Oakland Athletics vs Chicago White Sox Prediction, Odds and Preview - 08/19/2020

Game Time: 2:10 pm ET, Thursday, August 19th, 2021

Venue:  Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago, Illinois

Where to Watch: NBCSCA, NBCSCH, MLBN

Athletics:  68-52 (3rd place AL West)
White Sox: 70-50 (1st place AL Central)

DraftKings:  Moneyline odds:  A’s +120, White Sox -140; Over/Under:  9 runs

Bet365:  Moneyline odds: A’s +135, White Sox -155; Over/Under 7.5 runs

Athletics:

M. Canha, LF

S. Marte, CF

M. Olson, 1B

J. Lowrie, 2B

M. Chapman, 3B

M. Moreland, P

J. Harrison, 3B

S. Murphy, C

E. Andrus, SS

White Sox:

T. Anderson, SS

C. Hernandez, 2B

J. Abreu, 1B

E. Jimenez, LF

Y. Moncada, 3B

B. Goodwin, CF

A. Vaughn, RF

J. Lamb, DH

Z. Collins, C

Athletics:

Batting Average:  Matt Olson (.281)

Hits:  Matt Olson (116)

Home Runs:  Matt Olson (30)

RBI:  Matt Olson (72)  (It’s the Matt Olson show!)

Stolen Bases: Ramon Laureano (12)

Wins:  Chris Bassitt (12)

Saves:  Lou Trivino (19)

ERA:  Lou Trivino (1.78)

White Sox:

Batting Average:  Luis Robert (.328)

Hits:  Timm Anderson (131)

Home Runs:  Jose Abraeu (25)

RBI: Jose Abreau (89)

Stolen Bases:  Tim Anderson (16)

Wins:  Lance Lynn (10)

Saves:  Liam Hendriks (27)

ERA:  Lance Lynn (2.26)

Managers:

Athletics: Bob Melvin
White Sox: Tony LaRussa

The Athletics are 6-4 over their last ten games, going 6 Overs, 3 Unders and 1 Push.  They lost their first couple of this four-game series to the White Sox 0-2, went 1-2 against the Texas Rangers (a surefire sign of a team that won’t be moving up in the standings), swept the Cleveland Indians (soon to be Guardians) 3-0, and went 2-0 against the Texas Rangers to start the whole ten games off.  The American League is safe from the Athletics advances especially with the Houston Astros leading the same division.

The White Sox also went 6-4 over their last ten games with 5 Unders, 4 Overs and 1 Push.  They took the first two off Oakland 2-0, went 1-2 against the New York Yankees, 1-2 against the Minnesota Twins, and 2-0 against the Chicago Cubs.   The White Sox odds for the MLB playoffs are good but they just don’t feel like the class of the league that will do well in the postseason.

In Tuesday’s 9-0 loss the Athletics suffered a near tragedy.  In the second inning starter Chris Bassitt was hit in the face with a line drive from White Sox outfielder Brian Goodwin.  The ball returned to the mound going 100 miles per hour and Chris had to be carted off the field.  Chris received 2 stitches for facial lacerations but was released from Rush University Medical Center with a diagnosis of only a displaced tripod fracture in his right cheek.  Luckily for him and everyone it wasn’t more serious, a head CT scan revealed no further injury.  He will need surgery on his cheek but for now is recuperating at home.   

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The Athletics scheduled starting pitcher is righty James Kaprelian 6-4 3.33 ERA, 83 strikeouts in 83 inning pitched (1 an inning for anyone new at math) and a 1.16 WHIP.  Over his last 7 games he is 2-3 giving up 38 hits and 17 runs. The UCLA product is 27 years old and only debuted in the pros last season.  He will need run support to get wins, but the former number 16 pick in the MLB draft has shown steady improvement and will probably get plenty of starting opportunities the rest of the season.

The White Sox will start Dylan Cease 9-6, 4.04 ERA, 165 strikeouts in 124.2 innings pitched, 1.25 WHIP.  The 25 year old sure looks the part.  A sixth round pick ( of the Cubs) who had to work his way up through the minors til his debut in 2019.  He throws heat and gets strikes. His nickname is Cease which is also his last name.  I think he will play great and lose this one.  The Athletics aren’t great this year but they are good enough and have pride enough not to give up a sweep at home.

"Bass is conscious. He was the entire time,....We don't think the eye is a problem at this point. It felt like it was below it. He's got some cuts. They had to do some stitches. He's in a scan and we'll know more about potential fractures or whatever tomorrow, or later tonight."  A’s manager Bob Melvin about the brutal hit to the head taken by Athletic’s pitcher Chris Bassitt.

"It's a lot more than baseball at that point," Lamb said. "It's a friend, it's an old teammate. Any time you get hit in the head like that, it's a very scary situation." - Jake Lamb said about Bassitt.  Jake had 3 home runs for the White Sox in the same game.

"Certainly hope that he caught a break and he's OK," -La Russa said in an old-school, uncaring, unfeeling kind of way.  

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