Gamethread: White Sox at Tigers

The White Sox (85-64) are in Detroit to take on the Tigers (72-78) for a three-game series. The AL Central title going to the South Siders has been a foregone conclusion for some time. They can officially clinch the division during this series, as the magic number is at three as of the start of tonight’s game. This season, the White Sox are 9-4 with a +32 run differential against the Tigers.

Tonight, Carlos Rodón will start on the mound for the White Sox. Rodón enters with a 2.38 ERA, 2.69 xERA, 2.67 FIP, and 4.6 fWAR in 124 ²⁄₃ innings this season. Rodón’s most recent start was on September 10 against the Red Sox (86-65). During that game, Rodón only allowed one run on three hits in five innings, and the White Sox went on to win by a score of 4-3.

Rookie righthander Matt Manning will be Detroit’s starter. In 72 innings, Manning has a 5.75 ERA, 5.36 xERA, 4.62 FIP, and 0.8 fWAR. Manning, who was drafted ninth overall in the 2016 MLB Draft (right before Zack Collins), has not quite found his footing in the majors, though the 23-year-old still has time. Manning has faced the White Sox once, and that was on July 4, when he allowed two runs on seven hits in two and two-thirds innings. The South Siders went on to win that game by a score of 6-5.

Here are tonight’s starting lineups:

The first pitch is scheduled for 5:40 p.m. Central. As usual, NBC Sports Chicago will televise the game, and WMVP 1000 AM will have the radio coverage. The last time the White Sox won at least 86 games in a season was 2010 (they won exactly 85 in 2012). Time to get win No. 86 again.