Chicago has one of the highest scoring offenses in the league but they are still milling about below .500.
Chicago White Sox (19-21) vs. Oakland A’s (24-15)
Tuesday May 13
o.co Coliseum – Oakland, CA
10:05PM
Probable Pitchers
CHW: Scott Carroll (R)
OAK: Drew Pomeranz (L)
Moneyline: Oakland -175, Chicago +165
Total: 8
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Chicago
That is because more often than not their pitching staff can’t hold back the bats of the opposing team.
They have lost 4 of their last 5 while Jose Abreu continues to mash away but I am wondering how sustainable their offense can be with guys like Marcus Semien and Alejandro De Aza hitting .220 or below and striking out a ton.
If the hot guys cool things could get ugly for the Sox.
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With the way the White Sox can slug they are mostly just looking for pitchers to give them a chance, especially with Chris Sale on the shelf. In his first two outings Scott Carroll did just that but in his most recent outing he was roughed up by the Cubs, one of the lightest hitting teams in the league.
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Chicago is hoping that he can get back to the form of his first two MLB starts against a very good Oakland team.
Oakland
The A’s have won 5 in a row and are in first place with the most wins in the American League. The pitching has been rock solid with the second best ERA in the Majors and their hitting has been timely enough that they are 5th in runs scored. There are lots of players enjoying good season with C Derek Norris standing out with a .370 average so far.
In fact the combo of Norris and John Jaso behind the plate is as productive as any team in the Majors – a spot where elite production is hard to find.
Lefty Drew Pomeranz was once a top prospect. Drafted by Cleveland he was flipped to the Rockies and never had any success in Colorado. Now with Oakland the big lefty has had some success.
He started the season in the bullpen but was sharp in his lone start of the season giving up just 2 hits over 5 shutout innings. This will be a much stiffer test against a lethal lineup full of righthanded power.
Total prediction: Over
Score prediction: Oakland 6 – Chicago 4
I think Oakland will win but Pomeranz won’t be as stingy as he was in his first outing.
I am expecting a few long balls and like the total more than the side in this one though doubling up with Oakland at home is not a bad idea, there just isn’t a ton of value there.
I am starting to think that taking Chicago on the over at 8.5 or below might be the way to go from here on out.
