Logan Allen will get the start for the Guardians (53-56, 28-24 home) as they host the White Sox (43-67, 20-38 away) at Progressive Field. The White Sox will give the starting nod to Mike Clevinger. Check out my prediction for game one of this AL Central matchup between the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Guardians.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX VS CLEVELAND GUARDIANS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Cleveland Guardians -163

This game will be played at Progressive Field at 7:10 ET on Friday, August 4th.

WHY BET THE CLEVELAND GUARDIANS:

  • Cleveland is taking on the White Sox at the right time, as the White Sox have dropped four straight games.
  • The Guardians are on a two game winning streak as the home underdog.
  • Across Logan Allen’s 15 starts, the Guardians have put together a record of 10-5.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX STRUGGLING VS RUNLINE OF LATE

This season, the White Sox have an overall series record of 8-23-3 and are currently 4th in the AL Central. Chicago’s overall record is 43-67, which includes their current four game losing streak. On the road, the White Sox are 20-38 and 23-29 at home.

Mike Clevinger takes the mound with a 4-4 record and an ERA of 3.59. On the road, he has gone 2-3 with a 4.69 ERA in seven outings, while at home he has earned a 2-1 mark and 2.60 ERA. His WHIP for the season is 1.29, while opponents have hit .227 against him and slugged .394.

The Chicago team is hoping that Mike Clevinger can lead them to another victory, as they were victorious the last time he took the mound. In that game, Clevinger allowed just two hits and no earned runs in five innings of work against the Guardians, resulting in a 7-2 win.

The White Sox have been one of the top power lineups in the league of late, having hit 1 home runs over their last five games. Compared to other clubs, this is 10th best in that span. For the season, they are ranked 19th in home runs and 21st in slugging percentage. Overall, Chicago is averaging 4.1 runs per game (23rd).

Luis Robert Jr. has been a major contributor to the White Sox’s offense in 2023, boasting a .267 batting average and driving in 60 runs. The outfielder has also hit 29 home runs over the course of the season.

WILL THE CLEVELAND GUARDIANS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The Guardians take on the White Sox with the hopes of snapping their three game losing streak. This recent skid has their record sitting at 53-56, putting them 2nd in the AL Central. When looking at their overall series numbers, they have gone 16-15-2. At home, they are 28-24 and 25-32.

Heading into today’s matchup, Cleveland Indians starter Logan Allen has logged at least six innings in two consecutive outings. So far this season, the right-hander holds a 3.70 ERA and 4-4 record with 80 strikeouts to his name. Opposing batters have mustered a .418 slugging percentage against him, while Allen’s WHIP stands at 1.37 and WOBA allowed is .321.

Logan Allen was handed the loss in his most recent start, as the Guardians fell to the White Sox 7-2. The lefty pitched for six innings, but gave up five runs and eight hits.

So far this season, the Guardians’ has gone deep 82 times, placing them 27th in the league. Over Cleveland’s previous five games, they are 17th in runs scored, with their season average of 4.1 runs per game putting them 24th in the league. The Guardians’ overall team batting average stands at .251 along with an OBP of .314.

José Ramírez has been a major contributor to the Guardians’ offensive success in 2023, leading the team with 18 home runs and 63 RBIs. His slugging percentage of .501 is indicative of his powerful bat.