Few fanbases have it harder than the White Sox faithful as we begin the second month of MLB action. Going into Tuesday’s game, the Sox have dropped 12 of their last 14 games. They finally snapped their 10-game losing streak with a win over MLB-best Tampa Bay on Sunday night. Can they keep it going against Minnesota? Let’s take a look.
Let’s keep this going. pic.twitter.com/QC4n53XcMg
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 1, 2023
Minnesota Twins (-158, O/U 8.5) at Chicago White Sox, 7:10 PM EST
Joe Ryan leads the Twins into Chicago on Tuesday night to begin the second series of the year between the AL Central rivals. The Twins took two of three in their previous meeting in April.
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Ryan is off to a blistering start to his 2023 campaign, posting elite numbers across the board. He owns a 10.13 K/9, 1.13 BB/9 and 0.81 WHIP across 32 innings (5 starts).
The White Sox are going to have a hard time putting runs on the board in this one. Ryan has only one negative on his resume in 2023, and that’s the longball. He has served up a round-tripper in four of his five starts this season.
The problem is that this White Sox team has been largely devoid of power. They have just 28 HR in 29 games, which is just 20th in MLB.
Advantage: Joe Ryan. Now comes the big question.
Which Michael Kopech Shows Up on Tuesday?
There was once a time where Kopech was one of the most exciting, unhittable pitchers in MLB. That time is long gone. By all accounts, he has been nothing short of dreadful in 2023.
He has a 9.47 K/9, but much like the rest of the White Sox rotation, that’s the lone bright spot.
Kopech has walked 16 batters (and hit two more) in just 25.1 innings in 2023…AND has served up eight homers. He has a good track record against this current Twins roster for all you BvP believers (.175/.319/.386), but I’m just not a believer in him right now and refuse to bet on pitchers with poor command.
Add those factors to a struggling offense and we have a recipe for success. A clear mismatch like this one brings us back to another RL bet against the second best team in Chicago. The White Sox woes continue in this one.
