Oakland Athletics vs Chi. White Sox Picks and Predictions August 5th 2024

JP Sears is starting for the Athletics on Monday, and he is facing off against a White Sox team that is 27-87. Chicago is starting Ky Bush and they will be looking to snap a 20-game losing streak, which is the longest in the AL Central. Monday’s money line odds have the Athletics at -175 compared to the White Sox at +148. The over/under line is currently at 8 runs, and this game will be televised on MLBN.

First pitch from Oakland Coliseum is set for 9:40 PM ET, and the forecast for Monday’s matchup calls for clear skies and temperatures in the mid-70s. Chicago is currently in 5th place in the AL Central, while the Athletics are 5th in the AL West.

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Chicago vs. Oakland Key Information

• Teams: White Sox at Athletics
• Where: Oakland Coliseum Oakland
• Date: Monday, August 5th
• Betting Odds OAK -175 | CHW +148 O/U 8

For today’s game against the Athletics, the White Sox will rely on Ky Bush to set the tone. It’s his debut for the season and he’s looking to put together a strong start in his debut.

For the White Sox to get their offense going, they will need Andrew Vaughn and Luis Robert Jr. to pick up their batting averages. Vaughn is hitting just .235 this season, while Robert Jr. is even worse at .214. Vaughn does come into the game with a little momentum, as he has gone 6/24 in his last six games with two homers. Vaughn’s 50 RBIs are the best on the team, and he also leads the White Sox with 13 homers.

Overall, the White Sox are last in the MLB in both team batting average and on-base percentage. They are also 30th in the league in runs per game, averaging just 3.1 runs per contest. This has been the case both at home and on the road.

• The White Sox are 0-10 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the White Sox are 1-4 vs. the run line.
• Chicago has an over/under record of 7-2-1 in their last ten games.
• The White Sox have an average of 3.4 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten road games, the White Sox are 0-10
• Looking back across the White Sox last five games as the favorite, they are 2-3
• Chicago has gone 0-3 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the White Sox have averaged 2.2 runs per game on offense

JP Sears gets the start for the Athletics today and will be looking to build off his last outing, where he didn’t give up a run. In that start vs. the Giants, Sears went seven innings, picking up the win. Looking back over his last four outings, he has given up just one earned run in three of them. Sears’ overall record is 8-8, and he has an ERA of 4.53. Out of his 22 starts, Sears has seven quality starts, and his ERA at home is 9.11 compared to 4.28 on the road.

The Athletics offense is 4th in the league in home runs but is batting just .231 as a team, which is 20th in the MLB. As a team, they are averaging 4.1 runs per game, which is 25th in the league. Oakland has been a better offensive team at home this season, averaging 4.5 runs per game.

Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers have been the Athletics’ top power threats this season, with Rooker leading the team with 28 homers and Langeliers coming in with 21. Rooker is batting .290 overall and has gone 11/39 with five homers over his last 10 games. Miguel Andujar is also swinging a hot bat for the Athletics, going 12/40 in his last 10 games. He is currently on a five-game hitting streak.

• The Athletics are 5-5 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Athletics are 4-1 vs. the run line.
• Oakland has an over/under record of 5-5 in their last ten games.
• The Athletics have an average of 2.6 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten home games, the Athletics are 6-4
• Looking back across the Athletics last five games as the favorite, they are 3-2
• Oakland has gone 1-2 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Athletics have averaged 5.4 runs per game on offense

A’s Aim to Deal White Sox Their 21st Straight Loss

The Oakland Athletics, famous for their incredible 20-game winning streak in 2002, are now eyeing another historic moment. This time, they hope to extend the Chicago White Sox’s losing streak to a painful 21 games. The A’s kick off a three-game home series against the struggling White Sox on Monday night, with both teams eager to end their recent skids.

Contrasting Losing Streaks

The A’s come into this series after losing their last two games against the Los Angeles Dodgers. But their slump is nothing compared to the White Sox’s 20-game losing streak, the latest loss coming against the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.

Ironically, it was the Twins who ended Oakland’s 20-game winning streak back in September 2002 with a 6-0 win. Scott Hatteberg, a key player from the A’s “Moneyball” season, was present at the recent series-ending loss to the Dodgers, part of the A’s Alumni Sundays promotion.

Oakland’s 20-game winning streak is still tied for the fourth-longest in modern MLB history. Meanwhile, the White Sox are close to matching a dubious record—the 1988 Baltimore Orioles’ 21-game losing streak, the longest in American League history.

Historical Parallels and Prospects

In 2002, the White Sox had three chances to end Oakland’s winning streak but couldn’t get the job done. Now, with another three-game series ahead, a sweep by the A’s would tie the modern-day record of 23 consecutive losses, set by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1961.

Pitching Matchup: Cannon vs. Sears

Rookie right-hander Jonathan Cannon (1-5, 4.11 ERA) will start for the White Sox, hoping to break their losing streak. Cannon is winless in his last seven games, with an 0-4 record and a 4.78 ERA. This will be his first time facing the A’s.

Oakland will start left-hander JP Sears (8-8, 4.53 ERA). Sears has had trouble against the White Sox before, with a 0-2 record and a 13.50 ERA in two career starts. However, he shone in his last game, shutting out the San Francisco Giants over seven innings in a 5-2 win. Sears had a solid July, finishing with a 4-1 record as the A’s won five series and split a two-game set with the Giants.

Key Players to Watch

Chicago’s first baseman, Andrew Vaughn, a Bay Area native and former UC Berkeley star, will be keen to help end the White Sox’s losing streak. Vaughn had a strong game on Sunday with two doubles, a single, two RBIs, and two runs, but the White Sox still fell 13-7 to the Twins. Vaughn has yet to hit a home run in ten visits to Oakland.

As the Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox face off at the Oakland Coliseum, the stakes are sky-high. The A’s aim to deepen the White Sox’s woes by handing them their 21st straight loss, while Chicago is desperate to avoid matching a historic losing streak. The performances of Jonathan Cannon and JP Sears will be crucial in determining the outcome of this pivotal series opener.

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The Lean

For a money line pick, we are leaning towards the Athletics to come out on top as they host the White Sox today. And as for how we would play the over/under line, we would go with the over, as this is projected to be the 3rd lowest-scoring game of the day, but we still have this one finishing with plenty of offense. These teams are ranked 6th in our projections in terms of hits, and this game has the 3rd highest home run projection. Oakland starter JP Sears doesn’t figure to work very deep into the game, but we still like the Athletics to come out on top.