The first game of the MLB Divisional Series will be the Chicago White Sox at the Cleveland Guardians. The Sox took out the Astros in 2 straight, and now they head off to face their divisional rival. The White Sox led the AL Central most of the season, only to have Cleveland run them down during the final few weeks. One odd story at play here is that the Guards went 28-18 after the Mets called to tell them their PitchCom devices were too loud. If you don’t know that story, take a second to look it up. On Saturday, Cleveland has its ace going, and no one will hear what pitch is coming. I’ll take the Guardians to win.
Parker Messick, the dominant lefty, will take the mound. He has faced the White Sox four times this season. All 4 starts have been quality starts. Chicago hits lefties well, but not so much this particular lefty. The Sox also strike out a ton, and that particular issue only amplifies in the postseason. On the other side, the Sox will start with Hagen Smith, and they will bullpen the game from there. This is a strategy the Sox are comfortable with, but their bullpen depth is not the greatest. The Guards should also have a fully healthy lineup, something they haven’t had often during the season. Give me the chalky favorite here with their ace on the mound.
White Sox vs Guardians Prediction: Guardians ML (-155) available at the time of publishing. Playable to -165.
