Last week, the Chicago White Sox (19-30) won a series at home against the Cleveland Guardians (21-26). Now, Cleveland is hosting, and they took the first game on Monday night 3-0. These clubs are facing off again on Tuesday night before this series finale on Wednesday afternoon. Both teams are trailing the Twins (and the Tigers) in the AL Central standings, but the division is still open. They can get closer to the top and knock the other down when this matinee kicks off. The first pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. EDT in Cleveland's Progressive Field. It's the last time these division rivals will meet before the All-Star break.
Just what the big fella (and us) ordered.#ForTheLand pic.twitter.com/IcoWebHg96
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) May 23, 2023
Monday's loss continued Chicago's season-long trend of struggling away from home. Their record after that contest was 7-17 in away games, and their numbers dip in nearly every way on the road. Let's start with the pitching staff that's 27th in team ERA this season. On the road, the White Sox have a 5.27 ERA before Tuesday's game and have allowed more hits than innings pitched. Regardless of the venue, Chicago's bullpen is one of the worst in the majors, with only the Athletics allowing runs more frequently. Michael Kopech is starting this game, and his ERA in away games is 5.73 through 22.0 innings this season. He's allowed at least four runs in his last three road starts. Kopech is on pace to set career worsts in a bunch of different stats, and ineffective pitching outside of the South Side is the main reason why.
Chicago's offense hasn't been much better. The team was 23rd in runs per game after getting shut out on Monday, with noticeably worse numbers on the road. Their slash line drops to .227/.289/.376 outside of Chicago, and their runs-per-game average falls below four runs. Getting on base is a major issue for the team, thanks to an MLB-worst walk rate. A lot has gone wrong for a White Sox club that's supposed to be a contender for the AL Central crown.