From Progressive Field in Cleveland, we have the White Sox and Guardians facing off in an AL Central matchup. This one gets started at 1:10 PM ET and is being televised by BSGL.
Chicago comes in with a record of 25-63, while the Guardians are 53-31 and are currently leading the AL Central. Ben Lively is starting for the Guardians, and he will be facing off against a White Sox team that is starting Jared Shuster. Cleveland is the heavy favorite on the money line, with their odds sitting at -268, while the White Sox are at +219. The over/under line is currently at 9 runs.
Chicago vs. Cleveland Matchup At A Glance
- Teams: White Sox at Guardians
- Where: Progressive Field Cleveland
- Date: Thursday, July 4th
- Betting Odds CLE -268 | CHW +219 O/U 9
White Sox vs Guardians Last Game Recap
Chicago cruised to an easy 8-2 win over the Guardians in the most recent game of this series. The White Sox had a huge 4th inning, scoring four of their eight runs. As for the Guardians, they scored their only two runs in the 7th. Heading into the game, the White Sox were at +182 on the money line.
Erick Fedde got the win for the White Sox, going six innings and giving up just one run. He finished the game with three strikeouts but issued three walks. Gavin Williams had a rough outing for the Guardians, taking the loss after going just four innings and giving up five earned runs.
At the plate, the White Sox were led by Martin Maldonado and Lenyn Sosa, as they were the only two hitters in the lineup to have more than one hit. Maldonado, Luis Robert Jr., and Tommy Pham each had two RBIs for Chicago's offense.
White Sox Preview
Chicago has struggled mightily on the road this season, posting a 9-34 record away from home. Their overall series record is 6-19-2, and as the underdog, they are 36-46 against the run line.
The White Sox are 5-1 as the favorite and have a 20-62 record as the underdog. Their games have gone under the total in 78.4% of the time, with an O/U record of 40-45. The average run margin in their wins is 3.1, compared to -3.7 in their losses.
Left-hander Jared Shuster is getting the start for the White Sox today as he faces the Guardians on the road. Shuster has made 17 appearances this season and has a record of 1-0 with a 3.15 ERA. So far, he has made nine appearances on the road and has a record of 0-0 with a 3.16 ERA. Shuster's last outing came out of the bullpen, where he went one-third of an inning and didn't give up a run. Before that, he hadn't given up a run in three straight appearances. He has a total of three home runs allowed this season.
Chicago has been one of the worst offensive teams in the league this season, as they are dead last in the league in runs scored and are also near the bottom of the league in terms of home runs, batting average, and on-base percentage. One of the few bright spots for the White Sox has been the play of Andrew Vaughn, who is batting .244 with a team-leading 41 RBIs and 11 home runs. Paul DeJong also has 15 homers this season but is batting just .237.
Over his last six games, Luis Robert Jr. has gone 9/25 with three home runs and seven RBIs. During this stretch, he has scored seven runs. Robert Jr. and Andrew Vaughn are both on six-game hitting streaks.
Guardians Preview
Cleveland is 27-10 at home this season and leads the AL Central by six games over the Twins. They are 37-17 as favorites and have a 46-38 run line record, with the underdog covering in 20 of 30 games. The Guardians are 1-1 in their current series vs. the White Sox and have an overall series record of 17-7-2.
For the season, the over/under in Cleveland games is 41-37, with the average line being set at 8 runs. Tonight's O/U line of 9 runs is higher than usual, as only 7.1% of their games have had higher totals. The Guardians' straight-up record is 53-31, and they are 5-5 in their last 10 games.
Ben Lively will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Royals, as he gets the start for the Guardians today. Against the Royals, Lively took the loss, giving up two earned runs in six innings of work. Looking at his overall numbers, Lively has made 13 starts, and his ERA for the season is 3.03. Lively's record for the season is 7-4, and he has pitched much better at home, coming in with a record of 4-0 and an ERA of 2.17. On the road, he is 3-4 with a 3.8 ERA.
Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor have been two of the league's top power hitters this season, as Ramirez's 23 homers are 4th in the league and Naylor's 20 home runs are 7th in the MLB. As a team, the Guardians are 5th in the league in scoring at 5 runs per game. They have been even better at home, averaging 5.1 runs per game.
Over his last five games, Jose Ramirez has gone just 4/19, but two of those hits have gone for home runs. He has also scored four runs and driven in four over that stretch. Daniel Schneemann comes into the game on a three-game hitting streak.
White Sox vs. Guardians Prediction: Over 9 Runs -103
Our prediction for today's White Sox vs. Guardians game is to take the over, as we see the Guardians coming out on top by a score of 6-4. However, with the payout for a Guardians win being -268, we recommend taking the over, as you can get a payout of -103.
Looking at the starting pitchers, Ben Lively is predicted to finish with four strikeouts. However, his chances of picking up a win are the second-worst among today's starters. We have Lively going five innings and finishing with an ERA of 4.76.
