With the Tampa Bay Rays slowly gaining ground in the AL East, the division-leading Baltimore Orioles (82-49) will look to keep it rolling and bag their third straight win in game two of their three-game set against the Chicago White Sox (52-80) on Tuesday night. First pitch from Camden Yards is set for 7:10 p.m. ET. It’ll be a battle of righties on the mound, as Chicago’s Jesse Scholtens (1-6, 4.15 ERA) goes against Baltimore’s Dean Kremer (12-5, 4.31).
The O’s enter as -230 favorites on the moneyline at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the White Sox at +190. The run total is set at 9.
White Sox-Orioles picks: Tuesday, August 29
Injury report
White Sox
Out: C Seby Zavala (strained left oblique), RP Garrett Crochet (left shoulder inflammation)
Orioles
Out: RP Felix Bautista (right elbow), OF Aaron Hicks (low back strain), SP John Means (Tommy John surgery), RP Keegan Akin (lower back discomfort), RP Dillon Tate (right elbow flexor strain)
Starting pitchers
Jesse Scholtens vs. Dean Kremer
Thrust into the rotation after the White Sox pulled the plug at the trade deadline, Scholtens started August relatively strong — he posted quality starts in his first three outings of the month — but has allowed five earned runs in each of his last two trips to the mound despite facing middling competition in the Rockies and Athletics. The righty’s gameplan is fastballs up, sliders down and away, but the execution hasn’t been nearly good enough given how pedestrian his stuff is.
Kremer, on the other hand, is playing his best baseball of the year. The righty has been dynamite all month, with a 2.59 ERA over four starts — including six shutout innings in a win over the Blue Jays last time out. (He’s also allowed three or fewer runs in all but one of his nine outings dating back to the beginning of July.) He too doesn’t have the most scintillating of arsenals, but he keeps his four-seamer elevated and his cutter has done enough to force weak contact and chew up innings.
Over/Under pick
Kremer has been money of late, and spacious Camden Yards should help turn fly balls from Luis Robert Jr., Eloy Jimenez and Co. into outs. Chicago was shut out in a loss on Monday night, and I’m expecting a similar effort from a team that’s been among the worst offenses in baseball against righties this month (26th in team OPS). Baltimore could carry us to this over all by themselves, but I’m banking on something a bit lower.
Pick: Under 9
Moneyline pick
Baltimore has the far, far better lineup and the more reliable pitcher on the mound, plus they know they need every win they can get if they’re going to fend off Tampa for the division crown. It’s hard to see the O’s dropping this game against a White Sox team that’s already packed it in.
Pick: Orioles -230
