The Seattle Mariners face crucial stretch run, but the Chicago White Sox are in their way.
No team went more all-in on rentals than the Mariners. In separate trades, they acquired Eugenio Suarez and Josh Naylor from the Diamondbacks. Adding two talented bats with power to a core of Julio Rodriguez, Cal Raleigh and Randy Arozarena makes this team deadly if they can get to October. But it’s going to be a heated AL Wild Card stretch, so every game counts.
As for the other side, pop the champagne in Chicago. The White Sox won’t be resetting the record for futility after a historically awful 2024. What’s more, the Colorado Rockies will be putting some heat on that record and keeping eyes off the Sox, but it’s going to be another rough home stretch as they look to avoid losing 100 games. On the bright side, the White Sox finally have some promising young players in the lineup.
The Mariners are a -282 Moneyline favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook. The over/under is set at 7.5 runs. Let’s dig into a preview, prediction, and best bet for this White Sox vs. Mariners game.
Mariners vs. White Sox prediction, preview
Despite the gap in these teams, we have an exciting pitching matchup for this afternoon game.
Rookie starter Shane Smith managed to sneak into the All-Star game somehow. While that was a bit of a surprise, he’s had a strong debut season on the South Side. The fastball/changeup combo is the foundation of his arsenal and has produced a lot of swings and misses. If he managed to add some legitimate breaking pitches, he has the upside to stick in their rotation long term. That’s a huge win for a team starved for talent.
However, the Mariners are not starved for pitching talent. Logan Gilbert is one of the headliners of their excellent pitching crop. Coming off a 2024 in which he led the majors in innings pitched and WHIP, he’s had another great year while pitching around some injuries. A date with this White Sox lineup is a welcome sight for the talented right-hander and his 98th-percentile strikeout rate.
Chicago has played well over the last month, but this Seattle offense is moving differently since the Trade Deadline. The gap on the mound is only exacerbated by the gap on the field. It’s going to be another smashing day for the M’s.
