underdog with a 0-5 record and 3-7 SU. The White Sox will be looking to pick it up in this one after recent offensive struggles. In their 10 most recent games, Chicago’s run production has dropped to 2.0 runs per game, compared to 4.3 for the duration of the season. The White Sox average just 7.0 strikeouts per road game, one of the lowest marks in the AL.
This game will feature Quintana (LHP) on the mound against the Tigers, who have a 10-6 record when they take on a left-handed starter. Taking the hill against the White Sox will be the right-hander Sanchez. They sport a 26-31 record against righties.
Predictions: SU Winner – DET, O/U – Under
Notes
The White Sox won their last game by a one-run margin. In games decided by one run, the Tigers are 11-11. The White Sox are 14-12 in close games this season.
The White Sox are 6-2 in games that go into extra innings. Meanwhile, the Tigers are 3-4 in such matchups.
The White Sox managed to give up five walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the Tigers who are heading in with a 10-7 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they outhit their opponents, the Tigers are 32-9. The White Sox have a 23-5 record when outhitting opponents.
Ranking 28th, Chicago sits near the bottom of the league in runs, scoring 249 this season. Detroit ranks in the top 10 at ninth with 317.
Ranking 26th, Chicago is near the bottom of the league in walks, notching 168 this season. Detroit ranks in the top 10 at ninth with 224.
The Tigers are 27-13 in games where they hit one or more home runs. The White Sox are 18-18 when they hit at least one homer.
