Gamethread: Astros at White Sox

Happy Sunday! The Chicago White Sox will end their series today against the Houston Astros, and look to take it with a win. Last night was a breakout game for the offense, along with a great pitching performance and complete game from Lucas Giolito, on national TV. Now at 55-36 and back in front of Houston as best in the American League, the South Siders will look to impress again.

Let’s take a look at the starting pitchers for today’s game.

Fresh off of his All Star Game appearance, Carlos Rodón will make his first start of the second half against a talented offense. Rodón is sitting at a 7-3 record with a 2.31 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP. In his last outing against the Minnesota Twins, he went six innings with seven hits, eight strikeouts, and just one earned run. His fastball is his most-used pitch (57% of the time), but his slider (26.5%), has been phenomenal when it comes to strikeouts. He will look to continue his amazing year with another win today.

Lefty Framber Valdez will take the mound for the Astros, at 5-1 with a 2.98 ERA and 1.31 WHIP. Valdez has great stats, and has been pitching like an ace. His last outing against the New York Yankees was short, as he went just four innings with six hits, two runs, and five strikeouts. What made things rocky for him in that start was his control, as he allowed six walks.

The lineup looks a little different today, as Tim Anderson looks to continue his hot streak while Adam Engel is in the 2-spot. Andrew Vaughn will bat fourth, followed by Yoán Moncada moving to the fifth spot in the order as the DH. Jake Burger will take over at third base, while Seby Zavala is behind the plate. Danny Mendick will play second base, as Leury García gets the day off.

Here’s Houston:

Also, all the normal festivities are starting to come back to the park, so make sure to take your kids to run the bases with the best mascot in the league if you’re attending today’s game!

Game time is at 1:10 p.m. CT on NBCSCHI, as we’re back with Jason and Steve. Listen in at ESPN 1000. It’s a beautiful day for a ball game, so let’s finish the series strong and get the win!