The Cleveland Guardians (24-13) travel to face off against the Chicago White Sox (9-28) on Thursday, May 9th. This game will be played at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago and televised on NBCS. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. First pitch is set for 7:40 ET.
Guardians vs White Sox
Heading into their last game vs. the Tigers, the Guardians closed out the series with a 5-4 win. Leading up to the game, they were the slight favorite at -128 on the money line. It was a good start for the Guardians, as they got on the board with two runs in the 2nd inning and added another two runs in the 4th.
Tanner Bibee got the start for the Guardians, going four innings and giving up four earned runs on five hits. He also issued three walks and took the loss. David Fry had only one hit, but it was a home run, and Brayan Rocchio had a good day at the plate, going 2/4 with a run scored.
Cleveland heads into today’s road matchup vs. the White Sox with an overall record of 24-13, which has them leading the AL Central by 2.5 games over the Twins. This year, they have gone 6-2 in divisional games, and they have won two straight series. The Guardians have an overall series record of 9-3 this year.
So far, the Guardians have been tough to beat in day games, going 11-3, and they are 12-6 at home compared to 12-7 on the road. As the favorite, the Guardians are 15-7 this year, and they have gone 9-6 as the underdog. Their most recent series win came after taking two of three from the Tigers, and they are 5-5 over their last 10 games.
When the Cleveland Guardians are on the road, they are a good bet to cover the run line, as they are 13-6 in that department. Their average run margin in those games is 1.6. They are 11-11 vs. the run line as the favorite and 12-3 as the underdog. Their average run margin in all games is 1.1.
The Cleveland Guardians have played 35 games this season, with 20 of them going over the total. Their games have averaged 8.7 runs per game, and their average over/under line has been set at 8 runs. Their games have gone over the total in 45.9% of their games, and their over streak is at 2 games.
Ben Lively Gets The Start For The Guardians
Ben Lively and the Guardians are on the road to take on the White Sox today. Lively has been solid in his first three starts of the season, going 6 innings in each of his first two outings. He picked up a win in his last start, as he struck out 5 and gave up just 1 earned run against the Angels.
Guardians Offense Breakdown
Josh Naylor has been swinging a hot bat of late for the Guardians, going 4/12 in his last four games with two homers and four RBIs. For the season, he is batting .270 with nine homers, which is 4th in the league. Naylor’s 28 RBIs are 2nd on the team and 7th in the MLB. José Ramirez is 5th in the league with 30 RBIs and is batting .238 for the season.
As a team, the Guardians are 8th in the league in scoring, averaging 4.9 runs per contest. They have been a little better on the road, averaging 5.1 runs per game. Overall, they are batting .240 and have the league’s 12th best slugging percentage. Cleveland is also one of the league’s best teams at avoiding strikeouts.
The White Sox pulled off a big upset to close out their series vs. the Rays, picking up a 4-1 win. Chicago was the +214 underdog on the money line going into this matchup. Things started off well for the White Sox, as they scored a run in the 1st inning but gave up the lead right away as the Rays scored in the bottom of the first.
Chicago’s offense scored their other three runs in the 5th inning. Paul DeJong hit a solo homer, and the White Sox added another run on a Bryan Ramos double. Chris Flexen started for the White Sox, going six innings and giving up just one run on three hits. He also issued only one walk and struck out eight Rays batters.
Chicago is hosting the Guardians today with an overall record of 9-28, which puts them 5th in the AL Central. So far, they have really struggled against other AL Central teams, going 2-18. The White Sox are 15 games behind the Guardians for the division lead.
At home, the White Sox are 5-12 this year and just 4-16 on the road. So far, they have yet to win a game as the favorite or the underdog. Their overall series record is 2-9-1, and they lost their most recent series vs. the Rays.
The White Sox are 17-20 against the run line this season, with a 10-7 mark at home. They have an average run differential of -2.4 runs per game this season. In their 20 losses against the run line, they have been outscored by an average of 3.9 runs per game.
The Chicago White Sox have played 36 games this season with an average combined run total of 8.2. Their over/under record is 17-19, and when the line is set at 8 runs, they have gone over the total 4 times and under 1 time. Their games have had an average over/under line of 8 runs, and 51.4% of their games have had lines set above that number. Their last two games have gone under the total.
Erick Fedde Gets The Start For The White Sox
White Sox starter Erick Fedde has made seven starts this season and has a record of 2-0 with a 3.46 ERA. He has made two quality starts and is averaging 9.46 strikeouts per nine innings. The last time Fedde took the mound, he finished with a no-decision, giving up five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work. Before that outing, he had won two straight starts. Opponents are batting .211 this season off Fedde, and he has allowed a total of seven home runs.
White Sox Offense Breakdown
Paul DeJong has been swinging a hot bat for the White Sox of late, going 9/28 in his last eight games, with two homers and four RBIs. For the season, DeJong is batting .240, and his five homers are the best mark on the team and 8th in the league. Andrew Benintendi and Gavin Sheets are also tied for 3rd on the team with three homers apiece, but Benintendi is batting just .194 this season.
Chicago’s offense has been one of the worst in the league this season, as they are dead last in home runs and 30th in both runs per game and on-base percentage. Overall, they are batting just .211. Their team OPS of .597 is also the worst in the league.
Guardians vs White Sox Prediction
Our pick for this Guardians vs. White Sox matchup is to take the over, with the line sitting at 8 runs. Our predicted final score is 5-4 in favor of the Guardians, giving us some wiggle room if you want to take the money line, as the payout for a Guardians win is -161.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Erick Fedde is projected to finish with six strikeouts compared to Ben Lively with four. However, Fedde is also projected to give up more earned runs than Lively, and with the White Sox having fewer home runs than the Guardians, we are sticking with the over.
All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!
* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.
Last updated:May 9, 2024 Guardians, White Sox