Cleveland Indians vs. Chicago White Sox Match Preview

Get ready for a Cy Young-caliber showdown Tuesday as the Cleveland Indians (5-4) take on the Chicago White Sox (5-5) with both of their aces on the mound. Chicago will host this one from Guaranteed Rate Field, with first pitch scheduled for 8:10 pm ET.

For the Indians, it will be reigning A.L. Cy Young winner Shane Bieber (0-1, 3.65 ERA) taking the mound. In his last start, a 4-2 win over Kansas City, Bieber went 6.1 innings allowing two earned runs but striking out 12. He now has 24 strikeouts in 12.1 innings pitched.

The White Sox will counter with ace Lucas Giolito (1-0, 4.22 ERA). In his last start, a 10-4 win over the Mariners, Giolito went 5.1 innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out 10.

This will be the second game of a three-game set. In the first game, the White Sox were victorious 4-3 on a walk-off error by the Indians. The Tribe will look to bounce back to even the series on Tuesday.

The Indians are slight favorites in this one despite playing on the road. They are -110 to win while Chicago’s moneyline sits at -106. The runline features the White Sox +1.5 while the over/under for total runs is seven.

By The Numbers

On the offensive side, the White Sox have been the stronger of the two teams thus far. They currently rank 6th in scoring averaging 5.67 runs per game. The Indians rank 11th, averaging 4.62 runs per game.

Defensively, it has been all Cleveland. They rank 2nd in the majors in runs allowed per game at just 2.75. The White Sox rank 15th allowing an average of 4.44 runs to opponents.

Indians Hope To Bounce Back From Tough Loss

It already stings when you lose in walk-off fashion, but it is painful when it is self-inflicted because of an error. When it ends a four-game winning streak, it is almost unbearable. While Monday’s game is going to hurt for Indians fans, the club needs to bounce back as they go up against Chicago’s ace.

In the loss Monday, it was at least nice to see Eddie Rosario get involved in the action. He hit his second home run of the season and now has seven runs batted in.

As one of the Indians’ significant additions during the offseason, Cleveland is hoping he turns into a consistent contributor. Rosario is definitely a player to watch Tuesday as he has had some success against Giolito with two home runs in 28 at bats.

Jose Ramirez also has some success against the White Sox righty. He is hitting .278 in 18 at bats and has a home run and three runs batted in.

White Sox Trying To Find Momentum

While the White Sox won on Monday, it has been their club that has struggled to find ways to consistently win as of late. Thus, if you are a Chicago fan, you are hoping Monday sets the tone for the series.

One player who has certainly helped the club in the early going is Adam Eaton. He homered on Monday with three runs batted in. In the early stages of the season, he is batting .257/.350/.514 with a team-leading three home runs and ten runs batted in.

Another player to keep an eye on Tuesday is Yoan Moncada. In his career against Bieber, over 19 at bats, he is hitting .316 with two solo home runs.

Enjoy The Pitching Matchup

If you enjoy a good old-fashioned pitcher’s duel, this should be the game for you. Both Shane Bieber and Lucas Giolito have the ability to single-handedly take over the game on their own. Really, this one will come down to which offense can muster a couple runs.

Regardless, this should be fun to watch as two of the best pitchers in the majors battle it out.