Today, the Chicago White Sox take on the Oakland Athletics at home. The Athletics are coming off a disappointing series against the New York Yankees, who are currently in the thick of the playoffs. The Athletics are coming off a disappointing series against the New York Yankees, who are currently in the thick of the playoffs. The Athletics are coming off a disappointing series against the New York Yankees, who are currently in the thick of the playoffs. The Athletics are coming off a disappointing series against the New York Yankees, who are currently in the thick of the playoffs. The Athletics are coming off a disappointing series against the New York Yankees, who are currently in the thick of the playoffs. The Athletics are coming off a disappointing series against the New York Yankees, who are
The White Sox are taking on the Athletics in a three games series at the Oakland Coliseum, the first series of the season. The White Sox are taking on the Athletics in a three games series at the Oakland Coliseum, the first series of the season. This series has some pretty big implications. The Sox have won six of eleven games against the Athletics since being swept in three games at the Coliseum in the World Series last year. The Sox have won six of eleven games against the Athletics since being swept in three games at the Coliseum in the World Series last year. The Sox are currently 5-4 against the Athletics in Oakland in the last ten games there. The Sox are currently 5-4 against the Athletics in Oakland in the last ten games there.
With the start of the MLB regular season less than 1 week away, I will be making my annual MLB predictions for the entire season. I will be making my picks against the Computer so I could post the pick right away. I will also be posting the odds of the game, and will post both my pick, and the computer’s (if you check the odds). Thanks for checking out my predictions.
In RingCentral Coliseum, the Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox will begin a three-game series on Tuesday. It’s time to continue our MLB odds series with a prediction and selection for the White Sox vs. the Athletics.
Oakland is presently 74-63 on the season and 37-31 at home. If you had bet $100 on every Athletics game this season, you would have lost $143 on the moneyline.
Chicago is presently 79-58 at home and 33-34 on the road. If you had bet $100 on every White Sox game this season, you would have lost $142 on the moneyline.
9 Runs or Less (-120)
Why the Athletics Have a Chance to Win This Game
The Athletics send out James Kaprelian to the mound in an attempt to get back on track after being swept by the Toronto Blue Jays. Kaprelian had a solid 3.87 ERA in 18 starts with the Athletics.
The right-propensity hander’s to devour innings for the A’s is one of his greatest assets. Kaprelian is seldom banged about early in his outings, and in 15 of his 18 starts this season, he has pitched five or more innings.
Kaprelian has dominated opponents with high OPS rankings, which is another plus for Oakland supporters. Kaprelian has thrown 17 innings and allowed just three earned runs in three appearances against teams in the top ten in OPS. Two of the three games were won by the A’s.
This is significant because, due to their mix of patience and power, the White Sox presently rank sixth in OPS and have one of the scariest offenses in the game. Kaprelian, on the other hand, has only given up one home run in 18 innings against the top 10 teams in the home run rankings.
Containing the Red Sox offense is a big order, but Kaprelian has shown himself competent in the past.
The A’s will take on Jimmy Lambert at the plate. In three outings this season, Lambert has shown two major flaws: accuracy and control of the home run.
Lambert has surrendered two home runs and four walks in only eight innings of work. This is a huge red flag for the A’s. Oakland has showed glimpses of power and is good at earning free passes (13th most in the NBA) (13th most homers).
They also don’t pursue pitches outside of the strike zone. They have the sixth-lowest chase rate in the majors, and Lambert depends heavily on strikeouts to get outs. This may quickly become nasty if he isn’t smart.
The A’s will almost certainly add on a few runs to Lambert before turning him over to the bullpen.
Why the White Sox Have a Chance to Win This Game
Kaprelian’s fastball is thrown 51.8 percent of the time, which is excellent news for White Sox hitters. The White Sox are one of the league’s finest fastball hitting teams, and they hit it hard when they receive it.
The White Sox have nine players that have a hard-hit percentage of more over 40%. The average percentage in the league is 35%. Jose Abreu, Eloy Jimenez, and Luis Robert, the core of the White Sox lineup, are all members of the group that is above 40%. With a hard-hit rate of 49.9%, Jose Abreu is especially impressive.
Kaprelian’s issue is that he throws a lot of direct heat, which the White Sox thrive on. It wouldn’t surprise me if the A’s starter was hit early against a lineup that has scored six runs or more in five of their previous ten games.
In what should be almost exclusively a bullpen game, the White Sox will rely on Jimmy Lambert to keep them in the game. Lambert hasn’t been spectacular, but he’s showed some flashes of brilliance in only three appearances.
Lambert has struck out eight hitters in eight innings. The righty has almost entirely relied on the strikeout or fly ball to earn outs this season, with just four of his 35 outs coming on the ground ball. The wide outfield at Oakland’s home ballpark is ideal for a pitcher like Lambert, and it could help him out a little tonight.
After Lambert finishes, the ball will be handed over to a bullpen that has the sixth-lowest WHIP and allows the third-fewest walks. Given the Athletics’ propensity to lay off pitches outside the strike zone, the White Sox need pitchers who can pound the strike zone, something their bullpen has done well recently. The Chicago bullpen has only given up three free passes in their previous 16 innings of work.
The rebuilt Sox pen, if Lambert can minimize the damage, can either close the door with a lead or keep the club alive if they fall down early.
White Sox-Athletics Final Prediction & Pick
This pitching duel seems to be a slugfest in the making. Kaprelian has given up 10 runs in his past two starts, making him a terrible matchup. In a brief start, Lambert is virtually certain to give up a few runs. Each starter will almost certainly give up three or more runs, and both bullpens will ultimately give in. Double-digit runs are a strong possibility in this game, particularly with the wind blowing out. Play a game of chance.
OVER 9 RUNS (+100) IS THE FINAL WHITE SOX-ATHLETICS PREDICTION.
