Chris Sale (11-7, 3.32 ERA), seeking his 200th strikeout of the season, takes the mound for the Chicago White Sox (56-63) as they meet Felix Hernandez (14-7, 3.65 ERA) and the Seattle Mariners (56-65) in the first of a three-game series at Safeco Field. The game gets underway at 10:10 p.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 21 and will air on CSCh and RTNW.
In his last start, Hernandez pitched 2.1 innings, allowing 10 runs, striking out two and walking one in a 22-10 loss to the Red Sox. Nelson Cruz (.320, 67 Rs, 36 HRs, 75 RBIs, 3 SBs) went 1 for 4 Wednesday. The White Sox were victorious over the Cubs 3-1 the last time Sale pitched. He went 7.0 innings, allowing zero runs, striking out 15 and walking two. Adam Eaton (.264, 71 Rs, 10 HRs, 32 RBIs, 12 SBs) has been doing well, going 2 for 3 yesterday with one run, one RBI, and one stolen base.
Seattle, a -122 favorite, will look to capitalize at home against Chicago. The Over/Under (O/U) for the matchup is six runs. When playing as the favorite, the Mariners have a 32-38 record and overall money line at -1,636. They are 4-1 as the favorite over their last 10 games. Below average play has been the norm lately for the Seattle pitchers. The Mariners have given up an average of 6.8 runs to opponents in their last 10 games, above their season average of 4.5 runs per game.
Switching gears, the White Sox come into this game with a win percentage of .409 when playing as the underdog (27-39) and an overall money line of -917. Over the past 10 matchups, they are 4-6 SU and have played poorly as the underdog with a 2-5 record. The White Sox are known for their bats, hitting 312 extra base hits. The last 10 games have really brought the best out of the Chicago pitchers. They’ve allowed 3.0 runs per game during that span, which is lower than their season average of 4.3. They also allow just 2.4 walks per road game, best in the AL. They also have some of the most overpowering arms in the AL with an average of 8.3 strikeouts per game.
The Mariners will take on a left-hander (Sale) in this game and have a 14-20 record against left-handed starting pitchers this season. The right-handed Hernandez will take the mound against the White Sox, who have a 45-49 record against righty starters this season.
Predictions: SU Winner – Sea, O/U – Under
Notes
The Mariners managed to give up four walks in their last game. They’ll have to pick it up against the White Sox who are coming in with a 17-9 record against opponents who give up that many walks or more.
When they are outhit, the White Sox are 10-46. The Mariners have a 15-42 record when opponents outhit them.
Chicago ranks near the bottom of the league at 23rd when it comes to home runs, hitting 100 this season. Seattle ranks in the top 10 at sixth with 141.
Ranking 11th, Seattle is in the top half of the league in hits, notching 8.32 per game. Chicago ranks in the top 10 at 10th with 8.48.
Ranking 27th, Chicago is near the bottom of the league for its on-base plus slugging percentage (.685). Seattle ranks in the bottom half at 19th with an OPS of .707.
The White Sox are 26-46 when they allow at least one home run. The Mariners perform similarly when they allow one or more homers with a 27-54 record.
