Given how much the White Sox have crushed right handed starters recently, Sox fans seeing another righty on the schedule may well go, “Oh, yesss!!” Then when they see who it is, they may well go, “Oh, noooo!!!” And then, when they look at recent stats, they’ll be back to, “Oh, yesss!!” again.
That’s because the Blue Jays are starting Shane Bieber, whom Sox fans are bound to remember from his Cy Young and multiple-All Star years in Cleveland. But lately, Bieber has been more Justin than Shane, thanks
to injuries.
Bieber was outstanding for two starts in 2024 before departing for Tommy John surgery. Then he was just so-so after coming back late last season. And then he had another elbow injury this spring which kept him out until June 23, since which he has been absolutely horrible — 26 hits, seven of them homers, in just 17 2/3 innings, to go along with ten walks, adding up to a 7.64 ERA and 2.04 WHIP.
The Sox counter with the righty who had been their star earlier, but Davis Martin has himself struggled some lately, raising his ERA a point in the past month, His last time out, Martin gave up five runs in four innings against the Red Sox — but maybe all he needed was a nice relaxing time between starts, provided thanks to the All-Star break.
With right handers on the mound, both teams have gone to lefty-heavy lineups, though the Blue Jays are limited from that side.
First pitch is scheduled for 2:07 Central (:07 must be a Canadian thing), with the Rogers Centre roof expected to be closed because of wildfire pollution. Usual broadcast suspects instead of the greed fest last night that put the game on Apple TV.
