American League contenders are set to clash tonight at Tropicana Field. The White Sox (57-51) eked out two straight extra-inning wins over the Yankees. Now, this up and coming squad will attempt to keep it going against a loaded Rays (64-44) squad. Owners of the AL\u2019s best record, Tampa Bay is hoping to make a statement in this potential postseason preview.<\/p>\n
The Rays are favorites (-137)<\/a> over the White Sox, with the over\/under set at 8.5 runs<\/a>. Below, I\u2019ve laid out my preview, prediction, and best bet for Friday\u2019s showdown between Chicago and Tampa Bay on DraftKings Sportsbook<\/a>.<\/p>\n White Sox vs. Rays pick, best bet today<\/p>\n White Sox vs. Rays under 8.5 runs (-124)<\/a>: The White Sox have been a mess at the plate throughout July. As for the Rays, they haven\u2019t performed well offensively against southpaws. Add it all up, and taking the under tonight makes sense.<\/p>\n White Sox vs. Rays prediction, preview<\/p>\n Chicago\u2019s greatest strength is at the plate, not on the mound. Toeing the slab for the visitors tonight will be Erick Fedde, a capable but limited hurler. Through 97.1 innings of work (11 starts), he\u2019s notched a 4.25 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 68 strikeouts (6.3 K\/9). However, a semi-decent ERA is about the only thing working in the veteran\u2019s favor. He sits below the tenth percentile among qualified starters in chase rate (23.9%), whiff rate (18.1%) and strikeout rate (16.1%). Length has been Fedde\u2019s biggest issue; he\u2019s tossed less than 5.0 innings in six of his previous eight outings.<\/p>\n Tampa Bay\u2019s offense is decent, ranking 15th in runs (481), third in batting average (.259) and fifth in on-base percentage (.330). However, this lineup is the most top-heavy of any title contender. Three different batters on the active roster have a wRC+ above 120, headlined by Junior Caminero (149 wRC+). However, only one other position player with 200+ plate appearances (Johny De Luca) surpasses the 100 wRC+ threshold. It\u2019s also worth mentioning that the Rays own the tenth-worst OPS against left-handed pitching (.692).<\/p>\n As for the home team, it\u2019ll be Nick Martinez on the bump tonight. It\u2019s been a career year for the 35-year-old, among the American League\u2019s best in several traditional categories. Over 117.2 innings pitched (20 starts), he\u2019s produced a 2.45 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 67 strikeouts (5.1 K\/9). To boot, the crafty veteran paces all of baseball with a 1.5 BB\/9 ratio. Granted, there\u2019s no question that Martinez has gotten somewhat lucky this season. He ranks within the fourth percentile in whiff rate (17.8%) and strikeout rate (14.2%), all while sporting a mediocre 4.34 xERA. Still, at this point in the season, Martinez is doing something right. He\u2019s been fantastic over 11 appearances at Tropicana Field (2.78 ERA).<\/p>\n Taking care of Chicago\u2019s lineup could prove difficult. After all, the AL Central leaders are eighth in runs (516) and sixth in home runs (139). Standout slugger Munetaka Murakami (154 wRC+) leads an exciting young core of position players. With all that being said, this group has fallen on hard times in recent weeks. During the month of July, the White Sox have posted the fifth-worst OPS in the majors (.663). The South Siders have scored two runs or fewer in three of their last six contests.<\/p>\n