Chicago will wrap up its three-game series in Cleveland on Sunday afternoon. The White Sox got off to a slow start in the series, as the Guardians picked up a 5-2 win on Friday. This story was published prior to Saturday night’s contest, which was the second game of the series.
Chicago has been a streaky team over the past week, as it won five straight games before losing its next three. The White Sox entered Saturday’s slate just two games above the .500 mark after dropping a pair of games against Houston along with Friday’s series opener in Cleveland. They will play a makeup game in Kansas City on Monday before traveling to Baltimore for three games. Chicago is still in contention in the American League Central, trailing Cleveland by 3.5 games in the division standings. The White Sox are also three games back of Tampa Bay for the final AL Wild Card spot.
Starting off strong. #ChangeTheGame | @NBCSChicago pic.twitter.com/1NzcGg5aTL
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 19, 2022
They have been relying on their offense throughout the season, as they rank third in the MLB in batting average (.260). First baseman Jose Abreu leads the way with 139 hits and a .308 average—he has also hit a team-high 14 home runs. Chicago is currently without several key players (Tim Anderson, Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert) due to injuries. The White Sox are facing a Cleveland pitching staff that ranks ninth in the majors with an ERA of 3.78. Right-handed pitcher Dylan Cease is going to be on the mound for Chicago on Sunday. He allowed three runs on six hits and three walks across five innings against Houston on Tuesday. Cease had allowed one run or fewer in 14 straight starts prior to that outing, so he still has a 2.09 ERA in 133.2 innings this season.