A two-day battle for Windy City bragging rights ends on Wednesday with the Cubs hosting the White Sox at Wrigley Field. After the White Sox won 3-1 on Tuesday, they are favored to win again on Wednesday with a moneyline of -145 while the Cubs have a moneyline of +125.
The White Sox had a rough April that saw the defending AL Central champs hindered by a slew of injuries. But there are finally some signs that the South Siders are starting to turn the tide, winning three of their last four games and four of their last seven games. Nevertheless, the White Sox are still three games under .500 and already 4.5 games off the pace in the AL Central.
Of course, things have been even worse for the Cubs this year, especially after Tuesday’s loss. The Cubs have only won three of their last 13 games, putting them in a serious funk. The North Siders currently sit five games under .500 and are fourth in the NL Central, four games out of first place.
Not the Ace
The Cubs haven’t gotten much out of their starting rotation this year, which is a problem Kyle Hendricks will hope to put a stop to on Wednesday. However, Hendricks has been part of the problem, going 1-2 with a 5.47 ERA over his first five starts. Hendricks found a way to win 14 games last season despite some ups and downs and it’s been more of the same this year, as he’s given up six runs while failing to get out of the fifth inning in two of his starts.
To his credit, Hendricks has been good in a couple of his starts while the White Sox still aren’t mustering much offense. Even as the White Sox have started to turn things around lately, they are only averaging 3.1 runs per game over their last eight games. Eloy Jimenez and Yoan Moncada are on the IL, creating a hole in the Chicago lineup, while Tim Anderson and Andrew Vaughn are the only regulars who have produced consistently over the first month of the season.
Searching for the First
Lucas Giolito is another member of the White Sox who has spent time on the IL this year. But he’ll be on the mound Wednesday for his fourth start of the season, although he’s still searching for his first win of 2022. Despite being winless, Giolito owns a 2.57 ERA after his first three starts, striking out 22 over his 14 innings.
On Wednesday, Giolito will face a Cubs lineup that continues to struggle, scoring just six total runs in their last five games. Seiya Suzuki has been the team’s biggest star during his first season in the big leagues, although he’s been one of the few bright spots in the Chicago lineup. Yet even he has fallen into a slump over the past week with the entire lineup struggling to produce anything.
South Side Sweep
While the White Sox haven’t had an easy time this year, everything is going wrong for the Cubs these days. Hendricks isn’t the stopper he used to be, so there’s no guarantee he can put a stop to the team’s losing ways. Bet on the White Sox to keep it going and win again on Wednesday.
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