A bullpen implosion for the South Siders Saturday led to the Giants tying the series at one, so the Good Guys will aim to bounce back today with a win to head home with a .500 record for their trip to the west coast (3-3). Lefthander Noah Schultz will be making his eighth start of the season, and so far he’s been a solid addition to the starting rotation outside a couple rougher outings. The 22-year-old uses a five-pitch arsenal, relying most heavily on his four-seamer, sinker, and sweeper, while
still throwing his cutter a decent amount (17.2%), though his changeup usage is just under 9%.
Noah’s fastball is the most effective, averaging at 95 mph with a .154 opponent batting average along with a .196 expected batting average (xBA). Still, his sweeper has a 34% whiff rate while producing a .136 opponent average. He’s only tossed his changeup 52 times; it has seen the best weighted on-base average (wOBA) at .257, and the best whiff rate at 40.7% — if he can maintain control of it, perhaps it wouldn’t be the worst idea to throw it a bit more.
Today’s lineup for the White Sox might not be their Sunday best with Sam Antonacci getting a rest day, but lately, this team gives me near-delusional optimism to stay in games.
The top of the order is still looking pretty solid with Chase Meidroth, Munetaka Murakami, and Miguel Vargas leading us off, with new South Side legend Randal Grichuk posting up in the cleanup spot and Colson Montgomery adding more power into the five-hole. Since escaping the New York Yankees, Grichuk has slashed .333/.360/.833 (1.193 OPS) with four homers and eight RBIs in just 14 games (24 at-bats). Please, Randal, make yourself at home.
Here’s how Tony Vitello is lining the Giants up against Noah Schultz:
San Francisco has been on more of a hot streak offensively as a team over the last 15 days, ranking second in home runs and doubles, first in hits, and fourth in OPS in all of baseball. Both teams will be trotting out lefties, with Robbie Ray on the mound making his 11th start of the season. Ray holds a 3-6 record with a 4.28 ERA in 54 2/3 innings and has struggled in his last seven games, posting a 5.30 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP in 37 1/3 frames.
First pitch is at 3:05 p.m. CT. It’s set to be a beautiful day out in San Fran, with a high of 63 degrees and partly cloudy skies. Tune in to the TV broadcast on CHSN, or listen on the radio at ESPN Chicago AM 1000. Let’s grab a series win on the way back to Chi-Town!
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