White Sox search for another win in Motown
The Chicago White Sox pulled off a tough task Friday night, beating one of the best pitchers in the Majors at his home ballpark. Saturday the Sox will shoot to secure a series victory when they take on the Detroit Tigers in game two of their three-game series at Comerica Park (4:10 pm Eastern, Fox).
Chicago won the opener of this series Friday night 8-2, tagging Justin Verlander for five runs in six innings, getting a quality start from Gavin Floyd and cashing in as +180 underdogs.
So heading into Saturday Detroit, at 49-44, sits in second place in the AL Central, one game back of first-place Cleveland, while Chicago, at 45-48, occupies third place, five games back of the Indians.
Edwin Jackson (5-7, 4.30) will start for the Sox Saturday against Max Scherzer (10-4, 4.69) for the Tigers. As of Saturday morning BetOnline.com is listing Detroit as a -147 favorite for Saturday afternoon’s game, with an over/under of 8.5.
Jackson is eight-for-17 on quality starts this season. Over his last two starts Jackson has allowed eight earned runs on 13 hits in 13 innings pitched. For the year Chicago is 6-11 in Jackson’s starts, with the over/unders going 9-8.
Jackson has started twice vs. Detroit this year and five times last year, giving up 22 ER on 55 hits in 47 IP.
Scherzer has been a bit erratic this year in going 11-for-19 in quality starts. He held Kansas City to one ER on six hits in 6 2/3 innings his last time out, but that followed a start in which he gave up six ER in two innings vs. San Francisco. Detroit is 13-6 in Scherzer’s starts this season, the over/unders 10-8.
Scherzer has started once vs. the White Sox this season and four times last year, allowing 11 ER on 28 hits in 37 2/3 IP.
Chicago is 24-23 on the road this year, while Detroit is 27-20 at home.
So far this year the Tigers have taken five of seven games from the Southsiders. And five of those games have played over their posted totals.
The over/unders are 39-48 in White Sox games this season (excluding pushes), 49-37 in Tigers games, and 21-22 in games played at Comerica Park.
As for Saturday’s game, while Scherzer has been a bit hard to decipher this year, his recent numbers vs. the White Sox are very good. So we look for Detroit to even this series with a victory.
Darin Zank
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