After an epic 10-inning pitcher’s duel on Tuesday night, the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox meet again on Wednesday in the third game of a four-game series. The betting odds are tight for this game, with Cleveland’s moneyline set at -105 and the White Sox listed at -115.
Cleveland’s win on Tuesday moved the Indians into a tie with the Royals for first place in the AL Central. The Tribe has now won five of its last six games. Of course, there are just 1.5 games separating first from last in the tight AL Central.
That means the White Sox are just 1.5 games behind Cleveland at the moment. Despite being the favorite to win the AL Central before the season, Chicago has dropped three of its last five to fall to 5-6 on the season. The White Sox would need back-to-back wins over Cleveland on Wednesday and Thursday to get above .500 for the first time this season.
The Old Lefty
Carlos Rodon is set to make his second start of the season on Wednesday. The lefty looked good in his season debut, allowing just two hits over five scoreless innings against the Mariners. Of course, he was a little wild at times, walking three and hitting two batters despite striking out nine.
It was a good start ahead of a game against a struggling Cleveland offense. Eddie Rosario is starting to come around for the Tribe, while Franmil Reyes has made an impact with four home runs. However, Cleveland is struggling to find other players who can help Jose Ramirez as the key figure in the team’s lineup.
Ramirez will be key on Wednesday, as he has a good track record against Rodon, going 10 for 34 with five extra-base hits. However, nobody else on Cleveland’s roster has done much against Rodon. In fact, Rosario is 0 for 12 with seven strikeouts in his career against Chicago’s scheduled starter.
Pleasing Performance
Zach Plesac will make his third start of the season against the White Sox on Wednesday. He’s given Cleveland 13 strong innings over his first two starts, allowing just two runs. He’s also fresh off six scoreless frames against the Tigers last weekend.
On paper, the White Sox present the toughest test of the season for Plesac thus far. Of course, Chicago’s lineup has struggled to live up to preseason expectations. Adam Eaton has made a strong return to the South Side, while Yermin Mercedes has been a huge story, hitting .485 with an OPS of 1.298.
However, the rest of the White Sox have struggled. Plus, most of Chicago’s hitters have a poor history against Plesac. In three starts against Chicago last year, Plesac allowed just 40 runs over 20.1 innings. In two of those three starts, He pitched at least six shutout innings.
The Zach Attack
In what could be a tight game, Plesac is more likely than Rodon to deliver a gem. While the White Sox have the better lineup on paper, they haven’t shown it early in the season. After a 2-0 Cleveland win on Tuesday, bet on Cleveland to win another pitcher’s duel on Wednesday.
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