The biggest AL series of the year continues on Tuesday, after the White Sox staved off the Guardians’ advances with a 7-3 victory on Monday.
Chicago is now 1.5 games up in the American League Central, while Cleveland is less than two games clear of both the Blue Jays and the Rangers in the hunt for the final Wild Card spot.
Got all that? Good. Let’s dive into this crucial division rivalry matchup and make a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
White Sox vs. Guardians prediction, preview
The White Sox are pulling out all the stops in this series. Despite the fact that Sean Burke and Davis Martin have easily been this club’s best starters all year long, Will Venable will once again send out an opener, this time in the form of Chris Murphy. Just like Sean Newcomb on Monday, Murphy is left-handed. The rationale here is obvious. The Guardians start their lineup with dangerous lefties in Steven Kwan and Chase DeLauter. Yes, Jose Ramirez has been far better against LHPs than RHPs in 2026, but the former MVP candidate is also slashing .122/.157/.122 with a -25 wRC+ in September. I don’t think you’re too concerned with giving Ramirez an advantageous handedness matchup at the moment.
Let’s get back to Martin. After a nightmarish month of August, the 29-year-old has been better in his last two outings, giving up one earned run over 10.2 innings against the Astros and the Pirates. That brings Martin’s ERA for the season as a whole to 4.05, while his FIP sits at a slightly more respectable 3.78. The right-hander has only made two prior starts versus the Guardians in 2026, and both have come since the beginning of July. On July 2, Martin somehow only surrendered two earned runs in 3.1 innings, despite allowing six hits and offering up five walks. On August 8, Martin conceded two runs (one earned) in a single inning of work before a lengthy rain delay forced his exit. Not exactly a track record that inspires success.
Cleveland will counter in this pitching matchup with Foster Griffin, who was acquired from the Nationals at the trade deadline. To be blunt, things have gone incredibly poorly for the the former NPB stud since becoming a member of the Guardians. In seven starts, Griffin has pitched to a 5.94 ERA and a 5.18 xERA, ratios that certainly did not improve when Griffin served up eight earned runs to the Orioles in 2.1 innings in his most recent appearance. This won’t be an easy spot for Griffin to rebound in, either. While Chicago does rely on a number of notable left-handed bats — Colson Montgomery, Munetaka Murakami and Sam Antonacci to name a few — the team ranks second in MLB in ISO (.178) against southpaws. It also sits fifth in wRC+ (108).
White Sox vs. Guardians pick, best bet
Best Bet: Over 8.5 (-132)
Davis Martin has had little success against the Guardians this season, and he’s pitched to a 6.09 ERA since the beginning of June. Meanwhile, Foster Griffin has a 5.94 ERA since being traded to Cleveland, and the White Sox own the league’s second-best ISO versus left-handed pitching (.178).
Strong Lean: Miguel Vargas 2+ Total Bases (+111)
Vargas owns a 164 wRC+ against LHPs this season with a team-high 12 home runs.
