After taking the opener of this four-game series Thursday night, the White Sox look to grab Game 2 against the Yankees Friday night on the South Side. How are we playing this game with our free MLB pick?
MLB Betting Odds
Friday’s MLB betting odds opened this game at about a pick ’em, with an over/under of nine runs. Early betting action then pushed Chicago into a -115 favorite.
Yankees vs. White Sox Set-Up
Chicago nabbed the opener of this series Thursday night 5-4, cashing in as a +160 home dog on the MLB betting odds. The White Sox actually spotted the Yankees an early 4-0 lead, then scored four runs in the fifth inning and one in the seventh, and hung on from there.
Also, Thursday’s game stayed under a total of 9.5 runs.
With Thursday’s victory, Chicago is 4-1 over its last five games. At 33-34 overall the White Sox trail division-leading Minnesota by 12 games in the AL Central but they’re also only 2.5 games back of Texas in the battle for the second American League wild-card spot.
With Thursday’s loss, New York is just 3-7 over its last 10 games. At 41-26 overall the Yankees now lead the AL East by a half-game over second-place Tampa Bay.
This series is the second meeting between these teams this season. Back in April, the White Sox took two of three games from the Yankees in the Bronx.
Friday’s Starting Arms
Giolito, who is making a bid to start the All-Star game for the American League, is 7/12 on quality starts this season, working on a string of four in a row. And he’s three outs away from a string of seven QS in a row. Last Saturday he tossed 7 2/3 innings of three-hit, scoreless ball, with 11 strikeouts, in a 2-0 Chicago win over Kansas City. And over his last seven starts, he’s allowed just five runs and 25 hits through 51 1/3 innings, with 59 strikeouts!
The White Sox are 10-2 with Giolito this season, 8-0 over his last eight starts.
However, in two career starts against New York, one last year and one back in April of this season, Giolito got lit up for 13 runs – 11 earned – and 12 hits, including three ding-dongs, through 10 innings. Chicago managed a split of those two games.
Lefty Sabathia, by our strict standards, is only 1/10 on quality starts this season and 0 for his last three. Last Saturday he gave up four runs and seven hits through five innings of an 8-4 Yankees loss to Cleveland, and over his previous three starts, he’s allowed 11 ER and 20 hits, including five dingers, through 16 innings.
New York is 6-4 with Sabby this season, but 0-2 over his last two starts.
Over his last three starts against the White Sox, two last year and one in April of this season, Sabathia allowed just four runs and 10 hits through 16 2/3 innings, with 21 whiffs. The Yanks won two of those three games.
Friday’s Batting Splits
New York is batting .263/.341/.470 against right-handed pitching this season.
Chicago is batting .256/.321/.391 against left-handed pitching this season.
The Bullpens
The Yankees bullpen owns a 3.88 ERA this season and a 1.26 WHIP, which helps this unit rank among the top quarter of pens in Baseball.
The White Sox bullpen owns a 4.23 ERA and a 1.37 WHIP.
Totals Report
- Overs are 35-29 in Yankees games this season.
- Unders are 35-31 in White Sox games this season.
- Unders are 17-16 in games played at the place they now call Guaranteed Rate Field this season.
- Unders are 3-1 in Yankees-White Sox games this season.
- Overs are 6-4 with Sabathia.
- Unders are 8-4 with Giolito.
- Get more details: CHW at LAD MLB Match-up Stats
