After going 4-1 against two of the top teams in MLB — the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers — the Chicago White Sox are looking to continue their hot streak on the road as they begin a three-game set with the New York Yankees. The Yanks are the best team in the American League after overtaking their division rivals, the Tampa Bay Rays, and hold a 1 1/2-game lead in the AL East. Believe it or not, the South Siders are right there with them, ranking third in the AL while leading the AL Central
division.
Despite playing without catcher Kyle Teel and their best hitter Munetaka Murakami, the Good Guys have still managed to go 6-4 in their last 10 games, and they remain a top-five team in team home runs with 96 on the season. It certainly helps when the rest of the team steps up, especially as players with less raw power start mashing extra-base hits — aka Tristan Peters, Chase Meidroth, and Sam Antonacci.
The Sox offense will have its first challenge in the Bronx with former Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole on the mound for the Yankees, making his fifth start of the year since returning from injury. In six rehab starts in the minors, Cole posted a 4.66 ERA in 29 innings alongside a 1.07 WHIP and 28 Ks, but he’s accumulated better metrics since returning to the majors with a 2.45 ERA in 22 innings. While only two South Siders on the roster have actually hit off of Cole, this isn’t the only run-in he’s had with the White Sox org. In his fourth rehab start, he allowed five earned runs and two home runs while taking the loss against the White Sox High-A affiliate, the Winston-Salem Dash. One of those homers came off the bat of top prospect Caleb Bonemer, whom Gerrit later hit in his third at-bat, because of course he did.
The home run in question:
With the strong righty on the mound, the South Siders are using a lefty-heavy lineup at the plate, hoping to take advantage of the short porch and Mickey Mouse fence in right field. Over the past two weeks, nearly the entire starting lineup has posted an OPS above .700, and six of those hitters are at .775 or better. Ideally, they can continue putting the ball in play and playing their game.
Chicago White Sox Lineup
Some additional good news for the Good Guys is that they will also have their ace on the mound as Davis Martin makes his 14th start of the season. After a rough outing against Minnesota to begin June, Martin was excellent against the Braves, going six scoreless with six strikeouts to help maintain his 2.41 ERA on the season. Martin’s strong points are that he doesn’t walk a lot of guys (5.4% walk rate), and he has a full arsenal of pitches that he’s able to leverage to get opponents to chase. His fastball averages around 94 mph, but the whiff percentage on his slider is phenomenal at 47%, and this changeup has produced a .150 opponent batting average. As I am writing this, MLB Network is also hyping him up with how great he’s been this season, so it’s not just us White Sox fans realizing how good he has been this year.
While the Yanks will be without Aaron Judge, Davis will still have to work against a tough offensive lineup that has plenty of power, as New York ranks first in barrel rate (10.4%) and home runs (102). First baseman Ben Rice holds down the leadoff spot for the Yankees, and he has been an offensive leader across MLB this season, ranking third in OPS, second in slugging, and eighth in homers with 19.
New York Yankees Lineup
First pitch will take place at 6:05 p.m. CT at Yankee Stadium with temperatures in the low-70s: a perfect night for some baseball. Tune in to the TV broadcast on CHSN, or listen in at ESPN Chicago AM 1000. Let’s go, Sox!
