The Chicago White Sox (8-28) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Rays (19-18) on Wednesday, May 8th. This game will be played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg and televised on NBCS. The Rays are coming off a win in their previous game, while the White Sox are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Rays. First pitch is set for 6:50 ET.
White Sox vs Rays
It was all Tampa Bay in the last game of this series, as the Rays took down the White Sox by a score of 5-1. The Rays offense only had two more hits than the White Sox and struck out four more times, but still picked up a convincing win. Heading into the game, they were favored at -275 on the money line.
Chicago’s only run came in the 7th inning, as they were held in check by Zach Eflin for most of the game. Eflin went seven innings for the Rays, giving up just one run and striking out three. He picked up a win in the game, while Michael Soroka took the loss for the White Sox.
Tampa Bay got a huge performance from Paul DeJong, who went 2/3 with a home run and three RBIs. Isaac Paredes also had a three-hit game for the Rays’ offense.
Chicago is just 8-28 overall this year, and they have dropped two straight games heading into today’s matchup vs. the Rays. So far, they have really struggled against other AL Central teams, going just 2-18. The White Sox are 15 games behind the Guardians for the AL Central lead.
At home, the White Sox are only 5-12, and they have gone just 3-16 on the road. So far, they have been the underdog in every game. Chicago has dropped two straight games as the underdog, and their overall series record is 2-8-1 this year. Looking at their overall record, the White Sox are 4-6 over their last 10 games.
Chicago has been a solid bet on the run line this season, going 16-20 overall. They have been particularly good at home, going 10-7 on the run line. However, they have struggled on the run line on the road, going just 6-13. They have failed to cover the run line in their last two road games and have been the underdog in all of their games this season. Their average run differential in losses is -3.9 runs per game.
Chicago’s over/under record is 17-18 this season, and the average over/under line for their games is 8 runs. Their combined run average is 8.3 runs per game. When the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, their record is 5-5. So far, 22.2% of their games have had over/under lines set at 8.5 runs or higher.
Chris Flexen Gets The Start For The White Sox
Chris Flexen is looking to build off his last outing, where he faced off against the Rays and picked up the win. In that April 26th start, he went 5 innings and didn’t give up a run. Looking at his overall numbers, Flexen has made one quality start this year and is averaging just 5.16 strikeouts per nine innings. Flexen’s ERA for the season is 4.85, along with a record of 1-3. So far, he has allowed five home runs and is walking 3.64 batters per nine innings. The right-hander’s ERA at home is 8.04 compared to 2.71 on the road.
White Sox Offense Breakdown
Chicago’s offense has been struggling all season, averaging just 2.9 runs per game, which is the worst mark in the league. They haven’t been much better at home or on the road, and are also the league’s worst home run hitting team. As a team, they are batting just .208 and have the league’s worst on-base percentage and OPS.
Paul DeJong and Eloy Jimenez are tied for the team lead with four home runs apiece, but DeJong has been the better overall hitter, batting .228 compared to Jimenez’s mark of .209. DeJong has also gone 5/18 in his last five games, with one homer and two RBIs. Jimenez has just one hit in his last five games.
The Rays are hosting the White Sox today, having won five straight games, and they are 19-18 overall. In the AL East, they trail the Orioles by five games. So far, they have gone just 3-4 in divisional games. Tampa Bay has taken the first two games of their series vs. the White Sox, and their overall series record is 4-5-2 this year.
As the home favorite, the Rays are 10-8 this year and 14-14 when favored overall. They have been a bit below .500 on the road at 6-9. At home, the Rays have gone 13-9 this season. Their overall record has been helped by winning six straight games at home.
When the Rays win, they win big. Their average run margin in victories is 2.5 runs per game. However, they have been outscored by an average of 0.8 runs per game overall this season, leading to a run line record of 15-22. They have been a better bet on the run line at home, going 9-13, compared to 6-9 on the road. They have covered the run line in two straight games and are 2-0 against the run line as the favorite in those games.
When the Tampa Bay Rays play at home, the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs. This season, the Rays’ games have averaged 9.0 runs per game, and their over/under record is 21-16. In games with an over/under line of 8.5 runs, the over/under record is 6-8. Overall, 13.5% of their games have had higher over/under lines than 8.5 runs, and 48.6% have had lower lines.
Aaron Civale Gets The Start For The Rays
Tampa Bay is starting right-hander Aaron Civale vs. the White Sox today. He has made seven starts this year and has a record of 2-2 with an ERA of 6.14. Civale’s WHIP for the season is 1.34. The last time he pitched, Civale gave up seven hits and one homer vs. the Mets. He finished with a no-decision in the outing, going 4 2/3 innings. Opponents are batting .260 vs. Civale this year. Out of his seven starts, he has three quality starts and is averaging 9.57 strikeouts per nine innings.
Rays Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Rays offense has been pretty average, as they are 20th in the league in runs scored and have a team batting average of .247 (10th). They have been a little better at home, averaging 4.5 runs per game. As a team, they are 15th in home runs and have a good team BABIP of .31.
Isaac Paredes has been one of the team’s top hitters this season, batting .299 with a team-high eight home runs. He has also driven in 19 runs, which is 15th in the league. Paredes has also been swinging a hot bat of late, going 10/25 in his last seven games. Harold Ramirez is also swinging a hot bat, going 9/21 in his last seven games.
White Sox vs Rays Prediction
We see the White Sox pulling out a 5-4 road win over the Rays in this one. With the White Sox as big underdogs at +193, we really like this payout and would recommend taking them on the money line.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Chris Flexen is projected to finish with just four strikeouts, which is the seventh worst among starters today. As for Aaron Civale, he is projected to finish with five K’s, which ranks him 21st. If you’re looking at the over/under line, we would take the under, as we have this one finishing with nine runs.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
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Last updated:May 8, 2024 Rays, White Sox