MLB Game Preview: Cleveland Guardians (44-48) vs. Chicago White Sox (31-63)

Venue: Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago, IL
First Pitch: 4:10 PM ET
Broadcast: Bally Sports Great Lakes, NBC Sports Chicago, MLB.tv

Game Overview

The Cleveland Guardians (44–48) visit the Chicago White Sox (31–63) for Game 2 of their weekend AL Central series. Cleveland enters riding a four-game win streak, including a sweep of the Astros, while Chicago continues to struggle, sitting last in the division and dropping six of their last nine. Saturday’s matchup features a duel between Tanner Bibee and Sean Burke, two right-handers looking to stabilize inconsistent rotations.

Starting Pitchers Breakdown

Cleveland Guardians – Tanner Bibee (4–9, 4.27 ERA)

• Making his 19th start of the season
• Has logged 103.1 IP, with 90 strikeouts and a 1.22 WHIP
• Opponents batting .242 against him
• Seeking his 8th quality start, but allowed 4 ER in 4.2 IP vs Houston in last outing
• Ranks 47th in ERA, 38th in K/9, and 35th in WHIP among qualified starters

Chicago White Sox – Sean Burke (4–8, 4.40 ERA)

• Making his 16th start of the season
• Has pitched 92.2 innings, with 75 strikeouts and a 1.40 WHIP
• Opponents hitting .254 against him
• Allowed 6 ER in 5 IP vs Toronto in last outing
• Has 5 quality starts, but struggles with command and long innings

Key Players to Watch

Cleveland Guardians

• José Ramírez: .301 AVG, 17 HR, 45 RBI — hit a homer in three straight games, projected for 2.2 total bases
• Steven Kwan: .292 AVG, 20 doubles, 6 HR — elite contact hitter, ranks top 10 in OBP
• Carlos Santana: 11 HR, 41 BB — veteran bat with consistent plate discipline
• Angel Martinez: .243 AVG, 8 HR — riding a 7-game hit streak, batting .303 over last 10

Chicago White Sox

• Miguel Vargas: .220 AVG, 10 HR, 34 RBI — team leader in power and run production
• Andrew Benintendi: 10 HR, 34 RBI — hit 3 HR in last 8 home games
• Lenyn Sosa: .272 AVG, 14 doubles — emerging bat with gap power
• Chase Meidroth: .247 AVG, 32 walks — solid OBP and defensive versatility

• Guardians are 11–4 when favored at –129 or shorter
• White Sox are 30–56 as underdogs of +108 or worse
• Under has hit in 6 of last 7 Guardians night games vs AL Central
• Guardians are 8–2 ATS in their last 10 games; White Sox are 3–7 ATS