- Joined
- Oct 3, 2019
- Messages
- 9,960
- Reaction score
- 28,589
- Points
- 135
The White Sox arrive in Cleveland for five games in four days, starting with a day/night doubleheader today. Both teams were rained out yesterday.
The Sox have locked up the third seed in the playoffs and can’t move up unless the Astros collapse. The Indians are a game ahead of Detroit in second place. The Tigers have won 7 of 10. So this series doesn’t mean much to either team, although it would be nice if the Indians finished the season 7-5 to avoid finishing under .500. Going 8-4 would give them their ninth consecutive season over .500.
The season series with the White Sox is tied 7-7 so whoever wins this series has bragging rights for the season. Considering this has been a disappointing year overall, winning the season series against the division champs would be a nice silver lining going into next year.
With Amed Rosario back the Indians should be at full strength for the first time since early in the season (with the exception of Josh Naylor). With Shane Bieber starting tomorrow we will also see the presumptive rotation for next season with the exception of Morgan starting in Quantrills’s spot on Saturday.
Other than going with six starters and the absence of Naylor and Karinchak this is what the first Guardians team will look like next season, barring any trades or free agent signings (I'm sure there will be a couple).
The White Sox are 85-66; 49-27 at home and 36-39 away. They have been two different teams depending on where they play, which is not good considering they will not have home field advantage in the playoffs. For the year the Sox as a team are hitting .255/.754 but against the Tribe it’s .228/.683. The Indians’ pitchers have been much more successful than the rest of baseball. However, Luis Robert and Tim Anderson have hit the Tribe well.
The Sox are 2nd in the A.L. in on-base percentage and walks, 6th in slugging, 9th in ISO, and 13th in home run percentage. This adds up to 5th in runs per game. They don’t bury you with home runs. They get on base and get ‘em in.
Their team ERA ranks 3rd in the A.L. Their starters have been great and until late in the season, healthy.
Jose Abreu (29 HR’s, 118 RBI’s, .838 OPS), Luis Robert (.351/.933 in 242 AB’s), Adam Engel (.841 OPS), Yasmani Grandal (.948 OPS as a catcher - we can only dream), and Tim Anderson (.302/.783) lead the offense. Abreu is hitting .136 against the Indians. They have pitched him very well.
Cesar Hernandez is hitting .222/.591 since being traded, with 40 K’s in 167 AB’s. Ugh.
Aaron Civale goes against RHP Reynaldo Lopez in the opener. Lopez is 3-3, 3.00. In September he has given up 10 earned runs in 14 innings so he has struggled lately. His last start he allowed 6 runs in 4 innings against the Angels. With nobody on his OBA is .168, but pitching from the stretch it’s .265 and with RISP it’s .286. As always, the key is to get runners on base, make the pitcher go to the stretch and divide his attention.
Civale is coming off a tremendous outing against the Yankees where he shut them out on 4 hits over 6 innings.
Zack Plesac goes against a to-be-determined starter in the nightcap. Plesac allowed 2 runs in 6 innings in his last start (against the Yankees), before allowing a run in the 7th and two more on a home run off Wittgren.
The last 12 games will mostly be a continued audition for next season for Chang, Clement, Miller, Gimenez, Zimmer, Harold Ramirez, Mercado, Stephan, Garza, Hentges, and Francisco Perez. I’m pretty sure not all of them will be on the team next year. Maybe not many at all.
The Sox have locked up the third seed in the playoffs and can’t move up unless the Astros collapse. The Indians are a game ahead of Detroit in second place. The Tigers have won 7 of 10. So this series doesn’t mean much to either team, although it would be nice if the Indians finished the season 7-5 to avoid finishing under .500. Going 8-4 would give them their ninth consecutive season over .500.
The season series with the White Sox is tied 7-7 so whoever wins this series has bragging rights for the season. Considering this has been a disappointing year overall, winning the season series against the division champs would be a nice silver lining going into next year.
With Amed Rosario back the Indians should be at full strength for the first time since early in the season (with the exception of Josh Naylor). With Shane Bieber starting tomorrow we will also see the presumptive rotation for next season with the exception of Morgan starting in Quantrills’s spot on Saturday.
Other than going with six starters and the absence of Naylor and Karinchak this is what the first Guardians team will look like next season, barring any trades or free agent signings (I'm sure there will be a couple).
The White Sox are 85-66; 49-27 at home and 36-39 away. They have been two different teams depending on where they play, which is not good considering they will not have home field advantage in the playoffs. For the year the Sox as a team are hitting .255/.754 but against the Tribe it’s .228/.683. The Indians’ pitchers have been much more successful than the rest of baseball. However, Luis Robert and Tim Anderson have hit the Tribe well.
The Sox are 2nd in the A.L. in on-base percentage and walks, 6th in slugging, 9th in ISO, and 13th in home run percentage. This adds up to 5th in runs per game. They don’t bury you with home runs. They get on base and get ‘em in.
Their team ERA ranks 3rd in the A.L. Their starters have been great and until late in the season, healthy.
Jose Abreu (29 HR’s, 118 RBI’s, .838 OPS), Luis Robert (.351/.933 in 242 AB’s), Adam Engel (.841 OPS), Yasmani Grandal (.948 OPS as a catcher - we can only dream), and Tim Anderson (.302/.783) lead the offense. Abreu is hitting .136 against the Indians. They have pitched him very well.
Cesar Hernandez is hitting .222/.591 since being traded, with 40 K’s in 167 AB’s. Ugh.
Aaron Civale goes against RHP Reynaldo Lopez in the opener. Lopez is 3-3, 3.00. In September he has given up 10 earned runs in 14 innings so he has struggled lately. His last start he allowed 6 runs in 4 innings against the Angels. With nobody on his OBA is .168, but pitching from the stretch it’s .265 and with RISP it’s .286. As always, the key is to get runners on base, make the pitcher go to the stretch and divide his attention.
Civale is coming off a tremendous outing against the Yankees where he shut them out on 4 hits over 6 innings.
Zack Plesac goes against a to-be-determined starter in the nightcap. Plesac allowed 2 runs in 6 innings in his last start (against the Yankees), before allowing a run in the 7th and two more on a home run off Wittgren.
The last 12 games will mostly be a continued audition for next season for Chang, Clement, Miller, Gimenez, Zimmer, Harold Ramirez, Mercado, Stephan, Garza, Hentges, and Francisco Perez. I’m pretty sure not all of them will be on the team next year. Maybe not many at all.
