Gamethread: White Sox at Twins

After dropping two out of three games in Detroit, the White Sox find themselves at 49-34, and they have a six-game lead in the AL Central. The South Siders are in Minnesota and seek to build on their strong résumé against the Twins (34-48). Granted, most teams have a good résumé against Minnesota, but the White Sox stand out from the crowd. Entering tonight, they are 8-1 with a +39 run differential against them.

Dylan Cease, who has a 3.75 ERA, 3.70 xERA, 3.54 FIP, and 1.9 fWAR, will start for the White Sox. Cease has taken a sizable step forward this season, as he struggled throughout the shortened 2020 season despite a solid 4.01 ERA (6.36 FIP, -0.4 fWAR). Luck was on Cease’s side last year, which explains the decent ERA, but Cease has not needed much luck this season. In two games against the Twins in 2021, Cease has a 4.09 ERA in 11 innings.

Rookie Bailey Ober, who has a 5.84 ERA, 4.25 xERA, 5.59 FIP, and -0.1 fWAR, will start for the Twins. Ober has faced the White Sox twice this year, and so far, the South Siders have had his number. Ober has an ERA of 11.05 in those two games, and the White Sox have slashed .281/.361/.813 against him.

Here are tonight’s starting lineups:

Nelson Cruz and Josh Donaldson will not start for the Twins.

Tonight’s game is scheduled to begin at 6:10 p.m. Central. NBC Sports Chicago and (surprisingly) ESPN will televise this game, while ESPN1000 will have the radio coverage. Let’s get another victory against the Twins.