This is the most crucial series in terms of potential direction at the 8/2 trade deadline. I am putting up my 9-5 .643 Game Thread record on the line, and looking to run it up on a massive hot streak to propel the White Sox into First Place in the American League Central Division before I pass the baton.

Projected Starters:

Oakland: James Kaprielian (RHP) Age 28; Career fWAR 0.6; 197 IP; 9-10; 4.39 ERA; 176 K 76 BB; 34 HR

• 2022 Record 74 IP; 1-5; 4.74 ERA; 49 K 34 BB; 4 HR
• Career Splits vs. Chicago: 1 2021 Start, 4 IP; .782 OPS; 2.25 ERA; 4 K 2 BB; 0 HR

Chicago: Lance Lynn (RHP) Age 35; Career fWAR 29.6; 1,625 2/3 IP; 116-80; 3.56 ERA; 1,632 K 584 BB; 159 HR

• 2022 Record 42 IP; 1-3; 6.43 ERA; 41 K 10 BB; 7 HR
• Career Splits vs. Oakland: 8 Starts (2019 4; 2020 3; 2021 1) 44 IP; .710 OPS; 3.68 ERA; 60 K 16 BB; 5 HR

Current Game Time NOAA Weather Forecast: 76 F & Heat Index; NNW 9 MPH Winds (blowing out) with gusts up to 15 MPH, all three decreasing over 3 hours.

White Sox fans talk about adding a sixth starter this deadline to help manage Kopech's workload. An argument can also be made for helping the rest of the staff get through 2022 after the shortened Spring Training and also various injuries the staff has suffered,

Tony La Russa went with Lance Lynn in Game 1 in the 2021 ALDS, in part, because he felt Lance was the best pitcher to pitch on short rest. However, during Lance's first 1 2/3 seasons here, and during his career, he has pitched far more effectively with extra rest.

Lance Lynn will be coming off of five days rest for his start tomorrow.

2022

• 4 Days Rest 5 GS; 0-3; 9.72 ERA (Includes 6/13 start after 4 days rest between minor league rehab start and first MLB start)
• 5 Days Rest 1 GS; 0-0; 0.00 ERA
• 6 Days Rest 2 GS; 1-0; 2.45 ERA

2021

• 4 Days Rest 11 GS; 5-3; 3.38 ERA
• 5 Days Rest 8 GS; 4-1; 1.99 ERA
• 6 + Days Rest 9 GS; 2-2; 2.45 ERA

Career

• 4 Days Rest 138 GS; 58-46; 3.83 ERA
• 5 Days Rest 90 GS; 37-23; 3.43 ERA
• 6 + Days Rest 43 GS; 18-9; 3.09 ERA

A sweep this weekend would be dandy. 

Probables:

Fri: Lynn vs. Kaprielian (RHP)

Sat: Cueto vs. Blackburn (RHP)

Sun: Cease vs. TBD (likely RHP)

I see it coming....we win just enough to create false illusion we still can sneak in playoffs, so we trade what little trading chips w have in the farm for a past his prime vet who will do nothing for us. Its the White Sox way

People looking at Oakland as being a soft opponent because of their 29th best record (Washington 30th) should be aware the A's are coming off of a sweep of Houston, the first team able to sweep the Astros this season.

Hopefully the Sox are bringing their A Game, and Robert can return over the next several days. The smaller OF to cover will certainly help until he is able to return.

2 hours ago, South Side Hit Men said:

People looking at Oakland as being a soft opponent because of their 29th best record (Washington 30th) should be aware the A's are coming off of a sweep of Houston, the first team able to sweep the Astros this season.

I get what you're saying, but its funny how quickly this easy schedule ends up with all these caveats.

Orioles: Well, they're not as bad as we thought

Rockies: They're a better team at home

Royals: They're always annoying to play

 

FWIW this says way more about the Sox and how low their bar is than it does anything about their opponents.

1 hour ago, Snopek said:

I get what you're saying, but its funny how quickly this easy schedule ends up with all these caveats.

Orioles: Well, they're not as bad as we thought

Rockies: They're a better team at home

Royals: They're always annoying to play

 

FWIW this says way more about the Sox and how low their bar is than it does anything about their opponents.

Posters on this board do a lot more "explaining away" good Sox wins than they do excusing bad Sox losses, actually.  Series wins against Tampa don't really count.  Dominating the Yankees in a doubleheader sweep in Yankee stadium doesn't really count.  Sweeping the Red Sox in Fenway doesn't really count because they weren't winning at the time, and so on. 

Losing to a bad team proves we're bad.  Beating a good team proves that even good teams can have bad series, don't get too excited.  So at a minimum, it all evens out. 

You win series from here in out and you win the division.

Start with 2 of 3 from Oakland or all 3

2 of 3 from KC

3 of 4 from Texas 

Then you build......

 

Why does luis need to go on a rehab assignment for light headedness. Smh

Quote

Statistically, the pen ranks toward the lower-third of the league. They rank 20th in ERA (4.07), 20th in WHIP (1.33) and 19th in walks (152). Given some of the underwhelming performances of some of the starters, the bullpen is only making things worse.  

According to reports, however, the Sox understand the issue and are working hard to resolve the problem. Reports from MLB.com reporter Mark Feinsand say that the White Sox, Guardians and Twins are "among the most aggressive teams in the pitching market right now."

 

https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/white-sox/report-white-sox-among-most-aggressive-teams-pitching-market

Quite remarkable. I suppose desperation is a stinky cologne, but good money after bad is what this team does really well. Why not sell out some more future talent because of the way this team was built? That's the Chicago way.

5 minutes ago, Chick Mercedes said:

Quite remarkable. I suppose desperation is a stinky cologne, but good money after bad is what this team does really well. Why not sell out some more future talent because of the way this team was built? That's the Chicago way.

Didn't expect your article (Sox are 20th in Bullpen), as it's the one area they are strong in terms of  fWAR across their bullpen.

• Team Batting: 19th
• Team Fielding: 28th

• Team Pitching: 14th
• Team Starting Pitching: 14th
• Team Relief Pitching: 9th

 

7 hours ago, Snopek said:

I get what you're saying, but its funny how quickly this easy schedule ends up with all these caveats.

Orioles: Well, they're not as bad as we thought

Rockies: They're a better team at home

Royals: They're always annoying to play

 

FWIW this says way more about the Sox and how low their bar is than it does anything about their opponents.

The Sox make bad teams look good.  Every opponent know the Sox don;t hustle on the bases or on a hit to the outfield and just bad at fundamentals.    

It would be nice/cool/interesting/sad if the Sox, Twins, Guardians are all 52-49 after this weekend.

Its interesting to note what a real mlb lineup is doing to that Rockies vaunted pitching staff tonight!

We suck!

1 hour ago, flavum said:

It would be nice/cool/interesting/sad if the Sox, Twins, Guardians are all 52-49 after this weekend.

Wouks love to see Twins get swept. 

11 hours ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Why does luis need to go on a rehab assignment for light headedness. Smh

I was wondering the same thing

If we want any hope of a sweep, then the offense needs to wake the fuck up and start hitting some homers.  That COL series was an absolute shit show in that regard.

https://www.espn.com/mlb/preview?gameId=401355721

LINE: White Sox -204, Athletics +171; over/under is 8 1/2 runs

Updated weather forecast: 

• 7 PM Temp: 77 F Wind: 9 MPH NW
• 10 PM Temp: 71 F Wind: 5 MPH NW

Every series for the past 6 series has been a “crucial series”. They don’t give a fuck. 

8 minutes ago, ShoeLessRob said:

Every series for the past 6 series has been a “crucial series”. They don’t give a fuck. 

Perhaps, but this is the last one they can  use to influence whether they can add any additional help, or on the flippity flip and likely more prudent scenario, stand pat or event start selling off the end of the line costly poorly performing veterans they have been accumulating the past three seasons. 

I think I forgot to encourage the team to strive mightily to win that Wednesday game. So let’s strive mightily to win this game and series 

23 minutes ago, elrockinMT said:

I think I forgot to encourage the team to strive mightily to win that Wednesday game. So let’s strive mightily to win this game and series 

I'm not sure about the winning part, but I'm pretty sure that you forgot to tell Graveman to strive mightily to not walk the bases loaded to start the 9th.  But I don't blame YOU.

the death march to 82 wins continues.

This team has made me so pessimistic. I used to be such a happy go lucky guy when it comes to my Sox. Now I just yell at the tv.