@JoeyDuece22 and @SoCalBallNerd 2023 MLB Collaboration (3-2 Record)

The Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox finish off a three-game series today in Chicago. Each team has won one of the first two games.

This is all about White Sox starter Dylan Cease. He has been incredible to start the season. He has given up 3 hits or less in all three of his starts. He is striking out batters at a 34.8% rate and hitter are batting a measly .102 thus far. Cease has an ERA of 1.65 through the first three contests. Home field has been nice to Cease too. Last year hitters hit under .200 and had an on-base percentage of .262. This was in 18 home starts and in his one start against the Orioles at home, he pitched 7 innings with 13 strikeouts, 4 hits allowed, and 1 earned run (6 of those hitters are in the Orioles lineup today)

The O’s counter with rookie left-hander Grayson Rodriguez. He has thrown 9 1/3 innings with an ERA of 6.75. He allowed 2 early runs to the Texas Rangers and pitched alright to make it through five innings. His second outing against a mediocre Oakland Athletics offense was not good. The A’s scored early and often as Grayson lasted just 4 innings on 6 hits, 4 walks, and 5 earned runs allowed. Teams are hitting the ball hard off Rodriguez and they are line drive contact. Hard hit line drives tend to find open grass.

The play is Chicago White Sox F5 Run Line (Have the lead after 5 innings) White Sox are an average offense to start the year, but they do get on base at a higher clip than both the A’s and the Rangers. Five guys at the top who are all hitting over .275 at the plate, and Luis Robert Jr has 5 Home Runs through the first 15 games. Andrew Benintendi and Robert set the tone getting on base early, with Yasmani Grandal and Eloy Jimenez driving them in.

The Orioles offense has been above average through the first couple weeks and a lot of it has come in the 2nd half of the game. The bats tend to wake up after a few times through the order for this Baltimore club. The White Sox do currently have the worst bullpen ERA at 7.0+. Cease can be himself the first couple of times through the order and this Chicago lineup should manufacture a couple runs off Rodriguez through the first five frames. If the bullpen cannot hold the lead, it is not going to take us out! White Sox F5 Run Line (-105)

“Bet Only What You Can Afford To Lose”

-SoCal Ball Nerd