Chicago White Sox vs Minnesota Twins 8/21/18 Odds, Preview and Prediction

The Chicago White Sox and the Minnesota Twins continue their two city, three game series on Tuesday, August 21, 2018 at the Guaranteed Rate Field in Chicago, Illinois.

The White Sox will unveil their future as the highly touted Michael Kopech makes his Major League pitching debut in this contest.Said White Sox General Manager Rick Hahn about Kopech via the Chicago Tribune:

“We saw flashes earlier in the year. Obviously he’s always had the big fastball and the ability to put hitters away with that. We saw flashes earlier in the year when perhaps he didn’t quite have his fastball command and his secondary offerings were improving. But it really wasn’t until the last 7-8 starts it all came together.”

Prospect Kopech Gets Call

Michael Kopech was the Boston Red Sox’s 33rd overall pick in the 2014 MLB Draft and was part of the Chris Sale trade in 2016. The Mount Pleasant, Texas hurler had a 24-22 record in the minors. Kopech pitched a total of 395.2 innings in his minor league career and allowed 155 runs on 286 hits and 194 walks while fanning a grand total of 514 in 84 career games started. Kopech was 7-7 with and ERA of 3.05 in the AAA for Charlotte in 2018 but in his last 10 starts, his ERA was 2.14 and had 82 strikeouts in just 59 innings.

Kopech is known for his brain melting fastball. I mean there are pitchers who throw fast and then there are those who throw really, really fast. But there’s also Michael Kopech fast. The kid clocked a 105 in an actual minor league game in 2016 and he even recorded a 110 mph throw on a running start during a workout. We’ll get our first glimpse of that missile pitch in a Major League game on Tuesday.

For the White Sox, Jose Abreu has a homerun and a double against the Twins’ starting pitcher Jose Berrios but he’s gone 4-19 and has been struck out 8 times by the right hander. Matt Davidson has also struggled against Berrios, going 1-19 while striking out in nine at bats.

Berrios Slowing Down?

Jose Berrios will open the game on top of the hill for the Twins. The 24 year old native of Bayamon, Puerto Rico has started 25 games this season and has a record of 11-8. The right hander has a season ERA of 3.75 and a WHIP of 1.13. He leads the American League with 2 complete games this season and is 10th in the league in strikeouts with 157.

In his most recent start, Berrios did not factor in the game’s decision. He allowed four runs ( three earned ) on seven hits and two walks  while striking out four in just 3.2 innings pitched during Minnesota’s 6-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates last Wednesday 8/15/18.

That game was his shortest outing since April 29, 2018 and only the second time this season that Berrios did not get past four innings. Berrios has had a solid year but he appears to be showing signs of fatigue lately as he’s lasted fewer than five innings in three out of his last four starts while allowing an ERA of 5.59 over that period.

Jose Berrios has won all three of his starts against the White Sox this season while posting an ERA of 2.45 against Chicago. In his last start against the White Sox, Berrios threw a six hitter with 10 strikeouts for his second complete game of the season. The Twins won that contest 7-2.

Who Wins?

The Chicago White Sox are only 4-9 in their last 13 games at home and just 8-24 in their last 32 games played on a Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Twins have not lost in their last five Game 2s of a series.

Jose Berrios owned the White Sox this season, no question about that. But it’s not only this season that he’s dominated the White Sox. Berrios is 6-1 career against Chicago and has an ERA of 2.28 in seven starts. He has also won his last four overall against the White Sox and is 2-1 in Chicago.

In 22 innings pitched against the White Sox this season, Berrios has allowed just two walks and has fanned 23 over that period. Sure, he may look like he is slowing down but with his history of dominance over the White Sox, it would be foolish to bet against him. We’re picking the Minnesota Twins to beat the Chicago White Sox on 8/21/18.