Mariners vs. White Sox: Saturday, July 27, 2024

MARINERS VS. WHITE SOX: SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2024 — When it all comes together, even a team like the Mariners can put the bat on the ball. Seattle won the game before it started on Friday against the White Sox, scoring eight runs in the first inning to bury Chicago and cruise to just its second win in 10 games. The Mariners have been one of the worst hitting teams in the majors, batting just .217 as a squad.

Yet the M’s still have a playoff chance because their pitching has been outstanding. Seattle continues to mow down batting order after batting order, giving up just three runs per game over its past 10 contests. Friday marked the Mariners’ third shutout of the month, which has been a tough slog otherwise. Seattle has just six wins in July, which has opened the door for the rest of the division to catch them.

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The White Sox also can’t hit, but they can’t do anything well. This Chicago team was advertised as a disaster, and it has been every bit as bad as feared. The White Sox enter this game on a 12-game losing streak, and they’re just three defeats away from clinching a losing record with two months left in the season. Chicago probably isn’t going to threaten the 36-117 mark of the 1916 Philadelphia Athletics, but this season is still going to rank among MLB’s all-time disasters.

It’s also probably going to be the worst White Sox team in history. Chicago’s all-time low has been 56-106, and this group is going to have to win more games over the final two months than it has all season to avoid that ignominy. Given what this team has been doing, it’s unlikely things get any better this year.

The Odds

First Pitch

When: Saturday, July 27 at 7:10 p.m. EST

Where: Guaranteed Rate Field, Chicago

Starting Pitchers: Bryan Woo, SEA (4-1, 2.54 ERA, 34 K’s) vs. Erick Fedde, CHW (7-3, 2.98 ERA, 104 K’s)

Public Bets: 83% on Seattle

Public Money: 92% on Seattle

Mariners vs. White Sox In-Season Trends

The last time Erick Fedde pitched against Seattle perfectly encapsulated the White Sox’s frustrations. Fedde pitched seven excellent innings, left with the lead…and proceeded to watch the Mariners score seven runs off the Chicago bullpen. Prior to that, it had been nothing but zeros on the board for Seattle, and that tends to be the case for several Mariners games. The M’s can’t hit most pitchers, but they can pitch and they can play defense.

Outside of that and Friday’s rout, the other three meetings this year have seen seven runs or less scored. The White Sox have basically managed to bunch their disasters against Seattle into three bad innings. For the year, Seattle has scored 18 runs in three innings off the White Sox and eight in the other 42.

Players to Watch

As awful as the White Sox have been, Fedde and Chris Flexen have been the bright spots on this roster. When Fedde takes the mound, the White Sox believe they actually have a chance, and the results show it. In his past seven starts, the Pale Hose are 3-4, and Fedde has held the opponent to two runs or less. Three of their four losses played to the under, and the fourth would have done it if not for the bullpen.

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With Julio Rodriguez injured, Josh Rojas becomes the next most likely Mariner to get a hit. And that speaks to just how weak this Seattle lineup is; Rojas has just three hits in his past 10 games.

The Prediction

The pitching should have the upper hand in this one. Seattle and Chicago are both very weak at the plate, and both have a strong pitching option on the hill. There’s a good case to be made for taking the first-five play and getting out, because the White Sox become much worse once Fedde gives up the ball.

But because it’s Seattle, there’s good reason to think that the Mariners won’t go crazy again. Chicago has beaten Seattle once this year, and three of the five meetings have stayed under the total. That’s where the value is.