The Chicago White Sox will go up against the Minnesota Twins in the second game of a three-game series on Tuesday night.
On Monday, the Twins got out to a 4-0 lead after three innings. But the White Sox ended up outscoring them 8-1 over the last six innings.
This was the first time that Lucas Giolito had thrown since his no-hitter last week. This time out, he gave up four hits in five innings of work, allowing two earned runs. The White Sox turned to the bullpen after that, with each reliever throwing one inning.
The White Sox had a huge top of the ninth led by Luis Robert. He hit a ground-rule double, and the White Sox ended up scoring three in the inning.
White Sox Leading AL Central
Chicago is having a great season so far. It is 22-13 but is only one game ahead of the Cleveland Indians and 2.5 games ahead of the Twins.
They made a move to acquire Jarrod Dyson from the Pirates just before the trade deadline. Chicago also has two great arms with Giolito and Dallas Keuchel.
Shortstop Tim Anderson is leading the team in average, hitting .330 so far this season. He has only played in 25 games but has added six home runs and 11 RBI to the stat sheet.
The big bat in the White Sox lineup has been Jose Abreu, who leads the team in home runs (12) and RBI (32).
On the hill for the White Sox will be Keuchel, who will be going for his fourth straight win. He has a 5-2 record with a 2.70 ERA this season.
Twins Try to Catch the Sox
This is an important series for the Twins. They are in third in the AL Central, just behind Chicago and Cleveland.
They started the year hot but have cooled off a bit. They are 20-16 this season and have the bats to make a run for the postseason.
Leading the offense is Nelson Cruz. He is hitting .311 with 13 home runs and 29 RBI. Miguel Sano, Max Kepler, and Eddie Rosario all have seven home runs each.
Michael Pineda will be making his 2020 debut in this game. He was one of their best pitchers in 2019 but tested positive for a banned diuretic, which resulted in a 60-game suspension.
Now that he is back, no one knows what to expect. He could come out strong and rested, or he could be a bit rusty.
Prediction
These are two great teams in the same division, so the prediction is tough, especially when factoring in a pitcher coming off a 60-game suspension. Both teams have explosive lineups that have the capability of putting up runs.
The White Sox are favored with a moneyline of -113. With a proven arm on the mound this season, that will be the safest bet.
I am taking the White Sox to win a second in a row against the Twins on Tuesday night.