Posted:
#1
Odds are near even on the board as I write this, and there a couple of likely reasons why: Sale was not sharp in his last outing against the Giants and the Sox aren't hitting well, having been swept by the Twins.
Sale: It's worth noting that Sale's hit rate was nearly 50% vs the Giants--a very unlucky rate. Small sample size? Of course. So was the game. What's hidden in the surface stats is that Sale has actually improved over the past month, hard as that might be to believe. He's walking fewer batters than he ever has, and he's striking out more, which is fully backed by an 18% swinging K rate.
This guy is as good as they get.
Markakis will be the lone LHB today, as Chris Davis doesn't figure to start since he can't hit Sale. That's not a problem for the CWS pitcher; but his offense might be against a pretty good W. Chen, who's been walking fewer batters lately and getting more groundball outs. His struggles against lefties still poses a problem, but the Sox start just a pair today in Eaton and Gillaspie.
To win this game the Orioles will have to match the Giants in hit% and hold the Sox to fewer than 4 runs. I can see the latter happening more than the homer. The most obvious danger, of course, is that Sale won't be the only Sox pitcher.
Still, given the even money, I have to take Chicago.
Sale: It's worth noting that Sale's hit rate was nearly 50% vs the Giants--a very unlucky rate. Small sample size? Of course. So was the game. What's hidden in the surface stats is that Sale has actually improved over the past month, hard as that might be to believe. He's walking fewer batters than he ever has, and he's striking out more, which is fully backed by an 18% swinging K rate.
This guy is as good as they get.
Markakis will be the lone LHB today, as Chris Davis doesn't figure to start since he can't hit Sale. That's not a problem for the CWS pitcher; but his offense might be against a pretty good W. Chen, who's been walking fewer batters lately and getting more groundball outs. His struggles against lefties still poses a problem, but the Sox start just a pair today in Eaton and Gillaspie.
To win this game the Orioles will have to match the Giants in hit% and hold the Sox to fewer than 4 runs. I can see the latter happening more than the homer. The most obvious danger, of course, is that Sale won't be the only Sox pitcher.
Still, given the even money, I have to take Chicago.
0
,,, BALTIMORE AND THE UNDER:::
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