Cody Anderson pitched another strong game for the Indians Saturday, but I managed to get a superb effort from Jeff Locke and the Pirates earned a 1-0 win as the daily free play. I’ll bank on more good pitching to deliver a winner today.
ORIOLES (Gonzalez) @ WHITE SOX (Rodon)
Take: WHITE SOX -105
The White Sox have been one of the tougher teams for me to either play on or against this season. I’ve generally just chosen to avoid them completely. The reason is simple enough. The Pale Hose consistently win the starting pitcher matchup, which is obviously a key when handicapping any baseball game. But that plus factor has been frequently offset by their horrible offense. This team is absolutely awful with the sticks. The proof of that is Chris Sale, who has been beyond sensational for the White Sox, and yet still has only six wins. It’s tough to get those W’s when there’s almost no offensive support.
Neverthless, I’m looking to hitch my wagon to the White Sox today. Carlos Rodon is on the mound, and the more I watch Rodon, the easier it becomes to look upon him as a future superstar southpaw. Rodon still has the occasional command battles, which is not unusual for a guy with such a limited professional resume. But when it comes to pure stuff, Rodon is elite. Big heat, and a killer slider that basically can’t be touched when he locates it. I really hope Rodon stays healthy for the next several seasons as he has a legitimate chance to be a true #1 starter.
Miguel Gonzalez will throw for the Orioles and he’s the definition of a mid-tier starter. Gonzalez will never blow hitters away with his array. But he’s a gritty competitor, and he’s one of those guys who’s probably a little better than his numbers say he’s supposed to be. But Gonzalez is not in especially good form right now. The Orioles righty has endured back to back bad outings since coming off the DL.
There’s nothing good I can say about this White Sox offense. It flat out stinks. But the upside is that the Chisox have a little something going right now. They’ve won four straight games and while they really had to eke out three of those, wins are wins.
The White Sox are in last place in the AL Central but they’re not dead in the water just yet. If they can maintain a little upward mobility heading into the break, maybe the front office makes a move to add some offense. They probably ought to, as if this outfit could just get a bit more production, the staff is strong enough for this team to potentially get hot. Sale, Jeff Samardzija, Jose Quintana and Rodon form an enviable quartet of arms, and it’s not like these guys need monstrous offensive support to get wins.
As for today, I want to ride the mini-White Sox wave and I like Rodon to best Gonzalez. Price is not an issue, and in fact at a virtual pick ’em, I can argue there’s a little value to be had with the White Sox.
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My 2* MLB Sunday Best Bet is loaded.