Chicago White Sox vs Texas Rangers Picks and Predictions August 27th 2024

Rested Rangers look for better effort at White Sox

From Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, we have the Rangers and White Sox facing off in an AL matchup. The forecast for Tuesday’s game calls for clear skies and temperatures in the upper 90s. First pitch is currently scheduled for 8:10 PM ET.

Texas comes in with a record of 60-71 and they are 3rd in the AL West, while the White Sox are 5th in the AL Central with an overall record of 31-101. Chicago is currently on a four-game losing streak. Andrew Heaney will start for the Rangers, while the White Sox are sending Garrett Crochet to the mound. The over/under line is currently at 8.5 runs, and the Rangers are favored on the money line, with their odds sitting at -151 compared to the White Sox at +127. BSSW will be televising this one.

Texas vs. Chicago Key Information

• Teams: Rangers at White Sox
• Where: Guaranteed Rate Field Chicago
• Date: Tuesday, August 27th
• Betting Odds TEX -151 | CHW +127 O/U 8.5

The Rangers Can Win If…

Andrew Heaney gets the start for the Rangers today as he faces the White Sox on the road. He has made 25 starts this season and has a record of 4-13 with an ERA of 4.04. Looking at his overall numbers, Heaney has a WHIP of 1.24 and opponents are batting .242 this season. He has made six quality starts and is averaging 9.12 strikeouts per nine innings. In his last outing, Heaney finished with a no-decision, going five innings and not giving up a run to the Pirates. Before that, he had lost three straight starts.

Corey Seager has been the Rangers’ most consistent hitter this season, as he is batting .270 and has a team-high 29 home runs. Seager has also been swinging a good bat of late, going 8/32 in his last eight games with three homers and eight RBIs. Marcus Semien has also been swinging a good bat of late, going 9/32 in his last eight games. For the season, he is batting .244 with 18 homers.

As a team, the Rangers are 22nd in the league in scoring at 4.2 runs per game. They have been a better offensive team on the road this season, averaging 4.4 runs per contest. Overall, they are batting just .237, which is 17th in the league.

• The Rangers are 4-6 in their last ten games.
• Over their last five games, the Rangers are 1-4 vs. the run line.
• Texas has an over/under record of 3-7 in their last ten games.
• The Rangers have an average of 2.6 runs per game over their last five games.
• Across their last ten road games, the Rangers are 3-7
• Looking back across the Rangers last five games as the favorite, they are 2-3
• Texas has gone 1-2 in their last three games as the underdog
• In their ten most recent road games, the Rangers have averaged 4.6 runs per game on offense

The White Sox Can Win If…

Left-hander Garrett Crochet gets the start for the White Sox today as he faces the Rangers at home. He has made 26 starts this year and has a record of 6-9 with a 3.64 ERA. Crochet’s WHIP for the season is currently 1.07. In his last outing, Crochet finished with a no-decision, giving up two earned runs in four innings of work. Before that, he had given up at least five earned runs in three straight starts. Crochet has allowed a total of 16 home runs this year.

Chicago White Sox 1st baseman Andrew Vaughn comes into today’s game as the team’s top hitter in terms of RBIs and home runs. Vaughn is batting .246 for the season and has gone 8/28 in his last eight games, with seven RBIs. Luis Robert Jr. has also been swinging the bat well of late, going 9/28 in his last seven games.

Over his last seven games, Andrew Benintendi is just 3/21, and he is batting just .212 for the season. Benintendi is 2nd on the team with 14 homers. As a team, the White Sox are the worst scoring team in the league, averaging just 3.1 runs per game.

• 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 4-4-2 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 3.1 runs per game on offense

The Lean

Our lean for this Rangers vs. White Sox matchup is to take the Rangers to win straight-up. We also have this as the 8th highest-scoring game of the day and are leaning towards the over. Looking at today’s starters, we have Andrew Heaney as our 3rd best strikeout option compared to Garrett Crochet, who is 13th.

As the Texas Rangers prepare to open a road series against the Chicago White Sox, they are coming off a much-needed day of rest. This break follows a frustrating 4-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians, where manager Bruce Bochy openly criticized the team’s performance, calling it “probably our worst game fundamentally” this season.

The Rangers’ struggles in that game were clear: two costly errors by the pitching staff and a missed opportunity with a runner picked off at first base. Although Corey Seager’s solo home run in the eighth inning brought the Rangers within striking distance at 3-2, they quickly gave back the run in the bottom half of the inning, sealing their defeat.

“If you don’t score a lot of runs,” Bochy noted, “you need to play clean baseball. We didn’t play good, clean baseball. This is what bothers a manager more than anything. We’re good fundamentally, but we had an off day.”

Chicago White Sox: A Season in Freefall

While the Rangers took a breather, the White Sox endured yet another defeat on Monday, marking their 101st loss of the season and their eighth in the past nine games. The latest setback came at the hands of the Detroit Tigers, who completed a four-game sweep with a 6-3 victory at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Spencer Torkelson’s three-run home run was the dagger in a game where the White Sox held a 2-1 lead entering the seventh inning. However, a disastrous five-run inning by the Tigers, fueled by a rough outing from Jared Shuster, sealed Chicago’s fate.

Interim manager Grady Sizemore tried to stay optimistic despite the loss. “Shu has been great for us,” Sizemore said. “That’s just what happens, you know. We haven’t had a lot of things go our way. They just put together a good inning.”

Rangers Aim to Stop Skid with Heaney on the Mound

The Rangers, now looking to snap a two-game losing streak, will rely on left-hander Andrew Heaney to deliver a strong performance. Heaney, who has a 4-13 record with a 4.04 ERA, showed signs of improvement in his last outing, where he pitched five shutout innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Over that span, he allowed five hits, one walk, and one hit batter while striking out eight—a promising sign for the Rangers.

Heaney has a solid track record against the White Sox, boasting a 5-1 record in nine career starts with a 4.56 ERA and 60 strikeouts in 51 1/3 innings. This history could give the Rangers a significant edge as they look to regain their winning form.

White Sox’s Pitching Woes: Crochet’s Limited Workload

Chicago will counter with left-handed pitcher Garrett Crochet, who holds a 6-9 record and a 3.64 ERA. However, Crochet’s effectiveness has been hampered by previous injury concerns, leading to a carefully managed workload. He hasn’t pitched into the fifth inning since June 30, spanning eight straight starts.

In his most recent outing, Crochet took a no-decision against the San Francisco Giants, allowing two runs and four hits in four innings. When he last faced the Rangers on July 23, Crochet also went four innings, giving up two runs on four hits. While his ERA against the Rangers stands at 2.35 over three appearances, his inability to pitch deep into games remains a concern for the White Sox.

Key Players to Watch

Corey Seager (Rangers): Seager remains a crucial part of the Rangers’ offense. His solo home run in the previous game against Cleveland highlights his power at the plate, making him a key player to watch as the Rangers seek to capitalize on the White Sox’s pitching vulnerabilities.

Andrew Vaughn (White Sox): Vaughn has been one of the few consistent performers for Chicago, driving in two runs in each of the last three games. His recent form will be vital if the White Sox hope to break out of their current slump.

Game Outlook: A Tale of Two Teams

The Rangers enter this series with a clear focus on fundamentals and a desire to put their recent mistakes behind them. Their fresh start, combined with Heaney’s favorable history against the White Sox, positions them well to take advantage of a Chicago team that has struggled mightily, both at the plate and on the mound.

For the White Sox, the series presents yet another uphill battle. With a staggering 15-series losing streak and the ignominious milestone of 101 losses already reached, the team must rally behind Crochet’s limited outings and hope that their bullpen can contain a Rangers lineup eager for redemption.

Conclusion: Rangers Poised to Pounce

Given the current trajectories of both teams, the Rangers have a prime opportunity to regain their momentum against a White Sox team in disarray. With Bochy emphasizing clean, fundamental baseball and Heaney on the mound, Texas is well-positioned to end their brief losing streak and start this road series on a high note.

Take your MLB handicapping to the next level with our expert MLB handicappers