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White Sox Try to Snap Streak vs Twins

Best, Worst in AL Central Collide

The Chicago White Sox try to avoid a third straight loss when they face the host Minnesota Twins in the first of a three-game series between American League Central rivals on Monday. The first pitch for the series opener is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET at Target Field in Minneapolis.

Chicago dropped the last two games of its weekend series at Detroit, including a 6-5 setback on Sunday. The White Sox fell to 49-34 but are still in first place in the AL Central, leading the second-place Cleveland Indians by six games and the third-place Tigers by 11½ games.

White Sox at Twins MLB Pick Jul 07
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images/AFP

Minnesota snapped a five-game losing streak with a 6-2 win over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday. The Twins improved to 34-48 but are in last place in the AL Central, trailing the fourth-place Royals by a half-game and the third-place Tigers by three games.

If you want to bet on this game, the MLB odds have the White Sox with a moneyline of -110, while the Twins are listed at even odds. The over/under for the series opener is set at 10 runs.

Can’t Get Going

Just when it looks like the White Sox are ready to go on a long winning streak, they trip up and lose a few in a row. They followed a series victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in mid-June with five straight losses, then went from a five-game winning streak to the current two-game slide.

Right-hander Dylan Cease will try to get Chicago back on the winning track when he makes his 17th start. Cease is 7-3 with a 3.75 ERA, recording 103 strikeouts and 35 walks in 81.2 innings.

Cease faced the Twins in his last start on Wednesday, going six innings and allowing two runs on three hits, including two home runs, while striking out seven and walking three. He went 4-2 with a 5.04 ERA in six starts in June, with the two losses coming when he allowed six runs in each game.

First baseman Jose Abreu hit his 14th home run on Sunday, tying for the team lead. The reigning AL MVP is tied for fourth in the majors with 61 RBIs, hitting .250 and adding 12 doubles, one triple and 42 runs scored.

Catcher Yasmani Grandal also has 14 home runs, though he’s batting just .190 with 62 strikeouts in 179 at-bats. Shortstop Tim Anderson is batting .298 with 15 doubles, six home runs, 28 RBIs and a team-high 48 runs scored.

Solid Performance

The Twins were missing Nelson Cruz (stiff neck) and Josh Donaldson (hamstring) on Sunday, but it didn’t matter as Kenta Maeda was on his game. Maeda struck out a season-high 10 and allowed just two hits over six scoreless innings to lead Minnesota to a much-needed win.

“That’s the Kenta we’ve seen a lot of. It’s a marvelous outing, and I think he got stronger as he went on,” Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said after Sunday’s win. “I think physically he felt excellent, and his stuff was really kicking up.”

Hoping to follow up that performance with a solid outing himself will be rookie Bailey Ober, making his seventh major league start. Ober is 0-1 with a 5.84 ERA, striking out 26 and walking six over 24.2 innings.

The 25-year-old right-hander took his first major league loss against the White Sox on Wednesday, lasting 3.1 innings and giving up five runs on four hits, including three home runs. Ober has struggled over his last two starts, going a total of 7.2 innings and allowing nine runs and four home runs.

The Twins are hoping to have Cruz back in the lineup for the series opener after he was a late scratch on Sunday. The 41-year-old designated hitter is the team leader in home runs (18), batting average (.306), and RBIs (45). Cruz is 11th in baseball with his batting average and tied for 16th in the majors in home runs.

Shortstop Jorge Polanco hit his 10th home run in Sunday’s win. He’s batting .253 with a team-best 18 doubles, one triple, 34 RBIs, and a team-high 46 runs scored.

Series Outlook

The White Sox swept the Twins in a three-game series in Chicago last week, raising their record against Minnesota to 8-1 this season. Chicago took two of three from the Twins in Minneapolis in mid-May.

A pair of All-Stars will be starting for the White Sox for the rest of the series, with Carlos Rodon (6-3, 2.37 ERA) and Lance Lynn (8-3, 2.02) scheduled on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. The Twins will counter with Jose Berrios (7-2, 3.52) and J.A. Happ (4-4, 6.09).

The series prices for this divisional clash have the White Sox as the favorites at even money, while the Twins are listed at +130.

White Sox Win Opener

Chicago has been up and down, but it has had no trouble with the Twins. The White Sox want to head into the All-Star break on a roll and it starts against last-place Minnesota on Monday.

When making your MLB picks, take Chicago to get the win on the road.

Pick: Chicago White Sox -110

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