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Boston Red Sox vs Chicago White Sox Series Preview

By Sean Penney

Apr 8, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox left fielder Brock Holt (12) is greeted at home plate by shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) after hitting a grand slam home run against Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 8, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Red Sox left fielder Brock Holt (12) is greeted at home plate by shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2) after hitting a grand slam home run against Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /
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Previewing the three game series between the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox.

The two teams with the top records in the American League are about to collide.

The Boston Red Sox (15-10) enter the day with a slim half-game lead in the AL East, as they head to Chicago to take on a White Sox (18-8) team that has the best record in the league. Both teams have won 8 of their last 10 games and they are also the top teams in the league in terms of run differential.

The Red Sox are fresh off of a three game sweep of the New York Yankees over the weekend, which wrapped up a quick 5-game homestand. Boston has now won each of their last three series.

Chicago split a four game series with the Baltimore Orioles over the weekend, so they actually did the Red Sox a favor by allowing them to leap over their division rivals into the top spot in the AL East.

Pitching Matchups

Tuesday, May 3 @ 8:10 PM: Steven Wright (2-2, 1.37 ERA) vs Jose Quintana (3-1, 1.47 ERA)

Wednesday, May 4 @ 8:00 PM: Clay Buchholz (0-3, 6.51 ERA) vs John Danks (0-4, 7.25 ERA)

Thursday, May 5 @ 8:10 PM: Henry Owens (0-0, 4.82 ERA) vs Carlos Rodon (1-3, 4.33 ERA)

Series Notes

  • The Red Sox lead the league in runs scored with 134, despite being tied for last with 21 home runs. Part of the reason why is that they lead the league in doubles (67) and triples (9) by a significant margin. Boston also leads in batting average (.285) and OPS (.799).
  • Boston activated right-handed reliever Carson Smith from the 15-day disabled list prior to Tuesday’s game. Infielder Marco Hernandez has been optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket to clear room on the roster.
  • Pablo Sandoval will undergo shoulder surgery that is expected to sideline him through the rest of the season. This could also potentially spell the end of the Panda’s tenure with the Red Sox.
  • The White Sox have the league’s best starting rotation this season, with a trio of pitchers that rank near the top of the league in ERA: Quintana (1.47 ERA), Chris Sale (1.66 ERA) and Mat Latos (1.84 ERA). Luckily for the Red Sox, they’ll avoid two out of the three in this series.

Key Hitters

Red Sox: Xander Bogaerts

2016 (24 Games): .306/.376/.439, 11 extra-base hits, 11 RBI
Career vs White Sox (15 Games): .273/.359/.327, 1 HR, 5 RBI

Bogaerts has picked up right where he left off last season, ranking at or near the top of most offensive categories at the shortstop position. Over his last 6 games he’s hitting a team-leading .417, while collecting 5 walks and 3 doubles. He has already produced a 1.3 WAR this season, which ranks 12th in the league.

Next: Sandoval still an asset

White Sox: Todd Frazier

2016 (26 Games): .220/.295/.460, 7 HR, 17 RBI
Career vs Red Sox (4 Games): .267/.333/.400, 2 extra-base hits, 3 RBI

Chicago’s prized offseason acquisition has struggled to keep his batting average above the Mendoza Line, but he hasn’t let them down in the power department, which is what they targeted him for. Frazier is tied for third in the league in home runs and and tenth in RBI.

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