Guardians Vs. White Sox Series Preview: Guardians Return Home After Rough Road Trip
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Last week was not a good one. The Guardians went 1-6 on a road trip against the Tigers and the Royals which are both teams they should have easily beat. Thankfully, they are returning home and will start a four-game series with the Chicago White Sox tonight.
The Guardians and White Sox have met up five times so far this year. Cleveland has a 4-1 record on the season series and has outscored them 32-18 in their previous matchups.
On paper, it looks like a great opportunity for the Guardians to take advantage of a team that they have played well against. However, they have only won two games in their last 10 and the White Sox have been more consistent. This will be a test for the Guardians to see if they can get back on track before the All-Star break.
Pitching Matchups:
- Monday: Cal Quantrill vs. Lance Lynn (7:10 pm EST)
- Tuesday: TBD vs. TBD (1:10 pm EST)
- Tuesday: TBD vs. TBD (7:10 pm EST)
- It is likely that Shane Bieber will go for the Guardians and Dylan Cease will be on the mound for the White Sox at some point on Tuesday. Whether they will pitch in game one or two of the doubleheader is still to be announced.
- Wednesday: Aaron Civale vs. Lucas Giolito (7:10 pm EST)
What To Watch For:
Josh Naylor Wants All The Sox Pitching
If I was Josh Naylor, I would be pretty excited for this series! Naylor has obliterated the White Sox this season. He is batting .529 against them with three home runs and 12 RBI.
It was against the White Sox in Chicago when Naylor hit the grand slam and three-run home run in extra innings and the infamous phrase, "I want all the smoke" was born. He could be a big impact and help the Guardians get out of their offense rut.
Eli Morgan Bounce Back Series
The last few weeks have not been great for Eli Morgan. At one point he was a legitimate All-Star candidate, but now fans hold their breath a bit when he takes the mound. This series against the White Sox could be a great one for him to get back on track.
The White Sox roster is loaded with right-handed hitters, which is who Morgan has been successful against this season. He has 33 strikeouts and opponents have a .165 batting average when batters are on this side of the plate.
With yet another doubleheader for the Guardians, the bullpen will be all hands on deck and Morgan could get a lot of opportunities to bounce back during this four-game series.
The White Sox Offense Is Hot
On Chicago's side of things, they have recently been one of the hottest hitting teams in baseball. In the last seven days, they have a team batting average of .275 and 57 hits. Even though the home runs haven't been as advertised for them, they still find ways to score runs.
The Guardians have to figure out a way to keep this offense at bay, especially with their inability to score runs lately.
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Read More:
Guardians Standout Player Of The Week: July 11
Guardians Farm Report: Planez Extends Hitting Streak To 21 Games With Clutch HR For Lake County
What We Learned About The Guardians: July 10
Three Cleveland Guardians Are Headed To The All-Star Game
Guardians Go 1-6 On Road Trip, Lose 5-1 To Royals
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