The White Sox are trying to shake off Friday’s rough loss to Cleveland and even up the series, and they’re doing it with a familiar lefty-heavy look against right-hander Gavin Williams.
Chicago’s lineup starts with Sam Antonacci in left field leading off, followed by Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery in the top four. Andrew Benintendi is fifth as the designated hitter, with Braden Montgomery hitting sixth and Tristan Peters seventh in center. Chase Meidroth is down in the eight spot at second base, and Drew Romo is behind the plate.
The placement of Meidroth stands out. He has been scorching over the last month, and his recent production makes the eighth spot feel out of place. Over his last 15 games, Meidroth has hit .308/.413/.615 with four home runs, and he has clearly become one of the more dangerous bats in this lineup.
Vargas, meanwhile, has done damage against Williams before. He has a home run and four RBIs in eight at-bats against him, and Benintendi also has previous experience against the Cleveland starter.
Romo’s bat has been a problem lately, though, and the numbers are hard to ignore. In his last 30 games, he has slashed .099/.144/.165 with 29 strikeouts in 91 at-bats. With Joey Bart out long-term, the White Sox need Romo to find something soon.
Cleveland counters with a lineup that looks a little different without José Ramírez. Steven Kwan leads off in center field, followed by Jo Adell, Chase DeLauter and Angel Martínez. Rhys Hoskins hits fifth, with Brayan Rocchio sixth, Travis Bazzana seventh, Austin Hedges eighth and Angel Genao ninth.
The Guardians are also bringing Bazzana back after he missed Friday’s game. The rookie got off to a strong start this season, but he has hit .230/.333/.336 over his last 30 games.
Anthony Kay gets the start for Cleveland, and it’s his first outing against the White Sox since the Trade Deadline. He was excellent in his last start, working 6.1 scoreless innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. Over his last seven starts, Kay owns a 3.48 ERA.
Williams has been one of the engines behind Cleveland’s pitching success this season. He enters with a 3.56 ERA in 23 starts and 178 strikeouts in 139 innings.
In his last outing against the Arizona Diamondbacks, he allowed one hit in 5.2 shutout innings and struck out 10. He has now punched out 10 or more batters in each of his last five starts, so Chicago will need to stay disciplined and avoid the chase game if it wants to get this one.
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