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AL-best White Sox host Red Sox on Wednesday
By: Staff Writer - StatFox
Published: 5/4/2016  at  7:24:00 AM
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By Brad Kallet

BOSTON RED SOX (15-11)

at CHICAGO WHITE SOX (19-8)

First pitch: Wednesday, 8:00 p.m. ET
Line: Boston +105, Chicago -115, Total: 8.5

Carlos Rodon and the American League-best White Sox look to take the series from Clay Buchholz and the Red Sox in Chicago.

How about those White Sox (19-8)? Robin Ventura’s team owns the best record in the American League—only the crosstown Cubs have a better mark—and holds a four-game lead over the second-place Tigers in the AL Central. Chicago took the series opener from the Red Sox (15-11), 4-1, on Tuesday night and will look to take the three-game series on Wednesday. Pitching for the White Sox will be LHP Carlos Rodon (1-3, 4.33 ERA, 27 SO, 11 BB, 3 HR in 27 IP). On the hill for John Farrell will be RHP Clay Buchholz (0-3, 6.51, 19 SO, 13 BB, 4 HR in 27 2/3 innings), who has allowed five earned runs in four of his five starts this season. Rodon is a bad matchup for the Red Sox, as Boston has gone 0-3 against left-handed starters this season, averaging just 1.3 runs in those games. Both Boston and Chicago have won five of their past seven games. The White Sox are 7-3 at U.S. Cellular Field, and the Red Sox are 7-4 away from Fenway Park.

The Red Sox have scored the most runs in the American League (135), and they do it without the long ball. Boston leads the AL in average (.280) and on-base percentage (.340), but is tied for second-to-last in the league with 22 home runs. 2B Dustin Pedroia (.321, 3 HR, 13 RBI, .367 OBP) has been Boston’s best hitter, and 3B Travis Shaw (.312, 3 HR, 17 RBI, .379 OBP), DH David Ortiz (.306, 5 HR, 19 RBI, .404 OBP) and SS Xander Bogaerts (.304, 1 HR, 11 RBI, .372 OBP) have been very solid as well. Rodon has never faced the White Sox, so these hitters will be seeing the 23-year-old for the first time. Only LF Chris Young (.167, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .219 OBP)—a backup outfielder—has faced him before, going 2-for-5 with a double and a walk.

Buchholz has allowed 10 runs in his last 12 innings pitched, so he needs a bounce-back outing—badly. Unfortunately for the two-time All-Star, he has the difficult task of containing the best team in the AL. Despite their record, the White Sox haven’t hit a ton through the first 27 games (106 runs – 7th in AL). No regulars are hitting over .300, as LF Melky Cabrera (.296, 2 HR, 8 RBI, .373 OBP) and RF Adam Eaton (.294, 1 HR, 6 RBI, .371 OBP) lead the club with .296 and .294 averages, respectively. 3B Todd Frazier (.214, 7 HR, 18 RBI, .293 OBP) hasn’t racked up the hits in his first season with the Sox, but he’s supplied the power. 2B Brett Lawrie (.284, 4 HR, 10 RBI, .382 OBP) is second on the club in long balls. Cabrera has faced Buchholz 31 times, but only has seven hits off of him—although one of those hits was a homer. Austin Jackson (.224, 0 HR, 8 RBI, .275 OBP)—who is 5-for-19 with a homer and two doubles—and Lawrie (3-for-28) have struggled to hit the 2013 World Series champion. C Dioner Navarro (.172, 2 HR, 9 RBI, .206 OBP) is 5-for-18 with a double and three RBIs against him. For his career, Buchholz is 2-3 with a 4.25 ERA against the White Sox in eight career starts. Chicago’s bullpen has been utterly brilliant thus far, posting a microscopic 1.58 ERA.


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