After an exciting opening weekend of baseball, all teams have finished up their opening series, and we move on to the next. We have a full 15-game slate today, but the matchup between the White Sox and the Giants stuck out the most.
The Giants stole a win in Yankee Stadium, but their opening series was not great. Chicago looked solid in all four games against the defending World Series champions, but they only came out with two wins. Let’s dive into which team has the edge in this interleague series opener.
White Sox vs. Giants Betting Pick: Preview
Here are the odds at the time of posting for game two between the Chicago White Sox and the San Francisco Giants.
Saturday, April 1 MLB Betting Notes, Courtesy of DraftKings
Moneyline: Chicago White Sox -135 vs. San Francisco Giants +115
Runline: White Sox -1.5 +150 / Giants +1.5 -175
Total: 8 Runs (Over -115 / Under -105)
Game Time: 3:10 pm ET / 12:10 pm PT
Where: Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago, IL
Weather: 56 degrees and partly cloudy
White Sox vs. Giants: Analysis
Chicago opened the season with a date with the defending World Series champs, and Chicago held their own. Chicago took the opener, dropped the middle two games, but came back and won last night to tie up the series.
The Giants got embarrassed by the Yankees in game one and game three of the series, but they put up a fight and took the win in game two, though it came down to the wire. San Fransisco got blanked in their two losses against New York.
Who has the edge in this interleague matchup this afternoon? Let’s dive in.
White Sox vs. Giants: White Sox Preview
Coming into this season, Chicago had low expectations despite bringing back mostly the same roster from a year before. The 2022 White Sox had high expectations, and they disappointed mightily, but so far, this Chicago team looks and feels different. This looks like the team many expected them to be last year, which is a no-doubt playoff team with legit World Series aspirations.
One of their bigger disappointments last season was how today’s starter, Michael Kopech, pitched. After an impressive 2021 out of the bullpen, Kopech did not seem ready to take over a full-time starting role. He had a 4.50 FIP, a 7.92 K/9, a 1.19 WHIP, and an 11.5% walk percentage. However, still left 74.2% of runners on base, and his batting average against was just a .196. At home last season, he had a 4.39 FIP, a .98 WHIP, a .157 batting average against, and a 4.88 xFIP. Kopech is so interesting because some of his 2022 splits are near the worst in all of baseball, while others show he still had some great stuff last season.
The White Sox lineup saw some great Houston pitching to start the season, and they did a good job. Chicago is tied for 11th in runs scored, they are 6th in OPS, and they are 8th in RBIs produced. Seeing Luis Robert and Yoan Moncada hitting home runs is a great sign for Sox fans, and they have momentum heading into this series – their first series at home.
White Sox vs. Giants: Giants Preview
The Giants went to Yankee stadium and forgot how to put runs on the board. The Giants got blanked in two of the three games, and in their win, when they scored 7 runs, they needed to avoid a major disaster in the bottom of the ninth to seal the victory. The Giants used a lot of bullpen arms on Saturday, but they were able to get out of the game yesterday without wearing out all their arms.
Anthony DeSclafani will make the start for the Giants on the road. DeSclafani was hurt for most of last season, and he did not look great in his return from ankle surgery. He made five starts and posted a 5.49 xERA, a 4.85 FIP, a 4.14 xFIP, a 2.00 WHIP, and a .382 batting average against. These numbers simply are terrible. He was very good in 2021, but it seems more like an outlier at this point. Yes, he had a whole off-season to recover, but he will be 33 soon, and I don’t expect him to improve too much.
The Giants’ lineup is weak, but they got embarrassed against the Yankees. Giants hitters struck out 41 times in three games, and they were blanked twice. In the game against the Yankees, they won and scored seven runs, they relied on home runs or infield singles. This is not a recipe for success, and if Kopech has his stuff today, the Giants may be in trouble.
White Sox vs. Giants Prediction
The White Sox used a lot of arms in their bullpen against the Astros, so if Kopech does not get off to a good start, the Giants may be in trouble. The Giants have struggled against righty pitching, but their bats need to wake up at some point. However, I do not expect that to be tonight.
Prediction: White Sox moneyline -135