Chicago has the home field advantage and is the more talented team, so it should expect to win at least two of the three games in this series. San Diego is in a rebuilding mode and at 13-22 are already realistically out of playoff contention since the roster is weak.
The Padres are capable of putting good games together every once in a while, but if the White Sox hope to hang in the American League Central this year, they need to take advantage of playing an inferior opponent at home.
This series will be contested from Friday, May 12 through Sunday, May 14, 2017 at Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois.
Bet on MLB odds at BookMaker.eu every day of the season.
Pitching Matchups
The Friday game will feature Chicago’s Miguel Gonzalez against San Diego’s Jhoulys Chacin. Gonzalez is 3-2 with a 3.18 ERA on the season and will aim to keep pitching well. Chacin is 3-3 but has a 5.26 ERA, which is particularly egregious considering San Diego plays in an extreme pitcher’s park.
The White Sox are scheduled to start Dylan Covey on Saturday against the Padres’ Trevor Cahill. Covey is 0-3 with an ugly 8.28 ERA and a 1.92 WHIP. Covey has given up as many walks as strikeouts on the season and has gotten hit hard. Cahill, meanwhile, is 3-2 with a 3.06 ERA, striking out 44 batters in 35.1 innings. The Padres should be favored in this one based on the pitching matchup.
In the series finale, Chicago will start Jose Quintana against San Diego’s Jered Weaver. Quintana is only 2-5 on the year with a 4.46 ERA, but he is one of the better starting pitchers in the American League and could throw a gem in this one. Weaver is 0-4 on the season with a 6.81 ERA as his stuff has fallen dramatically in recent years and now he’s not really starting pitcher material any longer. The White Sox should be big favorites in this one.
Player to Watch
Avisail Garcia -- The White Sox right fielder is off to a great start this season, leading the team in nearly every offensive category. He is hitting .336 right now with an on-base percentage of .380.
He also has a team-high 38 hits, 24 RBIs and five home runs. It’s quite a jump in production at the plate for the 25-year-old who finished with a .245 average last year where he served a designated hitter for Chicago.
Garcia is trying to prove he’s capable of playing both sides of the ball this season. His defense hasn’t been as impressive as his offense, however, with four errors committed this season. Despite that, Garcia’s offensive exploits are exciting, especially considering third baseman Todd Frazier has yet to get on track this season.
Key Stat
Minus-58. That’s the Padres’ run-differential on the season, which is the second-worst in baseball. They have only scored 125 runs, which is in the bottom five in the major leagues, while allowing 183, which is tied for the worst in baseball.
The Padres are just a poor team overall, and everyone knew it heading into the year. San Diego has a decent farm system and will aim to find some youngsters who can contribute down the road, but for now it’s a team that will struggle.
The White Sox aren’t a great team but have the superior players and need to win at least two games in this series. It will be tough to get all three, though, because the Saturday pitching matchup is so lopsided in favor of San Diego.
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
