Toronto Blue Jays vs. Chicago White Sox Prediction, Preview, Picks & Odds - 6/20/2022

Time: 8:10 p.m. ET

Venue: Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago, IL

Where to watch: SNET-1, NBC Sports Chicago

DraftKings: Blue Jays -135, White Sox +115

BetMGM: Blue Jays -135, White Sox +110

Caesars: Blue Jays -135, White Sox +115

Blue Jays: 38-28

White Sox: 31-33

I think it's fair that we can assume that the Toronto Blue Jays gave up a very winnable weekend against the New York Yankees. Unfortunately with the Yankees being the top team in all of baseball right now, with the Blue Jays trying to find some sort of footing they could not afford to let some games slip when they were very winnable. Fortunately for them however, the Blue Jays found a way to win the finale against the Yankees with a five run comeback and end the weekend on a rather high note.

Now, the Blue Jays have a good chance at the very least to take some frustration out on their opponent this week, the Chicago White Sox. As Toronto begins a quick six game road trip that starts in Chicago and eventually moves its way to Milwaukee, Toronto really sees these last 7 or so games as a blown opportunity. To only get a split against the Baltimore Orioles at home, and then waste a brilliant performance against the Yankees from their ace Alek Manoah, the Blue Jays are falling into that trap right now that looks eerily similar to last year. They had the talent, they were very close, but they couldn't get over the hump.

And for all of the praise we should heap on the Blue Jays for rallying the way that they did and coming back to win that game the way that they did, I continue to find myself in that position to wonder if the Blue Jays are in fact legit. Part of that might be prisoner of the moment syndrome where Vladimir Guerrero Jr. should be hitting the ball much better than he is, and maybe that's a sign of his low batting average that I keep looking at and wondering why he's not hitting well over .300.

Perhaps maybe it is the loss of Marcus Semien, now with Texas, and no longer having that one power bat that you could rely after you get through the death row that is the top of the Toronto banning order. Whatever the case may be, we continue to look at the Blue Jays and wonder when are they actually going to make this a consistent run. They addressed the pitching in a big way and that's what got them going when they returned to Toronto from Buffalo last year. Now they have the pitching, on top of still having one of the most dangerous lineups in baseball and it still doesn't seem to be working.

Which is why I look at this upcoming series against the White Sox and I think that this is a chance for them too really put the pedal to the metal. I think this is an opportunity for Toronto going with Jose Berrios in the series opener against Lance Lynn, to really show that they are a dangerous team and can be a formidable wildcard threat this year. And then it's a matter of building off of that going into Tuesday's game when you have Kevin Gausman, followed by Ross Stripling in the finale on Wednesday.

So there's a lot of catch 22 here when trying to analyze this American League East beyond the Yankees. The Boston Red Sox should be better than what they are, the Tampa Bay Rays are struggling beyond belief and there should be much louder calls for Kevin Cash to be fired as manager of this team. One way or another, this is setting up for Toronto to really make a run and somehow I keep looking at this and I'm not finding that. If for any reason that should change, this series against Chicago is the way it's going to happen.

It’s going to be a power surge in Chicago with the Blue Jays at the forefront. Now is the time. Show the world that you can go into the halfway point of the season with some momentum and grab that playoff spot you need. Blue Jays win 9-2

Blue Jays are 30-21 against right-handed starters this season.

Blue Jays are 10-3 when Jose Berrios starts this season.

White Sox are 11-11 against AL East opponents this season.

White Sox are 17-8 at home the past three seasons when Lance Lynn starts.

Blue Jays:
George Springer (R) CF
Bo Bichette (R) SS
Vladimir Guerrero (R) 1B
Alejandro Kirk (R) C
Teoscar Hernandez (R) DH
Santiago Espinal (R) 2B
Matt Chapman (R) 3B
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (R) LF
Raimel Tapia (L) RF
SP - Jose Berrios

White Sox:
Danny Mendick (R) SS
Andrew Vaughn (R) DH
Luis Robert (R) CF
Jose Abreu (R) 1B
AJ Pollock (R) LF
Jake Burger (R) 3B
Reese McGuire (L) C
Josh Harrison (R) 2B
Adam Haseley (L) RF
SP - Lance Lynn

Batting average: Alejandro Kirk -- .307

Home runs: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. -- 17

RBI: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. -- 41

Wins: Alek Manoah -- 8

ERA: Alek Manoah -- 2.00

Batting average: Luis Robert -- .294

Home runs: Jose Abreu -- 9

RBI: Jose Abreu -- 32

Wins: Dylan Cease -- 5

ERA: Dylan Cease -- 2.91