The Chicago White Sox and the Minnesota Twins will wrap up a three-game series with a Thursday matinee. The White Sox have won the first two games of the series, outscoring the Twins 20-9. Naturally, Chicago is favored on Thursday with a moneyline of -140 compared to Minnesota’s moneyline of +120.
On Thursday, the White Sox have a chance to extend their winning streak to five games. Not too long ago, Chicago lost five in a row, so a similar winning streak would be a great way for the White Sox to balance out their mid-June swoon. Also, thanks to their winning streak, the White Sox have widened their lead over the Cleveland Indians in the AL Central to four games.
As for the Twins, back-to-back losses in this series have dropped them to 12 games under .500. Of course, they had won seven of their last nine games heading into this series, so getting swept would be a huge disappointment. The only silver lining for the Twins is that they remain out of last place in the AL Central by half a game.
Magic Berrios
Minnesota ace Jose Berrios will get the start on Thursday as he looks to improve upon his 7-2 record. Berrios has allowed two runs or less in four of his last six starts, hitting a nice groove during the middle of the season and lowering his ERA to 3.41. He also has a WHIP of 1.08, so he does a great job of keeping players off the base paths.
Of course, after going through a slump, the White Sox lineup has come alive again, scoring 27 runs over their last three games. Injuries have limited some of Chicago’s lineup depth, especially in the outfield, but the White Sox still have plenty of heavy hitters. Yasmani Grandal has come alive, hitting three home runs in his last five games, while young outfielder Andrew Vaughn has heated up in recent days to give the White Sox a life.
The Rodon Radar
Lefty Carlos Rodon will start on Thursday, hoping to continue his exceptional season. Through 13 starts, Rodon is 6-3 with a 2.06 ERA and a WHIP of 0.90. However, he’s coming off a loss in his last start, giving up three runs over five innings against the Seattle Mariners, and has registered just one win in his last eight starts.
Meanwhile, the Twins have shown a lot of improvement offensively over the last two weeks. Over their last 11 games, the Twins are averaging 5.5 runs per game. Nelson Cruz has been steady all season but is finally starting to get help from Josh Donaldson, who has an OPS of 1.285 in his last eight games, giving the Twins a formidable heart of the order.
Don’t Be Deceived
Despite scoring 13 runs on Wednesday, Chicago’s lineup is a little light at the moment. Against a frontline starter like Berrios, the White Sox could be limited in what they do offensively, opening the door for Cruz and Donaldson to stay hot. Bet on the Twins to win on the road Thursday and avoid the sweep.
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