Cleveland Guardians vs. Chicago White Sox July 23 Betting Preview

After the Cleveland Guardians (47-44) took the first game of the four-game series on Friday, they will look to take both ends of a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox (46-47) on Saturday. The doubleheader will be played at Guaranteed Rate Field, with the first game scheduled for 1:10 pm ET and the second game at 7:15 pm ET.

In Friday’s contest, Cleveland won 8-2. In the win, Cal Quantrill went five innings, allowing just two runs on six hits.

Offensively, Andres Gimenez hit his 11th home run of the season while driving in two. Josh Naylor added three runs batted in on two hits, while Steven Kwan went three for five with two runs scored and a stolen base.

Lucas Giolito struggled for the White Sox after giving up six runs on nine hits in just three innings. Five relievers had to combine for the last six innings, giving up two runs on six combined hits.

Tim Anderson had two of Chicago’s seven hits, while both Jose Abreu and Yasmani Grandal each had a run batted in.

In the first game of the doubleheader, the White Sox are the slight favorites playing at home. They are -116 to win while the Guardians’ moneyline sits at -102. The over/under for total runs is 8.5.

As of late Friday night, the odds for the nightcap have not been posted.

Pitching Matchup

In the day game, Triston McKenzie (7-6, 3.20 ERA) will take the mound for Cleveland. Tony La Russa will send Johnny Cueto (4-4, 2.80 ERA) to try to pick up the win in the first game.

In the night game, Konnor Pilkington (1-2, 4.24 ERA) will take the ball for the Guardians. The White Sox will counter with righty Lance Lynn (1-3, 7.50 ERA).

Cleveland Eyeing Top Of Division

With a win in Friday’s opener, the Cleveland Guardians accomplished two goals. Not only did they create an extra game of separation with the White Sox, but they also cut the AL Central deficit to 1.5 thanks to the Twins being off until Saturday.

In the evening game, keep an eye on third baseman Jose Ramirez. In 20 at bats versus Lance Lynn, he is hitting .300 with three home runs and seven runs batted in.

On the year, Ramirez is hitting .287/.366/.573 with a team-leading 19 home runs, 76 runs batted in, 54 runs scored, and 13 stolen bases.

Friday’s hero, Andres Gimenez, is also having a good year. He is hitting .298/.358/.488 with 11 home runs, 45 runs batted in, 34 runs scored, and seven stolen bases.

Chicago’s Injury Woes Continue

This has been a challenging year for the Chicago White Sox as they have had a revolving door to the injured list for many of their stars. Friday was no exception as outfielder Luis Robert was sent to the injured list due to blurred vision.

This season, Robert is hitting .301/.334/.461 with a team-leading 12 home runs and 54 runs scored.

While Robert hit the IL, the White Sox did get catcher Yasmani Grandal back. This season, Grandal is hitting .181/.288/.232 with two home runs and 16 runs batted in.

Albeit in limited at bats, there are a couple of players who have had success against Saturday night’s starter Konnor Pilkington. Both Josh Harrison and Jose Abreu have taken the southpaw deep.

Can Cleveland Take First Three?

After taking Friday’s opener, the Guardians could have a strong chance to take two on Saturday. In the first game, Triston McKenzie has been electric and has given the Guardians a chance to win most nights.

In the second game, the Guardians’ offense will be going against Lance Lynn, who has struggled this year and has given up 19 runs in his last 14 innings.

The trends also sit well as the Guardians have won seven of the last ten games against the White Sox. All in all, the Guardians should at least get a split, but expecting to sweep the two games against their division rivals is a distinct possibility.