Chi. White Sox vs Ny Mets Picks and Predictions August 31st 2024

Jose Quintana is starting for the Mets on Saturday, and he is facing off against Davis Martin for the White Sox. The Mets are currently on a two-game winning streak, and their record of 71-64 has them 3rd in the NL East. The White Sox are 5th in the AL Central with a record of 31-105.

New York is the heavy favorite on the money line, as their odds are at -205 compared to the White Sox at +173. First pitch from Guaranteed Rate Field is set for 7:10 PM ET. WPIX will be televising this interleague matchup.

New York is sending left-hander Jose Quintana to the mound today vs. the White Sox. Quintana has made 26 starts this season and has a record of 6-9 with an ERA of 4.36. So far, he has turned in nine quality starts and is averaging 6.8 strikeouts per nine innings. Quintana’s last outing came against the Padres, where he went 6 1/3 innings, giving up no earned runs and coming away with a no-decision. Before that, he had given up at least four earned runs in three straight outings. Against the Orioles on August 20th, he gave up seven earned runs in five innings of work.

Francisco Lindor has been red hot of late, going 11/35 (.314) over his last eight games with three homers and six RBIs. For the season, he is batting .269 with 28 homers and 79 RBIs. Pete Alonso has also been a big power threat for the Mets, as he has gone deep 29 times this season, which is 7th in the league. He is batting just .242, but Alonso does have 74 RBIs.

Overall, the Mets are 6th in home runs and are averaging 4.8 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5 runs per contest. As a team, the Mets are batting .249, which is 9th in the league, and they are among the league leaders in isolated power.

Through five starts, Davis Martin has yet to pick up a win, coming in with a record of 0-2 and ERA of 2.96. He has made six appearances this season and has a WHIP of 1.43. Martin has made one quality start this year and is coming off an outing in which he gave up just one earned run in five innings of work. In that outing, he finished with a no-decision. Looking back over his last four starts, Martin has finished with a no-decision in three of them. Teams are batting .243 off Martin this season.

Chicago’s offense has been the worst in the league this season, averaging just 3.1 runs per game. This has been the case both at home and on the road, and they are also the league’s worst home run hitting team. As a team, the White Sox are batting just .220, which is 22nd in the league.

Andrew Vaughn and Andrew Benintendi are the team’s top home run hitters, but both are batting under .240 for the season. Benintendi has been swinging the bat well of late, going 6/16 in his last five games with two homers and five RBIs. Paul DeJong and Martín Maldonado are both on five-game hitting streaks for the White Sox.

White Sox Seek to Avoid Franchise-Record-Tying Loss Against Mets

The Chicago White Sox are staring down a bit of history they’d rather not make as they face off against the New York Mets on Saturday night. With an eight-game losing streak already in the books, another defeat would tie the franchise record for losses in a single season—a record set back in 1970. Sitting at 31-105, the White Sox are also inching closer to the all-time modern era low of 120 losses, a dubious honor held by the 1962 New York Mets.

White Sox’s Struggles and Record-Setting Pace

It’s been a tough stretch for the White Sox, who have dropped eight straight games and 12 of their last 13. Friday’s 5-1 loss to the Mets was yet another disappointment, with the team’s only run coming in the first inning off an RBI double from Andrew Benintendi—their only extra-base hit of the game. The White Sox managed just five hits overall, continuing a pattern of offensive struggles. Over the first eight games of their current 10-game homestand, they’ve been outscored 47-19.

On Saturday, the White Sox will pin their hopes on right-hander Davis Martin (0-2, 2.96 ERA) to avoid tying the franchise’s loss record. Martin, who is working his way back from Tommy John surgery in 2023, pitched solidly in his last outing against the Detroit Tigers on Monday, allowing just one run on seven hits over five innings. Despite his efforts, the White Sox still fell 6-3.

Martin will be facing the Mets for the first time in his career.

Mets Continue Playoff Push

The New York Mets, on the other hand, are still very much in the hunt for the National League’s final wild-card spot, sitting three games behind the Atlanta Braves. They opened their series against the White Sox with a 5-1 win on Friday, bolstered by a strong performance from Tylor Megill and four relievers who combined to allow just five hits. On the offensive side, J.D. Martinez smashed a two-run homer, while Jesse Winker, who’s been on fire since his trade from Washington on July 28, chipped in three hits and two runs.

The Mets will send left-hander Jose Quintana (6-9, 4.36 ERA) to the mound on Saturday. Quintana, who spent six seasons with the White Sox and posted a 50-54 record during his time in Chicago, delivered 6 1/3 shutout innings in his last start against the San Diego Padres, though the Mets ended up losing 3-2. He’s faced his former team three times before, with an 0-2 record and a 5.25 ERA.

Another player to keep an eye on is Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, who brings a 10-game hitting streak and a 28-game on-base streak into Saturday’s contest.

Match Outlook

As the White Sox attempt to dodge an unwanted spot in the record books, they’ll need a standout performance from Davis Martin and a much-needed spark from their sluggish offense. Meanwhile, the Mets will look to keep the pressure on their wild-card rivals by capitalizing on Chicago’s struggles. With both teams under different types of pressure, Saturday’s game is shaping up to be a critical contest for both sides.

Our lean for an over/under pick would be to take the under, as this is our lowest projected scoring game of the day. For a straight-up pick, we are leaning toward the Mets to come out on top. Looking at the starting pitching matchup, we like the strikeout potential of Davis Martin, but we have the Mets offense finishing with the 2nd fewest team strikeouts in today’s slate of games.