After back-to-back walk-off wins against the New York Yankees, the White Sox don’t get much time to breathe. Tampa Bay is next, and the assignment gets sharper from there with the trade deadline only a few days away.
Chicago heads into Tropicana Field at 57-51 to face a Rays club that has spent much of the year winning with contact, pressure and a pitching staff that can smother an offense. Tampa Bay comes in at 64-44, and with the Cleveland Guardians sitting just 2.0 games behind the AL Central lead, the White Sox can’t afford to let this weekend slip away.
The game is set for 6:10 PM CT and will be carried on CHSN, with ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM on the radio.
The White Sox are rolling out a lineup that looks more familiar against right-hander Nick Martinez. Sam Antonacci is back at the top, while Colson Montgomery slides into the cleanup spot after Randal Grichuk handled that role Thursday. Andrew Benintendi returns after a day off and will bat fifth while staying in the DH spot, and rookie Braden Montgomery remains in right field.
- Sam Antonacci, LF
- Munetaka Murakami, 1B
- Miguel Vargas, 3B
- Colson Montgomery, SS
- Andrew Benintendi, DH
- Braden Montgomery, RF
- Tristan Peters, CF
- Chase Meidroth, 2B
- Drew Romo, C
Braden Montgomery has cooled off a bit after opening the series with three hits and an RBI in the first two games. He’s 0-for-8 over the last two nights, though he’s still been much better since mid-July. The White Sox will be hoping this is just a brief dip, not the start of another long slide.
Behind the plate, Drew Romo gets the nod. Quero was in the lineup yesterday, but manager Will Venable has leaned toward Romo lately, using him in four of the last six games.
Tampa Bay’s lineup is built around making life messy for opposing defenses.
- Yandy Días, DH
- Jonathan Aranda, 1B
- Junior Caminero, 3B
- Cedric Mullins, LF
- Chandler Simpson, LF
- Victor Mesa Jr., RF
- Richie Palacios, 2B
- Taylor Walls, SS
- Hunter Feduccia, C
The Rays have the lowest whiff rate in baseball, the fewest strikeouts, and the second-best team batting average in the league at .259. They’re not going to overwhelm anyone with power, but they keep the ball moving and make the defense earn every out. For Chicago, that means the infield has to be clean from the first pitch on.
The pitching matchup adds another layer. Erick Fedde could be making his last start for the White Sox, with the club widely expected to add starting pitching before the deadline. Fedde has been solid overall with a 4.25 ERA, but he’s allowed a combined five earned runs across his last two outings, and he’s had trouble consistently working past 4.0 innings.
Across the diamond, Nick Martinez has been excellent for Tampa Bay. He’s 10-2 with a 2.45 ERA and doesn’t pile up strikeouts, but he gets weak contact by getting hitters to chase his off-speed pitches. He also doesn’t hand out many free passes, carrying a walk rate of just 4.2 percent.
That leaves the White Sox with a clear task: stay locked in, find the pitches they can drive, and make the most of the few mistakes Martinez gives them.
In Other News...
Rays May Be Closing In On The Deadline Move Fans Want
With the MLB Trade Deadline closing in on Aug. 3, the Rays are once again in the familiar position of weighing whether a modest roster tweak is enough or whether this is the time to make a more meaningful push. The front office, led by Eric Neander, is looking at ways to support a team still in the mix for both the division race and a longer October run, and that usually means balancing present need against the kind of future value Tampa Bay never likes to give away lightly.
One area getting attention is the outfield, even with Chandler Simpson and Cedric Mullins helping to steady that group. The question now is whether the Rays see enough there to stand pat or whether they decide a deeper bench and another bat are worth pursuing before the deadline passes, especially if the market starts to open up in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Angels Could Face A Brutal Deadline Decision On A Core Young Bat
The Rays are expected to be active as the trade deadline approaches, and shortstop is one area that could draw their attention even though the position is not a glaring defensive problem. Tampa Bay can cover the spot with glove-first options, but the lineup could use more production there, which is why the market for an upgrade is worth watching.
One name that has surfaced as a possible fit is a young Angels infielder who has given Los Angeles real offensive value this season. The asking price would not be light, especially for a player with years of team control left, but that kind of profile can tempt a club like the Rays if it believes the bat is strong enough to justify moving premium prospect capital. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Deadline Approach Just Took A Very Intriguing Turn
The trade deadline picture around the league has gotten crowded in a hurry, and that usually pushes a team like the Rays into the middle of everything. With so many clubs still hanging around the playoff race, the market is tilted toward buyers, which makes proven talent harder to pry loose and raises the value of any organization with the kind of prospect depth Tampa Bay has built up over time. Recent moves around the league, including deals involving Curtis Mead, Logan OHoppe, Chase Silseth and AJ Minter, only underline how active this stretch has already been.
For the Rays, the bigger question is how aggressive they want to be as they try to add help without draining the system that keeps them competitive year after year. Their farm is strong enough to draw interest from other teams, and that gives Tampa Bay real flexibility if it decides to chase upgrades in several spots. The challenge now is matching that leverage against a market where contenders are still holding on, and where one of the biggest names potentially available may never actually get moved. [Read more 🡒]