Series Preview: White Sox visit the Queen City
The White Sox will travel to Cincinnati to take on the Reds in a brief two-game series this week.
It’s as if the end of the world has been reached for this second-place Chicago White Sox team, or at least it feels like that way for some. This weekend, the White Sox lost a series to the Cleveland Indians, made headlines for the discontent from the clubhouse with manager Tony La Russa, Yermín Mercedes being scratched from the lineup, and they also saw the loss of Luis Robert with a hip flexor injury.
That is definitely not a great couple of days, but the world is not over just yet. The White Sox still have one of the best starting rotations and bullpens to go along with a solid lineup with the third-best run differential in Major League Baseball.
Baseball moves on. The 162-game season is under 17 percent done, which means there is plenty of time to make a change.
After a brief homestand, the new scenery could be good for this team. Chicago starts a five-game road trip with a short series in Cincinnati before a three-game set in Kansas City verse division-rival Royals.
White Sox went 1-2 (road games) in 2020 against the Cincinnati Reds. They were outscored 9-14 in the series.
Pitching Probables
Tuesday, May 4 @ 5:40 CDT
RHP Dylan Cease (1-0, 2.96 ERA) vs. RHP Jeff Hoffman (2-1, 3.33 ERA)
Cease vs. Reds: 1 G/GS, 0-1, 9.00 ERA, 3 IP, 3 R, 3 ER, 7 BB, 5 K, HBP, 17 batters faced.
Cease tossed 80 pitches in that game. Only 37 for strikes.
It was Cease’s second-shortest outing of his career. He also allows his most walks in that effort.
Current Reds hitters are 1-for-10 with four strikeouts against Cease.
Hoffman has one appearance against the White Sox; a 2017 start. He went seven innings, allowed seven hits, and four earned runs, walked two, hit another, and struck out two.
White Sox hitters are 7-for-24 against Hoffman.
Wednesday, May 5 @ 11:35 CT
LHP Dallas Keuchel (1-1, 4.65 ERA) vs. Sonny Gray (0-2, 5.93 ERA)
Keuchel vs. Reds: 3 G/GS, 0-0, 2.50 ERA, 18 IP, 13 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 17 K, 2 HR, 0.94 WHIP
Keuchel’s 2020 start vs. Reds: 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 7 K
Keuchel vs. Nick Castellanos: 7-for-18, 2B, HR, 4 RBI, BB, 2 K
Gray vs. White Sox- 6 G/ 5 GS, 4-0, 3.55 ERA, 33 IP, 23 H, 15 R, 13 ER, 15 BB, 29 K, HBP, 1.15 WHIP
Adam Eaton is 5-for-8 vs. Gray
Who’s Hot (stats from CLE series)
Luis Robert: 3 G/GS, 4-for-9, 2B, 2B, 3 K, .444/.444/.556/1.000
White Sox hitters when it comes to walking; averaged 4.3 walks per game vs. Indians.
Michael Kopech: 1 G, 3 IP, H, 0 runs, 3 K, a hold
Aaron Bummer: 2 G, 2 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts
Who’s Not (stats from CLE series)
White Sox offense: .170 BA (16-for-94), 3.33 runs per game, and 38 strikeouts
José Abreu: 3 G/GS, R, BB, 5 K, .250 OPS
Yoán Moncada: 3 G/GS, 2-for-10, RBI, 2 BB, 7 K, .200/.333/.200/.533
Adam Eaton: 3 G/GS, 0-for-10, BB, 6 K, .091 OPS
Final Notes
Yermín Mercedes was named AL Rookie of the Month for April. The 28-year-old rookie slashed .415/.455/.659 with 10 runs, scored, five doubles, five home runs, and 16 RBI. He also had an impressive five three-plus hit games in April.
We’re offering new subscribers a special deal this week in select unlocked stories — Subscribe today and receive 34% off an annual subscription in honor of Yermín Mercedes’ 34 hits in April!