The Chicago White Sox’s (42-48) losing woes continued on Sunday as they suffered a gut-wrenching defeat to the Kansas City Royals. They will look to get their season back on track when they take on the high-flying St. Louis Cardinals (58-34) in the opening game of their much-anticipated two-game set.
Who will grab the advantage in this interleague matchup? Read on below for a breakdown of this series opener and while you’re at it, you can check out the most recently updated World Series odds.
[sc:MLBArticles ]St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago White Sox Preview
Where: U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago, Illinois
When: Tuesday, July 21, 8:10 PM ET
Line: St. Louis Cardinals (-139) at Chicago White Sox (+129); total: 8.0 – view all MLB lines
Betting on the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis had its two-game winning streak snapped on Sunday with a heart-breaking 3-1 loss to the New York Mets in extra innings. Ruben Tejada hit a sacrifice fly in the top of the 18th to give the Mets the victory in the majors’ second-longest game this season.
[sc:MLB240banner ]The Cards will look to return to the win column tonight when they take on the struggling Chicago White Sox. Starting for St. Louis in the series opener is Michael Wacha (10-3, 2.93 ERA). His start was moved up one day after Carlos Martinez was forced to pitch four innings in that marathon loss to the Mets.
Wacha had a rough outing in his last start against the Chicago Cubs on July 8, allowing a season high-tying five runs in six innings. Fortunately for the right-hander, the Cardinals rallied for a 6-5 victory. Wacha started the season like a house on fire, going 7-0 with a 1.87 ERA over his first nine starts. He has struggled since then, though, posting a 4.17 ERA over his last eight appearances.
Given Wacha’s recent pitching woes, the onus is on the St. Louis hitters to provide some run support tonight. Expected to lead the Cards offense tonight against the White Sox are outfielders Jason Heyward and Randal Grichuk. Heyward is hitting 7-of-9 (.778) with two RBIs after the All-Star break. Grichuk on the other hand, is batting 4-of-12 (.333) with two homers and six RBIs since the break.
The Cards are 2-5 in their last seven road games.
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Betting on the Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox crashed to their second straight defeat with a 4-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. The White Sox had a tough time solving the pitching of Danny Duffy who took a shutout into the ninth inning for the longest outing of his career. The White Sox have now scored fewer than three runs in four of their last five games.
With Chicago’s offense in disarray right now, the onus is on rookie Carlos Rodon (3-2, 3.80 ERA) to provide a solid start for the White Sox. For Rodon to be successful against the Cardinals tonight, he needs to get a grasp on his control. He allowed a season-high six walks in his last start against the Cubs on July 10. He’s walked at least three batters in his last four starts, and his 5.56 walks per nine innings are the worst in the majors this season among pitchers with at least 66 innings.
Given Rodon’s control issues, it’s crucial for the White Sox hitters to wake up from their slumber tonight. Expected to lead the Chicago offense in this series opener against St. Louis is third baseman Tyler Saladino. In the four games he has played since the All-Star break, Saladino is hitting 6-of-16 (.375) with a homer and one RBI.
The White Sox are 5-5 in their last 10 home games.
Writer’s Prediction
St. Louis (-139) wins, 5-2.
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