Gamethread: White Sox at Rockies

The White Sox started out their 19-game stretch against terrrrrrible teams (most of which will be even worse after the trade deadline) with a victory, one which was appropriately dependent on the opponent being terrible. Tuesday’s win puts them better than .500 for the first time in two months, with a chance to go two games over for the first time since the 10th game of the season.

The strategy of “let’s let them get as many guys on base as possible and hope they hit grounders right at someone” may not be a particularly good one for the long haul, but the Sox are playing the Rockies again today, so it will probably work if it has to. Still, it does make for some dicey moments.

Speaking of dicey moments, Lucas Giolito is today’s White Sox starter, and he has had a whole bunch of diceyness this season, as his 5.12 ERA attests. Even when a game looks like he’s back to his old All-Star self, the next one crushes the hopes ... witness his last two starts, both against the Guardians, one of 6 ¹⁄₃ innings giving up just one unearned run, the next three innings and six earned runs.

Facing Giolito will be Antonio Senzatela, owner of one of smoothest names in MLB, but not one of the smoothest arms. The Venezuelan righty sports a 4.98 ERA, which isn’t all that bad for having Coors as your home field, but his 1.785 WHIP is pretty awful.

Senzatela will be facing a White Sox lineup that omits Eloy Jiménez, but includes Leury García in center and Andrew Vaughn in right, which could still make for some pretty adventuresome Colorado fly balls.

Giolito will face much the same Rockies lineup as last night, preferably without depending on four double plays (two with men on third) to survive.
C. Blackmon RF
G. Hampson CF
K. Bryant DH
C.J. Cron 1B
B. Rodgers 2B
J. Iglesias SS
R. McMahon 3B
E. Diaz C
Y. Daza LF

First pitch is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. Central, with the temp pushing past 90 by the end of the game, which should make the air in Denver even thinner than usual.