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Happy 4th of July weekend! As is recent tradition, the White Sox are facing off against the Detroit Tigers.
Last Meetings
The Tigers have not been successful agains the White Sox this season. The White Sox have taken eight of the last ten, with two blowouts of 11-0 and 15-2. One of the losses this season was the infamous “bunt against Derek Holland” game and it’s probably good for our collective blood pressure that we don’t remember that incident. All in all, the White Sox have done OK against the Tigers, but they need to tighten it up if they expect to be able to compete against better teams.
How’s it Going?
The Tigers are well out of playoff contention again. They’re at 36-45 and third in the AL Central, with a 16-25 record against AL Central teams. They won two of three this week against Cleveland and are 18-12 in their last 30. They’re 16-14 at home this season and 17-24 on the road. They managed to sweep Cleveland in the doubleheader Wednesday, swept St. Louis, and took the season series against Houston, with a four-game split. It may not always look like it, but this is the best Tigers team to have taken the field in quite a few years. After starting the season with a -58 run differential, they have posted a 100 wRC+ since May 1 and accumulated a 4.33 FIP.
Jonathan Schoop leads in RBIs (42), batting average (.277), home runs (15), OBP (.340), and hits (82). Meanwhile for the pitching staff, Casey Mize is leading in wins (5) and ERA (3.46), while Tarik Skubal is leading in strikeouts (94), Michael Fulmer leads in saves (6), and Jorge Cisneros is leading in holds (9). The Tigers rank 15th in the AL in runs, 13th in hits, 14th in strikeouts, and 13th in home runs.
Miguel Cabrera hit his 494th career homer against Cleveland yesterday during the doubleheader, so hopefully we can keep those six remaining away from him over the next three days.
Pitching Matchups
Today is Lance Lynn vs. Casey Mize. Mize is having a good season so far, posting a 5-4 record with a 3.46 ERA. He’s given up 74 hits and 13 home runs, while striking out 71 and walking 26. He’s gone 2-1 over his last seven games, lasting 42 innings and allowing 38 hits while posting a 3.21 ERA. In Mize’s outings against the White Sox, he’s gone 0-2 (in four starts), lasting 22 2/3 and giving up 17 hits, four home runs, while striking out 24. Mize has five pitches in his arsenal: 4-seam (28.4%), slider (26.3%), sinker (22.7%), split finger (15.3%), and curveball (7.3%).
This season, Lance Lynn is 7-3 with a 2.06 ERA. He’s pitched 78 2/3 innings, allowing 55 hits and striking out 90. In his last five starts against Detroit, he’s 3-2, going 30 innings and allowing 27 hits while striking out 35 and posting a 3.30 ERA.
Saturday is Dallas Keuchel vs. Tarik Skubal. Skubal is 4-7 this season with a 4.06 ERA. He’s lasted 77 2/3 while giving up 70 hits, 16 home runs, 94 strikeouts, and walked 36. He’s 3-1 in his last seven starts, lasting 39 2/3 innings and allowing 31 hits while striking out 54. Skubal has faced the White Sox three times, going 1-1 in 13 innings and allowing 18 hits while striking out 18 and giving up two home runs. Skubal has seven pitches in his arsenal: 4-seam (48.2%), slider (21.5%), changeup (11.2%), curveball (7.2%), sinker (6.9%), split finger (4.2%), and a cutter (0.8%).
Keuchel is 6-2 this season, going 86 1/3 while allowing 89 hits and striking out 53. In his last five starts against the Tigers, he’s gone 1-2 over 26 innings, allowing 30 hits and striking out 18.
Sunday will see Lucas Giolito vs. TBD. Giolito is 6-5 this season with a 3.84 ERA, striking out 111. In his last five against Detroit he’s gone 1-2, posting 3.62 ERA in 32 1⁄3 innings while allowing 24 hits and striking out 45.
Why we still hate them
I hate the Tigers because they won't give the White Sox Jonathan Schoop for free.
— Tommy Barbee (@KindaBleu) July 2, 2021
their park is objectively better than ours.
— ™️ (@likedemolition) July 2, 2021
— Byron Black (@byronblack666) July 2, 2021
Michigan calls it’s hot dogs “coneys” but claims that the name did not come from Coney Island. So yea that’s pretty hateable.
— PatfromtheBronx (@Patinthebronx) July 2, 2021
Jerk Morris. I mean Jack NOOOO not still mad about the. No No!!!!!!!
— JruJamison (@JruJamison) July 2, 2021
My 12 year old niece got the walk-off hit in our family softball game this summer and she is a die hard Tigers fan.
— Dump Ump (@DumpOnTheUmp) July 2, 2021
I adopted one from Zoobooks and it never came.
— Pug Prom? Whoa! (@BaritGT) July 2, 2021
Detroit sucks
— Tom Maloney (@tdjm84) July 2, 2021
Because Jack Morris no-hit the Sox on Opening Weekend at Comiskey Park on National television in 1984.
— FitzMagic (SoxFanWingMan) (@CheapSeats411) July 2, 2021
Still can’t stand that guy… pic.twitter.com/YAgrDBQUYg
I love them for taking Magglio from us, talking shit on his way out the door, not being part of the 05 team, and then choking in the 06 Series so we could lord it over them forevermore!
— Kjell Hilding (@KjellRules) July 2, 2021
I don’t. They gave me Jake Rogers mustache pic.twitter.com/rejsvnMgAj
— Jason Spaghetti, White Collar Criminal (@JSpaghett1) July 2, 2021
That they will have the player with the greatest lifetime average (Ty Cobb) and the last pitcher that will ever in 30 games in a season (Denny McClain, Sox originally signed him as an amateur free agent) and he spent time in prison for embezzlement.
— Brian, just happy to be here. (@BDunnChiSox1) July 2, 2021
— Leonard Skynard (@Leonard42) July 2, 2021
My first and enduring sports hatred is the Detroit Pistons. The Tigers are guilty by association.
— They don't allow you to have bees in here (@rahulastrohl) July 2, 2021
Although I feel like any non Fick answer is the incorrect answer, Cecil Fielder was a mega prick.
— Brian S (@MagnificentStan) July 2, 2021
Mainly 2006, the 05 Sox should have repeated as Central champs in 06. Also during the WS against the Cardinals, Fox had like every pitch the Tigers threw at 100mph. Gtfo with that.
— E (@ivotedforbeer) July 2, 2021
One time, I drank a frozen beverage at Comerica and got a brain freeze. I've never had that happen at G-Rate.
— Keelin ~*CHILD OF YAZ*~ (@Keelin_Billue) July 2, 2021
Coincidence or statistics? You do the math.
For being the team that gave the Cubs two World Series (and being the only team to do it for the longest time).
— Bill Koester (@Billy_dk_89) July 2, 2021