MLB · Fri, Jun 12 · 7:40 PM

Dodgers at White Sox

O/U 9 · RL Dodgers -1.5 · Rate Field

Gary's pick

Dodgers ML-172

CONF 72%

Result

LLostFinal 2-8

The read

A gorgeous summer evening in Chicago sets the stage for a high-stakes interleague clash at Rate Field, where the division-leading Los Angeles Dodgers look to halt the surging Chicago White Sox. While Chicago has been nearly unbeatable at home this season, carrying a stellar 22-11 home record, this matchup presents a glaring structural vulnerability on the mound that the Dodgers are perfectly positioned to exploit. White Sox starter Anthony Kay comes in with a shiny 5-1 record and a 4.40 ERA, but his underlying metrics show that the market is overpaying for a fragile number. Kay’s 5.88 xERA indicates massive regression is on the horizon, largely driven by his catastrophic platoon splits against right-handed hitters, who are batting .300 with a .898 OPS against him.

The Dodgers have designed a lineup specifically engineered to trigger this regression, stacking six right-handed bats, including Mookie Betts and Andy Pages. This tactical alignment is amplified by the weather conditions tonight, with a warm 79°F temperature and a 13 mph wind blowing directly out to left field. For a fly-ball leaning pitcher like Kay, throwing to a righty-heavy lineup pulling balls into a 13 mph wind is a recipe for a multi-home run disaster. In stark contrast, Dodgers starter Roki Sasaki has been in sensational form, posting a dominant 1.48 ERA over his last four starts. Sasaki's elite splitter and slider—carrying 35.1% and 46.3% whiff rates respectively—will neutralize the White Sox's high-volatility lineup, which has recently struggled with swing-and-miss.

The strongest argument against Los Angeles is their fatigued bullpen and the fresh state of the White Sox relief corps. With top arms like Tanner Scott and Will Klein heavily worked yesterday, the Dodgers are vulnerable if Sasaki has a short outing. However, Sasaki is pitching like a frontline ace and possesses the elite stuff to carry this game deep. Supported by a premier defense that leads the majors with 51 Defensive Runs Saved, Sasaki has the safety net required to limit damage even if some fly balls find the outfield gaps. Despite the absences of Shohei Ohtani and Will Smith, the Dodgers' right-handed stack and starting pitching edge are too overwhelming to pass up. Lay the price on the superior starting pitcher and tactical matchup.

Injuries noted

White Sox: [NEW] Jordan Hicks (RP) — Lat (Right): Hicks (lat) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports. (Jun 12 — 0d ago) [NEW] Noah Schultz (SP) — Knee (Right): Schultz (knee) threw a bullpen session Wednesday, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports. (Jun 11 — 0d ago) [NEW] Tyler Gilbert (RP) — Shoulder (Left): The White Sox placed Gilbert on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a left shoulder impingement. (Jun 10 — 2d ago) [NEW] Austin Hays (LF) — Calf (Left): Hays has been pulled off his rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte due to a recurrence of left calf soreness, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports. (Jun 9 — 3d ago) [KNOWN] Kyle Teel (Catcher) — Knee (Right): Teel (hamstring) has begun hitting off a tee and doing catching drills, MLB.com reports. (Jun 6 — 6d ago) [KNOWN] Munetaka Murakami (1B) — Hamstring (Right): White Sox manager Will Venable said Monday that Murakami (hamstring) stayed back in Chicago during the team's road trip and was given a platelet-rich plasma injection, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports. (Jun 1 — 10d ago) [KNOWN] Jordan Leasure (RP) — Forearm (Right): Leasure (forearm) said Friday that he will be shut down from throwing for four weeks, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports. (May 30 — 13d ago) [KNOWN] Mike Vasil (Starting Pitcher) — Elbow (Right): The White Sox transferred Vasil (elbow) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Tuesday. (May 8 — 35d ago) [KNOWN] Tanner Murray (2B) — Shoulder (Left): The White Sox transferred Murray (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Monday. (May 8 — 35d ago) [KNOWN] Brooks Baldwin (Second Baseman) — Elbow (Right): The White Sox transferred Baldwin (elbow) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday. (May 8 — 35d ago) [KNOWN] Mike Clevinger (Starting Pitcher) — Knee (Right): Clevinger is expected to be sidelined for around six weeks after being diagnosed with an MCL sprain in his right knee, Jason Mackey of MLB.com reports. (May 8 — 35d ago) [KNOWN] Mike Tauchman (Right Fielder) — Knee (Left): Tauchman (knee) is still rehabbing at the Mets' spring training complex and has yet to resume baseball activities, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports. (May 18 — 25d ago) Dodgers: [KNOWN] Gavin Stone (Starting Pitcher) — Shoulder (Right): Dodgers manager Dave Roberts revealed Tuesday that Stone has been unable to ramp up his throwing without feeling soreness in his surgically repaired right shoulder, Cody Snavely of DodgersBeat.com reports. (Jun 3 — 9d ago) [KNOWN] Teoscar Hernandez (LF) — Hamstring (Left): Hernandez (hamstring) said Saturday that he expects to return from the injured list in about a month, Jack Harris of the California Post reports. (May 30 — 12d ago) [KNOWN] Enrique Hernandez (1B) — Oblique (Left): Hernandez is expected to be out for 6-to-8 weeks after sustaining a "significant tear" of his left oblique during Tuesday's 15-6 win over the Rockies, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. (May 28 — 15d ago) [KNOWN] Edwin Diaz (Relief Pitcher) — Elbow (Right): Diaz (elbow) is expected to start a throwing progression Tuesday or Wednesday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports. (May 25 — 17d ago) [KNOWN] Ben Casparius (Relief Pitcher) — Shoulder (Right): Casparius (shoulder) was moved to the 60-day injured list Monday. (May 18 — 24d ago) [KNOWN] Landon Knack (Starting Pitcher) — Chest (Not Specified): The Dodgers transferred Knack (chest) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday. (May 8 — 35d ago) [NEW] Justin Wrobleski (SP) — Hamstring (Right): Manager Dave Roberts said Thursday that Wrobleski (hamstring) is expected to be able to make his next start, Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times reports. (Jun 11 — 0d ago) [NEW] Shohei Ohtani (DH) — Knee (Left): Manager Dave Roberts indicated Ohtani (knee) has a strong chance to be in the starting lineup Friday against the White Sox, Jack Harris of the California Post reports. (Jun 11 — 0d ago) [NEW] Will Smith (C) — Neck (Not Specified): The Dodgers will place Smith (neck) on the 10-day injured list Thursday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports. (Jun 11 — 1d ago) [KNOWN] Brock Stewart (RP) — Foot (Left): Stewart (foot) threw to live hitters Saturday, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports. (Jun 7 — 5d ago) [KNOWN] Tyler Glasnow (SP) — Back (Not Specified): The Dodgers transferred Glasnow (back) to the 60-day injured list Saturday. (Jun 6 — 5d ago) [KNOWN] Blake Snell (SP) — Elbow (Left): Snell (elbow) began playing catch Friday, Sonja Chen of MLB.com reports. (Jun 5 — 6d ago)

Props on this game

4

Every pick posts before the game and is graded after, in public. In the app you can ride or fade any of them, and your book keeps score against Gary's.

Download on the App Store

Every MLB game this dayThe MLB recordToday's MLB board