Published Jun 21, 9:31pm ET by
Paul Lebowitz - Betting Preview Analyst and Sports Writer
Last updated Jun 21, 9:31pm ET
Shutterstock
Updated Jun 21, 9:31pm ET
|
|
|---|---|
| Chicago White Sox | -103 |
| Cleveland Guardians | -107 |
Gavin Williams leads the AL in wins with 9. He has a 1.5 bWAR and a 3.83 ERA in 15 starts. Although the Brewers beat him up in his last start, knocking him around for 7 earned runs and 2 homers in 5 innings, he's been consistently good this season.
Overall, he has tossed 91.2 innings and allowed 75 hits and 39 earned runs. He's given up 15 homers, walked 30 and struck out 103.
The Guardians are without star 3rd baseman Jose Ramirez, who has a fractured left hamate bone. He hadn't been hitting all that well before the injury, but he contributed in other ways with his speed, defense, and that he's always a threat at the plate.
Angel Martinez leads the team in homers with 11 and a .718 OPS. Kyle Manzardo has 9 homers and a .736 OPS. Travis Bazzana has 7 homers and an .838 OPS. Runs will be hard to come by for the Guardians in their current state and with key bats like Steven Kwan struggling.
The only Guardians hitters to face Anthony Kay are Stuart Fairchild and Rhys Hoskins. Fairchild is 0 for 1. Hoskins is 0 for 1 with a walk.
In Anthony Kay's first season back in MLB after two years in Japan, he has been up and down, but useful for an up-and-coming team. When he's good, they can expect about 5 or 6 innings and 3 or fewer runs. When he's not good, he gets hit hard.
For the season, he has a 0.7 bWAR and a 4.61 ERA. In 70.1 innings, he's allowed 73 hits and 36 earned runs, allowing 11 homers, walking 28, and striking out 55. He leads the majors in hit batsmen with 13.
Chicago is one of the biggest surprises in baseball, fighting for 1st place in the AL Central after several disastrous years. Colson Montgomery and Munetaka Murakami are tied for the team lead in home runs with 20 each. Miguel Vargas has 16 homers and an .818 OPS. Andrew Benintendi has a .717 OPS and 9 homers. Randal Grichuk has been very productive since joining the ChiSox with 7 homers and a .949 OPS in 33 games.
Only Benintendi, Montgomery, and Vargas have faced Williams. Benintendi is 1 for 5 with a double and a walk. Vargas is 1 for 3 with a single and a walk. Montgomery is 0 for 1 with a walk.
Both teams are facing their problems. Cleveland is not hitting and is without its best player, Ramirez. Chicago is still trying to determine if they're legitimate contenders or they're a product of a weak division. One thing the ChiSox do is hit home runs and they have a little goodwill going since they've been so bad for so long.
For the 1st game of their 3-game series, Cleveland has the clear pitching advantage. The Guardians will take the opener on the road behind Williams in a close game.
|
Pick
Cleveland Guardians -107
|
New Player Bonus
50% up to $1000
|
