The Houston Astros take on the Chicago White Sox in the final game of a three-game series on Sunday, May 14. First pitch is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. ET from Guaranteed Rate Field. Hunter Brown (3-1, 3.23 ERA) will take the mound for the Astros, and Lucas Giolito (2-2, 3.59 ERA) will pitch for the White Sox.
The Astros are -135 moneyline favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, with the White Sox coming in at +115. The total is set at 8.
Astros
Day to day: OF Chas McCormick (back)
Out: 2B Jose Altuve (thumb), DH Michael Brantley (shoulder), RP Parker Mushinski (back), SP Lance McCullers (forearm)
White Sox
Day to day: C Yasmani Grandal (hamstring)
Out: 3B Jake Burger (oblique), DH Eloy Jimenez (abdomen), RP Liam Hendriks (illness), 2B Elvis Andrus (side)
Hunter Brown vs. Luas Giolito
Brown struggled in his latest outing against the Angels, allowing nine hits and four runs in just 4.1 frames. He only made it through 4.1 in his start before that one, as well, letting up two runs to the Giants. His May has had a much worse trajectory thus far than his trips to the mound in April did – he had three starts of seven innings in which he allowed 2, 1, and zero runs.
Giolito has been consistently making it to the six or seven-inning mark, and kept opposing offenses to two or fewer runs in each of his last three starts. His ERA has a bad mark on it from a rough start at the beginning of the season against the Pirates, but Giolito has been largely solid on the mound since then.
The last two games have ended 5-1 and 3-1. The Astros bats have not been heating up lately, and the Sox offense has not been a strength this season. I'll keep this trend going here.
Pick: Under 8
The Astros wrap up a nine-game road trip with this matchup in which they have gone 4-4 so far. They haven't exactly looked like the reigning World Series champs, and fell to the Sox 3-1 yesterday. Meanwhile, the Sox seem to be recovering from their ugly April. Brown has been much shakier than the steady veteran Giolito this season, and I like the Sox to win this series.
Pick: White Sox