Here are your pitching matchups for this weekend's three-game series between the White Sox (49-49) and the Oakland Athletics (38-63) at Guaranteed Rate Field:
Friday, 7:10 p.m.: Lance Lynn (1-3, 6.43 ERA) vs. James Kaprielian (1-5, 4.74 ERA)
Saturday, 6:15 p.m.: Johnny Cueto (4-4, 2.89 ERA) vs. Paul Blackburn (6-6, 4.35 ERA)
Sunday, 1:10 p.m.: Dylan Cease (10-4, 2.03 ERA) vs. TBA
Oakland comes into Chicago with the sorriest record in the American League, but don't be fooled into thinking this will be an easy series for the Sox.
The A's have won three in a row and seven of their past 10, and they inexplicably swept the AL West-leading Houston Astros in their last series. So, for whatever reason, Oakland is playing well right now and cannot be taken lightly. The Sox need at least two out of three here.
But the bigger issue for the Sox is they simply must start playing better at home. In 2021, the Sox had the best home record in the AL at 53-28. That advantage has disappeared this season, as the Sox have gone 21-27.
In their 48 home games this season, the Sox are slashing .241/.302/.365. Their .667 OPS at home ranks 27th in baseball. And the pitching staff has compiled a 4.59 ERA at home, which is more than a full run higher than their road ERA (3.48).
This season, the Sox have played like a bottom-five team at home, and that's a big reason why they find themselves stuck at .500 and in third place.
The next six games are at home, against last-place Oakland and last-place Kansas City. If the poor home performance doesn't change now, it probably never will.
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