For a team that has struggled on the road, the White Sox managed a commanding victory in Monday’s opener in Baltimore, and they will look to snag a series tonight. At present, the Good Guys have a one-game lead in the AL Central, and picking up any games in the race would be ideal before heading to Cleveland for four division games.
After using an opener last time out, the South Siders will turn the ball over to Erick Fedde, who will be making his ninth official start and 17th appearance of the season.
The righty has been much better over the last month (five games), holding a 1.69 ERA in June while allowing just six runs (four earned) with seven walks and 16 strikeouts. Fedde has gotten into quite a few jams with his WHIP sitting around 1.27, but he’s still been able to work through them, and he has only given up one homer this month (knock on wood).
Over the past week, the South Siders have been hot at the plate, which could end up being a problem for Baltimore righthander Trey Gibson. The White Sox lead MLB over the last seven days in batting average (.326) and on-base percentage (.399), while ranking third in OPS (.915). They also rank fifth in baseball in season OPS. Gibson has posted a 5.64 ERA in 30 1/3 innings (six starts), holding just a 17.9% K rate while also having one of the highest walk rates in MLB (13.6%). Gibson is Baltimore’s No. 4 prospect in the system, and the 24-year-old still has plenty of time to work through any improvements, just after this game, of course.
The Sox have shuffled the lineup a bit tonight as Sam Antonacci gets the night off. Junior Perez takes over in left field and will bat ninth, while Kyle Teel moves into the leadoff spot after hitting third or fourth in recent games. Miguel Vargas remains in the second position as he has been on an absolute tear this last week: ranking first in the American League in OPS (1.530) with two home runs, seven RBIs, five walks, and just one strikeout. Andrew Benintendi is also back in as the DH in the three-hole, and both Montgomerys follow him up with Colson batting cleanup while Braden moves up to the five-spot. Gibson could have some trouble with this lineup, especially as seven of nine starters currently hold a .725-or-above OPS, with Jacob Gonzalez and Kyle Teel not too far behind.
Chicago White Sox Lineup
As someone who gives up quite a few home runs, Fedde will need to be careful with Pete Alonso, who has posted a .965 OPS in the past week – ranking seventh in the AL – and is tied for sixth in the league with 19 home runs on the season. And not far behind him is Gunnar Henderson, who went 2-for-3 with a double yesterday and also has mashed 16 bombs this season. Perhaps the deep fences at Camden Yards will be enough to keep some balls in play, and Fedde will keep cruising through the month as he has been.
Baltimore Orioles Lineup
As the first MLB game of the day, first pitch will take place at 5:35 p.m. CT in Baltimore, and it’s set to be a hot one with the temperature right around 90º at game time. Tune in to CHSN for the TV broadcast, or listen in on the radio at ESPN Chicago AM 1000. Let’s get a road series W!
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