Series Preview: White Sox Open Homestand with Weekend Tilt with Texas
The White Sox are in desperate need of some good home cooking on this homestand.
No one said winning a World Series was going to be easy, and it shows. The White Sox have already dealt with their fair share of injuries, bullpen issues, and losses.
Fortunately for them, they have found themselves sitting at an even record through 18 games. After a brief time away, they return home for a nine-game homestand. It begins with a three-game series against the Texas Rangers, followed by two other three-game series, which will be against two-division rivals in the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians.
Texas Rangers started the season 3-6 but have since gone 6-4 and sit one game below a .500 record. They are currently in fourth place in the American League West.
Pitching Matchups
Friday, April 23 @ 7:10 pm CDT
RHP Dylan Cease (0-0, 3.86 ERA) vs. RHP Dane Dunning (1-0, 0.60 ERA) vs. TBD
Dunning, alongside Avery Weems, was traded by the White Sox back in December for veteran Lance Lynn.
Dunning is 1-0 with a 3.72 ERA over four games at Guaranteed Rate Fied. He also has a 10.7 strikeout per nine ratio.
Saturday, April 24 @ 6:10 pm CDT
TBD vs. RHP Kyle Gibson (2-0, 2.53 ERA)
Gibson has ten career starts at Guaranteed Rate Field. He is 6-2 with a 2.84 ERA over 66.2 IP and owns a 9.3 K/9.
Sunday, April 25 @ 1:10 pm CDT
TBD vs. RHP Kohei Arihara (2-1, 2.21)
This will be just Arihara’s fifth major league appearance. He previously played in Japan for six seasons.
He’s struck out 11 batters in 14 innings while allowing just one walk so far this season.
Who’s Hot (Stats from last two series)
Tim Anderson- 4 G, 8 for 18, 5 R, 2B, 2 HR, 5 K, 3 SB, 1.278 OPS
José Abreu- 5 G, 6 for 19, 4 R, 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 4 K, 2 GDP- before the game in Cleveland, he struggled.
Luis Robert- 5 G, 8 for 19, r 3 2B, RBI, 4 K, 2 SB, and a slash line of .421/.421/.579/1.00
Who’s Not (Stats from last two series)
Yermín Mercedes- 5 G, 3 for 17, R, HE, 2 RBI, 6 K
Zack Collins- 3 G, 0 for 7, BB, 4 K
For more one who is hot and not for the season, read Patrick Flowers’ piece.
Final Note
Also, Billy Hamilton was activated before the Texas series. Hamilton is hitting .273 with two runs, an RBI, two walks, a strikeout, and two stolen bases for the White Sox (6 games).