Gamethread: White Sox at Astros

Good afternoon, and happy Sunday! Welcome to my first regular-season game coverage. Buckle up, because it looks like we could be in for a long season. The day has finally come, the Chicago White Sox will play their last game of this four-game set at Minute Maid Park! Houston Astros, we will not miss you.

In all seriousness, the South Siders are looking to come out of this series on a positive note, and hopefully with a series split. These games have all been close and tense. The offense is getting on base, the team is competing in a very hard ballpark against a very good team, and these have all been winnable games.

Currently at 1-2, let’s hope the White Sox can have an efficient game and come out of it with a win before heading back for tomorrow’s home opener.

The Astros will send their fourth starter, Luis Garcia, to the mound. The righty made his major-league debut in 2020 with Houston, and since then has been a solid part of their rotation. In 2022, he had a breakout year, going 15-8 with a 3.72 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, and 157 total strikeouts. Some may remember him as the pitcher in the 2021 ALDS that got pulled from the game with a 2-0 count on Leury García in the bottom of the third inning with two on and two out, and we all know what happened after that (SPOILER: Leury Legend’s three-run home run).

Garcia as the No. 4 starter shows how even after the loss of Justin Verlander, Houston’s starting pitching depth is elite. Luis relies on six different pitches, with his fastball being used the most at 42.1%. He then follows with a cutter (29.4%), curveball (10.2%), changeup (9.4%), slider (8.8%), and sinker (0.2%, but that still counts).

The White Sox will trot out their fourth starting pitcher for the start.

Tim Anderson will lead it off, followed by Luis Robert Jr. in center field. Andrew Benintendi is in left, and Eloy Jiménez will be the DH. Red-hot Yoán Moncada is at third, followed by Andrew Vaughn at first and Yasmani Grandal behind the plate. Oscar Colás gets the start in right field, and Elvis Andrus will finish it off at second base.

Here is the opposition:

Maldonado back behind the dish, perhaps less aggressiveness on the basepaths.

Watch on NBCSCHI and listen in at ESPN 1000. Game time is at 1:10 p.m. CT.