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The Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians square off on Thursday with first pitch set for 1:10 p.m. The game takes place at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio and will only be available on local TV or through an MLB.tv subscription. Dylan Cease will be on the mound for the White Sox, while the Guardians will give the start to Zach Plesac.
The White Sox (6-5) are walking into today’s series finale on a three-game losing streak after losing both games in Wednesday’s doubleheader. Chicago is hoping that Tim Anderson can give them a spark at the top of the order and lead them to a win. Since returning from his two-game suspension to start the season, Anderson is hitting .375 with a home run, five RBI, and four doubles.
The Guardians (6-5) needed to win both games on Wednesday after getting swept by the San Francisco Giants in three games. Jose Ramirez is playing out of his mind to start this season and is one of the reasons, why Cleveland is hitting .272. Ramirez is slugging .429 with four home runs and 20 RBI at the plate.
White Sox vs. Guardians
Pitchers: Dylan Cease vs. Zach Plesac
First pitch: 1:10 p.m. ET
White Sox local broadcast: NBC Sports Chicago
Guardians local broadcast: Bally Sports Great Lakes
Live stream: MLB.tv (subscription)
Moneyline odds: White Sox -150, Guardians +130
Picks & predictions
Moneyline pick: White Sox -150
The White Sox have the perfect pitcher on the mound today to help them potentially avoid getting swept by the Guardians. Cease has been one of the best pitchers in the league to start the year with a 2-0 record and 0.69 ERA through two starts. The 26-year-old has racked up the strikeouts (16) and only allowed two earned runs across 10.2 innings pitched.
Last season, Cease did not pitch well on the road (4.69 ERA) or against Cleveland with an ERA of 6.23 and .316 OBA in two starts. However, it’s a brand new year and he’s been their most consistent pitcher on the mound. Cease has had success against Ramirez, who is only hitting .222 in nine career at-bats.
As for the Guardians, they will lean on Plesac, who has pitched well this season with an 0-1 record and 1.64. He isn’t a strikeout pitcher such as Cease, but has only allowed two earned runs in 11 innings pitched. Last season, Plesac had his fair share of issues against the White Sox, posting an ERA of 7.56 and .319 OBA. I think Chicago avoids the sweep with a good outing from Cease and the bats wake up from their slumber.
Player prop pick: Tim Anderson over 1.5 total bases (-105)
If the White Sox wants to get back into the win column, it starts with Anderson at the top of the lineup. This season, the All-Star shortstop is hitting .375 with one home run and five RBI in eight games. Anderson has gone over 1.5 total bases in five out of his first eight games, which includes two out of his last three games.
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