Wednesday, September 30, 2020, Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, California, 3:10 p.m. ET
White Sox at A’s Betting Preview: White Sox (+110), Athletics (-126)
Chicago White Sox
The White Sox have a chance to quickly dispatch the A’s in Game 2 after a 4-1 win in the series opener Tuesday afternoon. Ace right-hander Lucas Giolito was terrific as he carried a perfect game into the seventh inning and earned a win in his first playoff start.
Chicago improved to 15-0 against left-handed starters this season with its Game 1 win, but nothing will come easy in Game 2. For one, the White Sox will face tough right-hander Chris Bassitt, who came up in their farm system before finding his rhythm with the A’s. Another factor to consider is that the A’s will be desperate to push the series to a decisive Game 3 instead of starting a long offseason.
The White Sox will turn to veteran left-hander Dallas Keuchel (6-2, 1.99 ERA) as they look to advance to the American League Division Series. Keuchel, who has logged 59 2/3 career innings in the postseason, came to Chicago as a free agent for the exact purpose of helping the White Sox take the next step toward becoming a World Series contender.
Oakland A’s
The A’s had a great regular season, which they finished with 36 wins in 60 games, but now they find themselves fighting for their playoff life. They showed little life at the plate Tuesday in the series opener, and the bats better wake up fast for Oakland to force a winner-take-all Game 3 on its home field.
Oakland went 22-10 at home during the regular season, but Chicago looked quite comfortable in the cavernous stadium without the typically fervent A’s home crowd. If fans had been in attendance in Game 1, they surely would have been quiet for most of the contest as the A’s were left hitless until Tommy La Stella singled up the middle in the seventh inning.
Bassitt went 5-2 with a 2.29 ERA in 11 starts this season, and he issued 17 walks compared with 55 strikeouts in 63 innings. He is a cerebral pitcher and will need to stay focused to avoid leaving mistakes over the plate for the homer-happy White Sox.
White Sox at A’s Betting Pick for September 30, 2020
It’s an up-for-grabs game in an up-for-grabs series, but Oakland has too much talent and too much pride to go away in such a hurry. This has the feel of a three-game series, and the White Sox have not enjoyed the same success against right-handers as they have against southpaws this season. Look for Oakland to find a way to stay alive.
White Sox at A’s Betting Pick:
A’s 3, White Sox 2
White Sox at A’s Best Bet for September 30, 2020
Granted, an extra-innings game is not a slam dunk, but the odds are too good to pass up. Oakland led the majors with six extra-innings wins this season to go along with one extra-innings loss, and with the high stakes and talented teams involved, it would not be a surprise to see this game reach 10 innings or more. It’s worth a few bucks to guess that the drama spills past the ninth inning in Game 2.
White Sox at A’s Best Bet: YES on extra innings (+760)
–Field Level Media
