Xzavion Curry gets the start for the Guardians (52-51, 24-27 away) against Touki Toussaint and the White Sox (41-63, 21-28 home). Today will be game two of their series, with the Guardians leading 1-0. Check out who I like to see who comes out on top in today’s Cleveland Guardians vs. Chicago White Sox matchup.

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS VS CHICAGO WHITE SOX BETTING PICK

The Pick: Cleveland Guardians -148

This game will be played at Guaranteed Rate Field at 7:10 ET on Friday, July 28th.

WHY BET THE CLEVELAND GUARDIANS:

  • In their last five games, the Guardians have a record of 3-2.
  • Over their last five games on the road, Cleveland has a straight-up record of 3-2.
  • The White Sox’s are just 1-3 in Touki Toussaint’s four starts.

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS SEEK TO IMPROVE THEIR ROAD RECORD

Heading into this divisional matchup vs. the White Sox, the Guardians have an overall record of 52-51. This mark includes going 16-14 against divisional foes. Currently, they are 2nd in the AL Central. Cleveland’s overall series record sits at 16-15-1.

Xzavion Curry is off to a strong start for the Cleveland Indians in 2023, boasting a 3-0 record in 26 appearances. The right-hander’s ERA stands at an impressive 2.98, with 6.29 strikeouts per nine innings pitched and a FIP of 4.15. Opponents have been held to an OBP of just .277 against him this season.

Xzavion Curry’s most recent outing was a bit of a challenge, as he allowed one run on two hits in a single inning. Nevertheless, the Guardians emerged victorious with an 8-3 win over the Royals, and Curry avoided taking the loss.

For the season, the Guardians are 10th in batting average, hitting a combined .254. Over their last ten games, they have hit .284 which is 2nd in that span. Cleveland’s average of 4.2 runs per game puts them 24th in the league. In terms of home runs, they have gone deep 79 times and have a team slugging percentage of .387.

Steven Kwan has been the Guardians’ offensive leader in their past five matchups, batting .357 and accumulating the most hits. Through this season, Kwan is hitting .273 with 36 RBIs.

WILL THE CHICAGO WHITE SOX TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?

The White Sox enter today’s game with an overall record of 41-63 which includes going 29-47 against teams with above .500 records. As of today, they are 4th in the AL Central. Across their 32 series, Chicago is 8-22-2 and have records of 20-35 and 21-28 on the road and at home, respectively.

Toussaint takes the mound for the Cubs with a 0-3 record and an ERA of 4.07. In eight outings, he has struck out 7.26 batters per nine innings, while his FIP sits at 4.93 and opponents’ OBP is .319.

Toussaint had a successful outing in the White Sox’s 10-7 loss to the Cubs, allowing no runs in his one inning of work. Despite not earning a decision, Toussaint’s performance was an encouraging sign for the right-hander as he continues his 2023 campaign.

As a team, Chicago has scuffled at the plate of late, with a combined batting average of just .208 over their last ten games. Compared to other teams, this is just 26th in that span. When looking at the team’s power numbers, they have a season-long slugging percentage of .390% while going deep a total of 115 times (16th). Overall, the White Sox are 23rd in the MLB at 4.2 runs per contest.

Over the last five games, Eloy Jiménez has been the White Sox’s offensive leader, batting .429 and topping the team in hits. This season, Jiménez is hitting .285 and has contributed 46 RBIs.