San Diego Padres vs Chi. White Sox White Sox Picks and Predictions September 20th 2024

Joe Musgrove and the Padres (87-66) are the heavy favorite on the money line (-243) as they host the White Sox at PETCO Park in San Diego. The White Sox are 5th in the AL Central with a record of 36-117 and they will be looking to snap a 2 game losing streak. Chicago’s money line odds are sitting at +202, while the over/under line is at 7 runs.

First pitch for this interleague matchup is set for 9:40 PM ET, and NBCS will be carrying the TV rights for this one. Garrett Crochet is slated to start for the White Sox.

Chicago vs. San Diego Key Information

Left-hander Garrett Crochet gets the start for the White Sox today as he faces the Padres on the road. He has made 30 starts this year and has a record of 6-12 with a 3.78 ERA. Crochet’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.09. In his 30 starts, he has turned in 11 quality starts and is averaging 12.72 strikeouts per nine innings. Crochet’s last outing came on September 13th, where he took the loss, going four innings and giving up one earned run on four hits. Before that, he had given up at least one homer in three straight outings.

So far this season, the White Sox offense has been the worst in the majors, averaging just 3.1 runs per game. Not only are they last in home runs, but they are also near the bottom of the league in batting average, OBP, and slugging percentage. Andrew Vaughn and Andrew Benintendi are tied for the team lead in homers, with Vaughn leading the team with 67 RBIs and Benintendi coming in with 60.

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Andrew Benintendi and Lenyn Sosa are two hitters who have been swinging the bat well for the White Sox of late, with Benintendi hitting .320 over his last six games, and Sosa is batting .391 over the same stretch. Currently, Andrew Vaughn is on a five-game hitting streak, as is catcher Martín Maldonado.

Joe Musgrove gets the start for the Padres today and will be looking to build off his last outing, where he didn’t give up a run. In that September 14th start vs. the Giants, he went six innings, picking up the win and giving up just three hits. Looking back further, Musgrove has made eight straight starts without giving up more than three earned runs. His ERA for the season is 4.22, along with a record of 6-5. Musgrove’s WHIP for the season is 1.23. Out of his 17 starts, he has eight quality starts and is averaging 8.86 strikeouts per nine innings.

San Diego is one of the league’s top offensive teams this season, as they are averaging 4.7 runs per game and are the top hitting team in the league with a combined batting average of .265. The Padres have also been tough to strike out this season, and they have the league’s best on-base percentage. So far, they have been a better offensive team on the road, averaging 5.1 runs per contest.

Manny Machado has been the team’s top power threat this season, as his 29 home runs are 12th best in the league. He also leads the Padres with 104 RBIs. Machado is also on a three-game hitting streak and has four homers in his last seven games. Fernando Tatis Jr. has also been swinging a hot bat of late, hitting .357 over his last seven games with four homers.

As the White Sox and Padres face off today, we have this as the 8th highest-scoring game of the day, and our lean would be towards taking the over. For a money line pick, we would be leaning towards the White Sox to come out on top. Joe Musgrove has the 5th best odds to pick up a win among today’s starters, while Garrett Crochet is 15th in our projections in starting pitcher strikeouts.

Padres Continue Playoff Push Against Struggling White Sox

As the San Diego Padres push for home-field advantage in the first round of the National League playoffs, they host the Chicago White Sox in a three-game series starting Friday night. The Padres (87-66) are in a fierce battle for the top NL wild-card spot, while the White Sox (36-117) are teetering dangerously close to setting a new record for the most losses in a single season.

With both teams heading in opposite directions, this series presents a key opportunity for the Padres to continue their momentum as they head toward October, while the White Sox attempt to salvage something from a disappointing season.

Padres Focused on Postseason Success

The Padres enter this series with at least a two-game lead over the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets for the NL’s top wild-card spot. While four games behind the first-place Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West, San Diego is focused on maintaining its wild-card lead to secure home-field advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

San Diego has shown they can compete with top-tier teams, taking two of three games earlier this week against the AL West-leading Houston Astros. Manny Machado, one of the team’s leaders, has been especially hot at the plate. Machado homered twice in the Padres’ 4-0 win over Houston on Wednesday, bringing him within one home run of his third straight 30-homer season.

Machado’s big performance was just a part of the Padres’ power surge. In Wednesday’s game, Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Donovan Solano hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in a span of nine pitches. That brought San Diego’s season total at Petco Park to 105 home runs, a new single-season record for the ballpark.

San Diego’s pitching has also been a strong point lately. The team has allowed three runs or fewer in six of their last eight games, a trend they hope will continue as the postseason looms.

Joe Musgrove Starts for Padres

Right-hander Joe Musgrove (6-5, 4.23 ERA) will start the series opener for San Diego, coming off a brilliant performance in his last outing. Musgrove pitched six scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out eight and walking none in an 8-0 win against the San Francisco Giants. Musgrove has dominated in his limited career appearances against the White Sox, throwing 7 1/3 scoreless innings with nine strikeouts across three outings.

The Padres are aiming for more strong pitching from Musgrove, as they continue their push toward securing home-field advantage in the wild-card round.

White Sox Struggling to Avoid Infamy

On the other side, the Chicago White Sox are in the midst of a historically bad season. With just nine games left to play, the White Sox sit at 36-117, just four losses away from breaking the record for the most losses in a single season, set by the 1962 New York Mets (40-120). Chicago has found new ways to lose games lately, with their most recent disappointment coming in a 4-3, 13-inning loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday, where they squandered three one-run leads.

Despite the mounting losses, interim manager Grady Sizemore insists the team is focused on the day-to-day grind rather than the historical implications.

“We’re focused on just one series at a time, one game at a time,” Sizemore said. “Everything else is irrelevant right now. We’re just trying to get better and win games.”

Garrett Crochet Starts for White Sox

The White Sox will turn to left-hander Garrett Crochet (6-12, 3.78 ERA) for the start on Friday. Crochet, the team’s lone All-Star, has seen his workload managed more carefully in the second half of the season as Chicago aims to keep him healthy for the future. In his last start, Crochet pitched four solid innings against the Oakland Athletics, allowing one run on three hits while striking out four.

Crochet will be looking to put together another strong start, but he’ll face a tough Padres lineup that is hitting its stride at just the right time.

Key Players to Watch

1. Manny Machado (Padres): Machado has been locked in at the plate, with two home runs in his last game and sitting just one shy of a 30-homer season. His leadership and production will be key as the Padres look to secure their playoff position.
2. Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres): Tatis, part of the trio that went back-to-back-to-back with home runs on Wednesday, is another powerful force in the Padres’ lineup. His ability to ignite the offense will be important in this series.
3. Joe Musgrove (Padres): Musgrove’s dominant outing against the Giants showed he’s rounding into form at the right time. He’ll look to build on that success and give San Diego another quality start as they push toward the postseason.
4. Garrett Crochet (White Sox): The young left-hander will try to tame the Padres’ powerful lineup and give the White Sox a chance to avoid another loss. Crochet’s future is bright, and he’ll be aiming to end the season on a strong note.

Padres Look to Stay Hot, White Sox Seek to Avoid History

With the Padres eyeing a deep postseason run and the White Sox hoping to avoid setting a dubious record, this weekend series in San Diego offers a clash of teams with very different stakes. The Padres’ offense, led by Machado and Tatis, will be looking to capitalize on their recent power surge, while their pitching staff, anchored by Musgrove, aims to continue their strong run.

For the White Sox, it’s about finding some way to finish a challenging season with some pride. Crochet’s performance could give them a chance to hang tough in the opener, but Chicago faces an uphill battle against a Padres team that’s firing on all cylinders.

As the Padres look to keep their playoff push going, this series represents an important step in staying sharp and building momentum for October.