The Chicago White Sox (15-34) travel to face off against the Toronto Blue Jays (21-26) on Wednesday, May 22nd. This game will be played at Rogers Centre in Toronto and televised on NBCS. The White Sox are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Blue Jays are looking to get back on track from a loss to the White Sox. First pitch is set for 7:07 ET.
White Sox vs Blue Jays
Chicago cruised to a 5-0 win over the Blue Jays in the most recent game of this series. The White Sox had a huge 2nd inning, scoring five of their six runs. As for the Blue Jays, they had their best scoring chance in the 4th inning, but could only muster two hits and left three runners on base.
Garrett Crochet started for the White Sox and picked up the win, going six innings and not giving up a run. He finished the game with four strikeouts but issued five walks. On the other side, Yusei Kikuchi got the start for the Blue Jays and took the loss, giving up two earned runs in six innings of work.
Danny Mendick and Eloy Jimenez each had two hits and two RBIs for the White Sox. Corey Julks also had a two-hit game and drove in a run. As for the Blue Jays, their two-hit performances came from Randal Grichuk and Bo Bichette.
With a record of 15-34, the White Sox are 5th in the AL Central and trail the Guardians by 17 games for the division lead. So far, they have really struggled against other AL Central teams, going 5-19 this year. Chicago will be on the road today, where they are just 5-20 this season.
Chicago has gone just 2-0 as the favorite this year and are 13-34 when the underdog. They are also just 6-16 in day games this season and have an overall series record of 4-10-1. The White Sox are 4-6 over their last 10 games and have split the first two games of this series vs. the Blue Jays.
When it comes to the run line, the White Sox have been a better bet at home this season, going 15-9 compared to 8-17 on the road. They have covered the run line in 2 of their 3 games as the favorite, but have been a solid bet as the underdog, going 21-26. Their average run margin in winning games is +2.5, while it drops to -4.0 in losses.
When the Chicago White Sox are on the road, the over/under line is set at 8.5 runs, a number they have hit in 6 of 12 games. On the season, the White Sox are 21-27 O/U, with their games averaging 7.8 runs per game. The average over/under line in their games is 8 runs, with 18.4% of their games having a higher line than today’s 8.5 runs.
Nick Nastrini Gets The Start For The White Sox
Getting the start on the mound for the White Sox today is Nick Nastrini. He’s making his 3rd start of the season and has yet to pick up a win, as he’s taken a loss in each of his first 2 outings. Nastrini’s last start came against the Phillies, where he went 3 innings and gave up 5 earned runs.
White Sox Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the White Sox offense has been the worst in the league, averaging just 2.9 runs per game. They are also near the bottom of the league in most other major offensive categories, including home runs, batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging. The team’s collective on-base percentage of .277 is the worst in the league.
Andrew Vaughn and Andrew Benintendi are tied for the team lead in RBIs, but both are hitting below .200 for the season. Paul DeJong is batting .248 and leads the White Sox with seven home runs. Eloy Jiménez is batting just .231 but is 2nd on the team with five homers. Jiménez is also on a five-game hitting streak. Vaughn has struggled recently, going just 4/31 in his last eight games.
Toronto is 21-26 overall and trails the Yankees by 10.5 games in the AL East. So far, they are 7-8 in divisional games. The Blue Jays will be looking to pick up a win today, as they have dropped four straight series at home (11-9 record as the home favorite this year).
As the underdog, the Blue Jays are just 5-13 this season compared to a mark of 16-13 as the favorite overall. Toronto is 10-14 on the road and 11-12 at home. They are also just 4-6 over their last 10 games and are looking to even up their overall record with a win today.
When betting the run line, the Blue Jays have been a better team to back on the road than at home, as they are 12-12 vs. the run line in road games compared to 9-14 at home. Their average run margin in all games is -1.0, but in their wins, they have an average run margin of +2.9.
The Toronto Blue Jays have an over/under record of 19-27 on the season, and their games have averaged a combined 8.3 runs per game. When the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs, their record is 6-10. They have had five games with over/under lines set at 8.5 runs, which accounts for 10.6% of their games this season.
Chris Bassitt Gets The Start For The Blue Jays
Chris Bassitt gets the start for the Blue Jays today and will be looking to bounce back from his last outing, where he took the loss. Against the Rays on May 17th, he gave up three earned runs in 5 2/3 innings of work. Looking back further, Bassitt has finished on the losing end of things in three of his last four outings. Bassitt’s ERA for the season is 5.03, along with a record of 3-6. Out of his nine starts, he has four quality starts and is averaging 8.38 strikeouts per nine innings. For the year, he has allowed seven homers and is averaging 4.28 walks per nine innings.
Blue Jays Offense Breakdown
So far this season, the Blue Jays are averaging just 3.7 runs per game, which is 29th in the league. As a team, they are batting just .228, and their team OPS of .666 is also near the bottom of the league. One thing to keep an eye on is that they have the worst BABIP in the league, so they could be due for some better luck in the near future.
Currently, the Blue Jays have two players with at least five homers, with Daulton Varsho leading the way with eight long balls. However, he is batting just .209 for the season. Davis Schneider and Danny Jansen are both batting in the mid-.240s and have five homers apiece. Jansen is also on a five-game hitting streak and is 6/18 in his last five games.
White Sox vs Blue Jays Prediction
Our prediction for today’s White Sox vs. Blue Jays matchup is to take the Blue Jays to win at home. We have them winning this one by a score of 5-4. However, with the Blue Jays being -233 on the money line, we recommend taking the over at 8.5 runs, as we see there being a lot of value in this bet.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Chris Bassitt is projected to finish with five strikeouts compared to Nick Nastrini with five as well. However, we have Bassitt finishing with a lower ERA, and he is our second-best pitcher to pick up a win compared to Nastrini, who is fifth.
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 22, 2024 Blue Jays, White Sox