Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Indians Match Preview

Two A.L. Central rivals will square off for the second game of a short two-game series Wednesday as the Chicago White Sox (9-9) take on the Cleveland Indians (8-8). The Indians will host this one at Progressive Field, with first pitch scheduled for 6:10 pm ET.

In the first game of this series, the White Sox won 8-5. In the win, Carlos Rodon pitched five innings allowing two runs (one earned) and striking out eight. The White Sox slugged four home runs in the game Tuesday.

In the loss, the Indians’ Zach Plesac gave up six runs on seven hits in five innings of work. Jordan Luplow was one of the bright spots on offense, hitting his fifth home run of the season. Franmil Reyes also went three for four with a run batted in and a run scored.

Pitching Matchup

As of late Tuesday night, the White Sox have still not announced a starter for Wednesday’s contest. This would have been Lance Lynn’s spot, but he was recently placed on the injured list.

The Indians will send righty Aaron Civale (3-0, 2.18 ERA) to the mound. In his last outing, a 4-2 win over the White Sox, he went six innings, allowing one run on five hits and struck out four. He will look to replicate this success Wednesday.

By The Numbers

Offensively, the White Sox have been the better hitting team. They rank ninth in batting average at .243. The Indians fall to 27th with a .209 team batting average.

In terms of the team earned run average, it is the Indians that hold the advantage. They rank seventh in staff ERA at 3.14. The White Sox rank 11th with a 3.72 ERA.

White Sox Hope For Sweep Over Division Foes

At 9-9, the White Sox are now just a single game behind the division-leading Royals. Chicago is hoping to get a winning streak going on Wednesday by finishing the sweep of the two-game series with the Indians.

Leading the way for Chicago on the offensive side has been slugger Yermin Mercedes. He is currently hitting .390/.429/.661 with four home runs and twelve runs batted in.

The White Sox have to be happy to see Tim Anderson and Jose Abreu have big nights Tuesday. Abreu, the reigning A.L. MVP, is hitting just .221/.316/.426 with four home runs and fourteen runs batted in.

Anderson, in just 38 at bats, is now hitting .342/.342/.605 with three home runs, all solo shots.

Indians Shoot To Split Short Series

Currently at +800 to win the division, the Indians are projected to finish third in the A.L. Central. The Indians would love to disprove the naysayers, but that means every game is important. For that reason, they would love to get a split with their division rivals.

While most eyes might be on Jose Ramirez to lead the offense, center fielder Jordan Luplow has gotten off to a nice start. In just 30 at bats, he is hitting .267/.405/.800 with a team-leading five home runs and eleven runs batted in.

For Ramirez, he is hitting just .217/.294/.433, but he has four home runs and eight runs batted in. He has also added four stolen bases in the early going.

There have been flashes of brilliance, but the Indians are hoping that free-agent signee Eddie Rosario can get going to give some depth to their lineup. To this point, he is hitting .224/.281/.397 with two home runs, eight runs batted in, and four stolen bases.

Indians Look To Ride Pitching To Split

There is no doubt that the White Sox offense has been heating up as of late, which is all the more reason that Aaron Civale needs to continue his dominant start to the season. He was able to shut the White Sox down in his last outing and will need to do it again Wednesday.

While the starter for the White Sox is unknown, Cleveland still catches a break by avoiding Lance Lynn. The big question is whether they can take advantage of it or not.