The Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago White Sox will start a three-game series on Tuesday night in Chicago. Both teams took Monday off and are ready to get rolling for this American League affair. The Blue Jays are 45-40 on the season but in fourth place in the rugged American League East. Toronto is coming off a three-game sweep at home at the hands of the Boston Red Sox. For the White Sox, they picked up a win on Sunday to win the series over Oakland. The White Sox are also fourth place in their division, with a 37-49 record on the season.
The White Sox are underdogs in this game, despite being at home. Chicago is +100, while you can get the favorite Toronto at -120. The total for this game is listed at 9.
Two Veterans Take the Hill
Chris Bassitt will get the ball for the Toronto Blue Jays. The 34-year-old is just shy of 100 innings pitched on the season and has struck out 93 batters. Bassitt is 8-5 on the season, with a 4.06 earned run average. In his last start, he shut out the San Francisco Giants through 6 innings, allowing just 3 hits.
Lucas Giolito will get the nod for the Chicago White Sox. In his last start, he allowed 6 hits and 4 earned runs in 7 innings while strikeout out 9 against the Angels. The White Sox won the game 11-5. Giolito is 6-5 on the season, with a 3.53 earned run average. The 28-year-old has 108 strikeouts to just 29 walks this season.
Plenty of Offense Each Way
Both teams have their fair share of offense. Toronto has a loaded lineup that probably can be considered underachieving. In the three straight losses, the Blue Jays scored just an average of 3.3 runs per game. In fact, in their last five, the Blue Jays have scored just a total of 14 runs. The offense is what will need to get the Blue Jays going for contention in the divisional race. Bo Bichette anchors the way with a .317 batting average and 15 home runs. Vladimir Guerrero Jr, who was named an All-Star reserve, is tops on the team with 52 runs batted in. The Blue Jays are 6th in team batting average, with a .261.
On the other side, the White Sox have guys that can hit as well, but whether they do it or not has been a common question. The White Sox have hit well as of late. Despite losing two of three to the worst team in baseball, Chicago scored a total of 18 runs in three games. In fact, the White Sox have scored 38 runs over their last five games. Chicago is led by Luis Robert and his talented bat. The youngster has 24 home runs, while Andrew Vaughn has driven in 51.
Sparks Fly on the 4th of July in Chicago
Both teams struggle to pitch, so expect some offense in this game. The White Sox are 25th in team ERA, allowing 4.55 runs per game. Toronto is not a ton better, allowing just shy of 4 per game. Both teams have solid starting pitchers going, but the bullpens are the question. Look for the trend to continue in White Sox games and the over-hits here. Bet the over between Toronto and Chicago on the 4th of July!
