Posted:
#26
@monkeebooger
Anytime. Glad we won. 
Cincinnati
Posted:
#29
Tigers vs. White Sox
This is another tough one. I’m still a little negative about how I went with the Tigers yesterday because, looking back at it, it was pretty clear that the White Sox were the play.
Moving on to today, the starting pitching advantage favors Chicago. Sean Burke has been pitching well, while Detroit is going with Drew Anderson, who typically only works a couple of innings. That essentially makes this a bullpen game for Detroit.
That brings up the biggest question for me: who does Detroit turn to for the bulk innings?
Ty Madden would make the most sense as the long-relief option because he has experience in that role. Enmanuel De Jesús or Jacob Waguespack could also potentially give them multiple innings. The problem is Detroit has already had to use quite a few bullpen arms in this series, so they don’t necessarily have an obvious fresh guy sitting there ready to give them four or five innings.
I don’t expect them to use Keider Montero because he’s lined up to start Tuesday.
If Detroit can navigate those middle innings and get a lead into the later innings, Kenley Jansen should be available, which gives them someone they can trust to close it out.
Chicago has almost the opposite problem. They have the better starting-pitching situation, which could help protect their bullpen, but their late-inning situation is questionable. Their main setup and closing options have been used heavily over the last couple of days. So if Chicago has a one- or two-run lead late, who is actually going to nail it down?
That’s what makes this game difficult.
Yesterday, a lot of the signs were pointing toward Chicago, and ultimately that was the right side. Today, some of those signs are pointing toward Chicago again—especially the starting-pitching advantage.
But there’s also the question: Do the White Sox really sweep Detroit in Detroit?
I don’t want to take the Tigers simply because I don’t think they’ll get swept. That’s not enough of a reason by itself.
What I’m Watching
The biggest thing for me is the line movement.
If Chicago starts taking money because of the obvious starting-pitching advantage, that makes sense. But if the market continues to hold Detroit around even money—or Detroit actually moves toward being the favorite despite Burke having the pitching advantage—that would get my attention.
Right now, I see it as:
Starting pitching: White Sox advantage
Bulk/middle relief: Question mark for Detroit
Late-inning bullpen: Potential Detroit advantage
Overall: Very close
For now, this is a pass and watch the line.
There’s no reason to force the game. Let’s see what the market does and whether it gives us a reason to get involved.
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