The Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox will continue their four-game weekend series on Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Red Sox were able to come from behind in the series opener to earn a 9-4 win. The White Sox will look to bounce back and win game two of the series behind their top pitching prospect.
With the win on Thursday night, the Red Sox continue to have the best record in baseball. Boston has an 8.5 game lead over the New York Yankees for the top spot in the American League East. The Chicago White Sox are in the basement of the American League Central, but are starting to show some improvement. The Boston Red Sox are -165 in game two of the series on Friday night.
Kopech Makes Third Start For Chicago
Young pitching phenom, Michael Kopech will be making his third start of his career on Friday night for the White Sox. Kopech figures to be the ace of the White Sox staff for many years to come, and looked sharp in his previous start. He beat the Detroit Tigers by going six strong innings and allowing just one run on seven hits. The 22-year-old will face a tough test against the Red Sox in this game.
All-Star first baseman Jose Abreu has put together another strong season for the White Sox. Abreu leads the team in nearly every offensive category including a .272 batting average. The slugger has belted 22 home runs and driven in 78 runs for Chicago this season. Abreu will anchor a young White Sox lineup that is in the rebuilding phase.
Red Sox Offense Keeps Producing
Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez continue to lead the high powered Red Sox offense. Mookie Betts leads Major League Baseball with a .340 batting average and also sports a .429 on-base percentage. Martinez has been the run producer for Boston this season, blasting 38 home runs and recording 111 runs batted in. These two MVP candidates will get their first look at Michael Kopech on Friday night.
Newly acquired Nathan Eovaldi will make the start for the Red Sox on Friday night. Eovaldi is 5-6 with a 4.15 earned run average through 16 starts this season. Boston acquired the right-hander from the Tampa Bay Rays, and Eovaldi was dominant in his first two starts with the Red Sox. Things have gone south for him though, and he hasn’t won a game since August 4, going 0-2 in that span.
Boston Wins Game Two
The Chicago White Sox blew a 4-0 lead in the series opener in large part due to their inconsistent bullpen. The White Sox have been scoring more runs of late, but their pitching staff continues to let them down. Young phenom Michael Kopech looks to change the narrative and pitch well on Friday night.
It seems that the Boston Red Sox can do no wrong. Boston was able to spot the White Sox a four-run lead before storming back with 9 unanswered runs. The Red Sox need Eovaldi to pitch better in this game if they are going to earn the win, but it might not matter with their offense. Look for Boston to beat the White Sox for a second straight night. Bet the Red Sox -165 on Friday at Bovada.
