Boston Red Sox vs Chi. White Sox White Sox Picks and Predictions September 6th 2024

From Fenway Park in Boston, we have the White Sox and Red Sox facing off in an AL matchup. First pitch for this one is set for 7:10 PM ET. NESN is carrying this one on TV, and the Red Sox are the heavy money line favorite, with their odds sitting at -273. The White Sox are 5th in the AL Central, and their record is 32-109. Chicago is a +226 underdog on the money line.

The forecast for Friday’s matchup calls for cloudy skies and temperatures in the mid-70s. Nick Pivetta will start for the Red Sox, while the White Sox are going with Davis Martin. Chicago comes into the game on a five-game losing streak. The over/under line is currently 8.5 runs.

Right-hander Davis Martin gets the start for the White Sox today as he faces the Red Sox on the road. He has made six starts this year and has a record of 0-3 with an ERA of 3.62. Martin’s WHIP for the season is 1.39. In his 32 1/3 innings of work, he has allowed four home runs and is averaging 3.9 walks per nine innings compared to 8.91 strikeouts. Martin’s last outing came on August 31st, where he took the loss, giving up four earned runs in five innings of work. He has taken the loss in each of his last three outings.

Chicago is hoping that Andrew Benintendi can continue his recent hot streak, as he is batting .290 over his last 10 games and has two homers during that stretch. Benintendi has been one of the White Sox’s top power threats this season, with 15 homers, which is 2nd on the team. Overall, Benintendi is batting just .217 this season. Andrew Vaughn is batting just .237 but leads the team with 60 RBIs and 16 homers.

As a team, the White Sox are averaging just 3.1 runs per game and are the worst home run-hitting team in the league. Overall, they are batting just .220 and have the league’s worst on-base percentage and OPS. Their team ISO of .120 is also the worst in the league.

Through 21 starts, Nick Pivetta has a record of 5-10 and an ERA of 4.53. This season, he has made eight quality starts and is averaging 10.82 strikeouts per nine innings. Pivetta has allowed a total of 24 home runs this year. In his last outing, he took the loss, giving up two earned runs in six innings of work. Before that, he had given up at least three earned runs in three straight starts. Pivetta has not won a game since July 27th.

As a team, the Red Sox are averaging 4.7 runs per game, which is 11th in the league. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5 runs per contest. Overall, they are 7th in home runs and have the league’s best BABIP at .32. Boston also has one of the league’s best team batting averages at .256.

Boston’s top power threat this season has been Rafael Devers, who is 12th in the league with 28 home runs. He is also leading the team with 81 RBIs and is batting .277. Jarren Duran has been hot of late, going 14/39 in his last 10 games. This has helped him move his season average up to .294. Duran also has 21 homers, which is 3rd on the team.

Red Sox Look to Capitalize on Struggling White Sox in Crucial Series

The Boston Red Sox are set to host the Chicago White Sox for a pivotal three-game series starting Friday. Both teams are desperate for a turnaround, with the Red Sox in the thick of the American League wild-card race and the White Sox looking to string together consecutive wins for the first time since June. This series offers Boston a golden opportunity to gain ground in the standings, while Chicago aims to build on their latest victory.

White Sox Seeking Back-to-Back Wins

The White Sox (32-109) come into the series with renewed confidence after snapping a brutal 12-game losing streak. Their 8-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday marked one of their most complete performances in weeks. Chicago’s struggling offense finally broke through, hitting three home runs—matching their total from the previous 17 games combined.

Second baseman Nicky Lopez, who hit his first home run of the season, expressed relief after the win. “Every win feels good… We haven’t been able to get over that hump.”

Interim manager Grady Sizemore was also encouraged by the team’s all-around effort, especially their defense. He highlighted Dominic Fletcher‘s key throw from right field, which cut down a potential scoring opportunity. “It shows the guys what they can do when everything comes together,” Sizemore said, hoping for more consistent performances from his squad.

Red Sox Desperate for a Turnaround

The Red Sox (70-70) are in freefall, dropping to .500 for the first time since mid-June. Their five-game losing streak, capped by a sweep at the hands of the New York Mets, has left them 5 1/2 games out of the final AL wild-card spot. With teams like the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins ahead of them, the Red Sox know they need to get back on track quickly.

Manager Alex Cora voiced his frustration after Wednesday’s 8-3 loss. “We’re talking about the Royals and the Twins, but it doesn’t matter when we’re playing .500 baseball,” Cora said. His team’s lack of consistency has derailed their playoff hopes, but there’s still time to turn things around.

Boston’s pitching staff has struggled mightily during their losing streak. Starter Tanner Houck managed to settle down after a rough first inning on Wednesday, but three bases-loaded walks in the eighth inning allowed the Mets to put the game out of reach. Connor Wong, the Red Sox catcher, emphasized that the team needs to improve across the board. “We have to play better no matter who we’re facing. It starts with us,” Wong said.

Pitching Matchup: Martin vs. Pivetta

The White Sox will send right-hander Davis Martin (0-3, 3.62 ERA) to the mound for Friday’s opener. Martin had a solid outing in his last start against the Mets, striking out a season-high six batters over five innings. Despite taking the loss, Martin has allowed just four earned runs in his last 21 innings, and he’ll be making his first career start against the Red Sox.

The Red Sox will counter with veteran right-hander Nick Pivetta (5-10, 4.53 ERA), who is looking to bounce back from a tough-luck loss against the Detroit Tigers. Pivetta allowed just two runs over six innings, but a misplayed fly ball led to the game-winning run. Pivetta has historically performed well against the White Sox, posting a stellar 1.72 ERA in eight appearances (five starts) against them.

Key Series for Both Teams

For the Red Sox, this series is crucial. With a 31-38 record at Fenway Park this season, they need to start playing better at home if they want to remain in the wild-card conversation. The White Sox, meanwhile, have been dreadful on the road, with a 14-55 record. Still, they’ll look to carry the momentum from Wednesday’s win into this series and play the role of spoiler as Boston fights for its postseason life.

Boston can’t afford to lose more ground, especially with teams like the Royals, Twins, and Detroit Tigers battling for that final wild-card spot. If the Red Sox are serious about staying in the race, they need to capitalize on this opportunity against a struggling White Sox team.

Our lean for this White Sox vs. Red Sox matchup is to take the Red Sox to win straight-up. We also have this as the 3rd lowest-scoring game of the day, but with the line sitting at 8.5 runs, we are still leaning towards taking the over. Boston starter Nick Pivetta comes into this one with the 4th best earned runs allowed projection among today’s starters.