2019 MLB – Cleveland Indians @ Chicago White Sox Preview & Prediction

THE FACTS

When is Cleveland Indians @ Chicago White Sox taking place? Wednesday 25th September, 2019 – 01:10 (UK)

Where is Cleveland Indians @ Chicago White Sox taking place? Guaranteed Rate Field

What is the expected weather for Cleveland Indians @ Chicago White Sox? Partly cloudy, 22c

What television channel is Cleveland Indians @ Chicago White Sox on? BT Sport 1 in the UK / SportsTime Ohio, WGN, ESPN in the US

Where can I stream Cleveland Indians @ Chicago White Sox? BT Sport subscribers can stream the match live via the BT Sport website or app in the UK / WatchESPN, MLB.tv in the US

Where can I get tickets for Cleveland Indians @ Chicago White Sox? https://www.mlb.com/tickets/season-tickets

What was the outcome in the last meeting? Cleveland Indians 1 – 7 Chicago White Sox

THE TEAM NEWS

CLEVELAND INDIANS

• The Indians remain alive in the race for one of the two American League Wild Card spots, but no one can criticise them due to their recent form. Cleveland are 4-1 in their last five games, and 7-3 over their last 10. Prior to this game, they are tied with the Tampa Bay Rays for the second AL Wild Card spot.
  
• Jose Ramirez and Christian Arroyo could be back ahead of this game. Danny Salazar could return in the playoffs, while Corey Kluber and Jason Kipnis won’t play until mid-October at the earliest. One player to keep an eye on for the Indians should be Francisco Lindor, who is hitting an impressive .316 in 19 at-bats in his career against White Sox’s starter, Hector Santiago.
• Mike Clevinger will get the start for the Indians here. The right-hander is 12-3 with a 2.54 this season, but he has looked even better since the beginning of July where he has gone 11-1 with a 1.89 ERA and 124 strikeouts in 95 innings. He has been one of the best pitchers in the American League over the past three months.

CHICAGO WHITE SOX

• The White Sox are 3-2 over their last five games but only 4-6 over their last 10 outings. Their record shouldn’t matter much now, however, as they are already eliminated from playoff contention.
  
• No fresh injury concerns for the White Sox here, as the players that are injured – such as Lucas Giolito, Jon Jay, Michael Kopech and Carlos Rodon – are all out for the season. One player to watch here for the White Sox should be Eloy Jimenez, who recently became the youngest player in franchise history to reach 30 home runs in a season.
• Hector Santiago will get the nod for the White Sox in this game. He will make his third start of the season although he also had 15 previous appearances off the bullpen. The lefty is 0-1 with a 5.79 ERA as a starter, but 1-1 with a 5.65 ERA overall. He has been slightly better when working as a reliever.

THE PREDICTION

Playing for something in the final week of the regular season means a great deal in MLB, and that should be the case here since the Indians know they must win this game if they want to keep their Wild Card dreams alive. They also have a huge advantage in the pitching department, so they should be able to get the job done in this one.