White Sox gear up for critical bout vs. Red Sox
It’s been a swift fall from grace for Robin Ventura’s White Sox. Is the team capable of rising off the mat for a crucial series against the 39-29 Red Sox, though?
Chicago, which has lost 26 of the past 36 contests, visits Fenway Park at 7:10 p.m. ET. Understandably, online sports book Bovada.lv gives the hosts odds of -230 to capture the opener. The fourth-place group in the AL Central, meanwhile, enters as a +200 underdog.
On May 9, Ventura’s club stood at 13 games over .500. His pitching staff has absolutely spiraled out of control, though, with the bats failing to fare much better. In fact, only two men in the everyday lineup – outfielders Melky Cabrera and Adam Eaton – can claim an average of .270 or higher.
That must be music to the ears of Boston’s Steven Wright, whose covert All-Star campaign could rise a lot more widespread attention soon. The knuckleballer is riding a five-game winning streak and paces the AL with a 2.22 ERA. Not bad for an individual who barely broke camp with the squad.
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On the other side, the White Sox (33-36) feature Miguel Gonzalez. In his most recent outing, the 32-year-old permitted a season-high seven runs across 3 1/3 innings vs. Detroit. He’s never faced the Red Sox, who lead MLB in runs scored.
John Farrell’s club continues to smart from last week’s missed opportunity against first-place Baltimore, and Chicago should make for a satisfying punching bag. Ride with Boston to improve to 8-9 in June and make the O’s sweat a bit entering their affair with AL West powerhouse Texas.
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