Chi. White Sox White Sox vs Oakland Athletics Picks and Predictions September 13th 2024

From Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, we have the Athletics and White Sox facing off in an AL matchup. This one gets started at 7:40 PM ET and is being televised by NBCS. The Athletics are favored on the money line, and their record of 64-83 has them 4th in the AL West. The White Sox are on a three-game losing streak and their overall record of 33-114 has them 5th in the AL Central.

Friday’s forecast in Chicago calls for broken clouds and temperatures in the mid-80s. The over/under line is currently at 8 runs, and the Athletics are starting Brady Basso. The White Sox will have Garrett Crochet on the mound.

Before placing any bets, ensure you review our comprehensive MLB Betting Guide to make informed decisions.

Oakland vs. Chicago Key Information

• Teams: Athletics at White Sox
• Where: Guaranteed Rate Field Chicago
• Date: Friday, September 13th
• Betting Odds OAK -127 | CHW +107 O/U 8

You can always refer to the current MLB Odds to stay updated with the latest betting lines.

The Athletics Can Win If…

Brady Basso will be making his first road start of the season for the Oakland Athletics as they take on the Chicago White Sox. Basso has been used out of the bullpen in his first three appearances, with his most recent outing coming as a starter, where he went 6 innings and struck out 6 without allowing a run.

Although the Athletics are 5th in home runs this season, they are just 26th in the league in runs scored and are averaging only 4.1 runs per game. As a team, they are batting just .234, which is 18th in the league, and are also near the bottom of the league in strikeouts. However, they have been swinging the bats well of late, with Brent Rooker hitting .323 over his last seven games, including three homers.

For the season, Rooker is batting .298 with a team-high 36 homers and 102 RBIs. Shea Langeliers is 2nd on the team with 25 homers but is batting just .221 for the season. Langeliers is also 2nd on the team in RBIs, with 69.

• The Athletics are 5-5 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Athletics are 3-2 vs. the run line.
• Oakland has an over/under record of 7-3 in their last ten games.
• The Athletics have an average of 2.8 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten road games, the Athletics are 6-4
• Looking back across the Athletics last five games as the favorite, they are 4-1
• Oakland has gone 2-1 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Athletics have averaged 5.7 runs per game on offense

The White Sox Can Win If…

Garrett Crochet gets the start for the White Sox today and will be looking to bounce back from a rough outing vs. the Red Sox. In that start, which came on September 7th, he took the loss after giving up four earned runs in just two innings of work. Crochet has made 29 appearances this season and has a record of 6-11 to go along with a 3.83 ERA. Opponents have a batting average of .218 vs. Crochet this season. Looking back at his last three outings, Crochet has finished with a no-decision in two of them.

Andrew Vaughn has been swinging a hot bat of late for the White Sox, going 11/29 in his last seven games with two homers and four RBIs. For the season, he is batting .244 with a team-high 63 RBIs and 17 homers. Andrew Benintendi is also near the top of the White Sox home run leaderboard, but he is batting just .220 this season.

As a team, the White Sox are the worst home run hitting team in the league and are last in the league in scoring, averaging just 3.1 runs per game. Overall, they are batting .221, which is 21st in the league, and have the league’s worst on-base percentage, and OPS.

• The White Sox are 2-8 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 4-5-1 in their last ten games.
• The White Sox have an average of 3.8 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten home games, the White Sox are 3-7
• 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 3.4 runs per game on offense

The Lean

Our lean for a money-line pick would be to take the Athletics to come out on top. And despite our projections pointing to this being the 4th lowest-scoring game of today’s slate, we would lean towards taking the over. Looking at today’s starters, Brady Basso has the worst chance to pick up a win, and Garrett Crochet has the 5th best strikeout projection among today’s starters.

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White Sox Looking to Break Their Home Losing Curse Against the Rebuilding A’s

The Chicago White Sox are currently stuck in a nightmare — a franchise-worst 15-game home losing streak. With a three-game series against the Oakland Athletics starting this Friday, they’re staring down the possibility of sinking even deeper into unwanted territory.

For context, the White Sox (33-114) haven’t claimed a win at Guaranteed Rate Field since August 12. And here’s the kicker: with just 15 games left this season, they need to go at least 10-5 to avoid matching the infamous 1962 New York Mets’ record of 120 losses in a single season. Interim manager Grady Sizemore, however, is doing his best to keep the team’s mindset on competing, game by game, rather than letting the weight of a historically bad season crush their spirits.

“If you’re only focused on the negative, you’re probably going to get negative outcomes,” Sizemore said. “It’s no good for us to sit here and worry about the record. We’ve got to play baseball.”

Unfortunately, the White Sox have dropped 17 of their last 19 games. Just this Wednesday, they suffered a 6-4 loss to the Cleveland Guardians — a game that saw them strike out a season-high 18 times. Team chairman Jerry Reinsdorf even chimed in, expressing how tough this season has been for both fans and the organization.

Searching for Silver Linings

As tough as this season has been, not everything is doom and gloom. One bright spot for Chicago has been the emergence of 23-year-old second baseman Lenyn Sosa. Over his last 18 games, Sosa has hit an impressive .296, driving in eight runs and proving he could be a building block for the team’s future.

But pitching has been another story. Friday’s starter Garrett Crochet (6-11, 3.83 ERA) has been limited to short stints recently as the team carefully manages his innings. In fact, he hasn’t pitched more than four innings in his last 11 starts. His most recent outing? A tough one, where he gave up four runs over two innings in a 7-5 loss to the Boston Red Sox.

Athletics: Youth Movement Picking Up Steam

The Oakland Athletics (64-83) are in a rebuilding phase of their own, enduring a third straight losing season. But the second half of their year has shown promise. Since June, the A’s have gone 34-29, and manager Mark Kotsay is far more focused on his young players’ growth than the win-loss column.

“Our goal was always to improve, and it’s great to see the progress these young guys are making,” Kotsay noted. “Watching them mature and find their footing as everyday big-leaguers is what really matters right now.”

One of the shining stars in Oakland’s lineup has been 23-year-old right fielder Lawrence Butler. He’s currently on a scorching 20-game hitting streak, batting .373 with eight home runs and 14 RBIs during that stretch. Butler is looking like a future cornerstone for the A’s.

An Intriguing Pitching Duel

Friday’s game features an interesting pitching matchup. Oakland is sending left-hander Brady Basso (0-0, 1.93 ERA) to the mound. Basso made a strong impression in his first major league start, tossing six scoreless innings against the Detroit Tigers, allowing just three hits while striking out six. In his four appearances this season, he’s given up only two runs over 9 1/3 innings.

On top of that, the Athletics are expected to activate first baseman Tyler Soderstrom before Friday’s game, marking his return after a wrist injury that sidelined him since July. Adding Soderstrom back into the mix is another positive step forward for the A’s young roster.

Two Teams on Different Paths

Even though neither the White Sox nor the Athletics are making the playoffs this year, their respective outlooks couldn’t be more different. The White Sox are struggling through one of the worst seasons in franchise history, and their future rebuild seems like it could take some time. On the flip side, the Athletics are showing real signs of life, with promising young talent like Butler and Basso giving fans reasons to believe better days are ahead.

As the White Sox battle to avoid setting a new low in MLB history, the Athletics are playing for tomorrow, with the development of their young core taking center stage. This series, in many ways, isn’t just about today’s outcomes — it’s about what’s next for both teams.