The Boston Red Sox will return home to start their final homestand of the 2023 season, beginning with a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox. The Red Sox are coming in off a series loss to the Texas Rangers in which they won one of the three games and were outscored 23-13. The White Sox are coming in off a series loss and coming against the Washington Nationals, in which they won one of their three games and were outscored 18-12. This season head-to-head, the Red Sox are 1-2 against the White Sox and were outscored 10-8.
Boston Red Sox (75-78) vs. Chicago White Sox (58-95)
Game 1:
Date: Friday, September 20
Time: 7:10 pm EST
Broadcast: NESN
Game 2:
Date: Saturday, September 21
Time: 4:10 pm EST
Broadcast: NESN
Game 3:
Date: Sunday, September 22
Time: 1:35 pm EST
Broadcast: NESN
Probable Starting Pitchers
Game 1: Chris Sale (6-4, 4.66 ERA) vs. Touki Toussaint (4-7, 5.40 ERA)
Sale will get the ball to start the series for the Red Sox. He is making his 19th start of the season, posting a 3.85 FIP, a 1.16 WHIP, a 1.4 HR/9, a 2.6 BB/9, and an 11.3 K/9. Sale’s last start, he looked good, going six innings of one-run ball on two hits; he walked two and struck out ten but ultimately did not factor in the decision against the Blue Jays, a game in which the Red Sox lost. In his career against his former team, Sale has made four starts, going 2-1 with a 3.96 ERA, a 1.20 WHIP, and a 14.0 K/9; he hasn’t faced the White Sox this season. Sale will be opposed by Touki Toussaint, who is making his 18th appearance for the White Sox and his 14th start; he posts a 5.15 FIP, a 1.43 WHIP, a 1.2 HR/9, a 5.8 BB/9, and a 9.5 K/9. In his career against the Red Sox, Toussaint has made one start going 0-1, giving up three earned runs on four hits in 4.2 innings; he walked two and struck out six.
Game 2: Nick Pivetta (9-9, 4.48 ERA) vs. Dylan Cease (7-8, 4.85 ERA)
Pivetta will get the middle game as he makes his 37th appearance and 15th start, his fourth start since returning to the rotation. He posts a 4.26 FIP, a 1.18 WHIP, a 1.6 HR/9, a 3.4 BB/9, and an 11.6 K/9. Over his last three starts, he posts a 3.99 FIP, a 1.10 WHIP, a 1.65 HR/9, a 1.65 BB/9, and an 11.6 K/9; he is 0-2 over those three starts, with his most recent coming Toronto in which he went 6.1 innings giving up two runs on four hits and striking out six. In his career against the White Sox, he has made seven appearances and four starts, going 1-0 with a 2.22 ERA, a 1.11 WHIP, and a 9.6 K/9; he has made one appearance against them this season, going 0.1 innings he did not allow a hit, a run, a walk or record a strikeout. Pivetta will face Dylan Cease, who is making his 32nd season start; he posts a 3.94 FIP, a 1.44 WHIP, a 1.0 HR/9, a 4.2 BB/9, and a 10.7 K/9. Cease has made four starts against the Red Sox, going 0-1 with a 9.98 ERA, a 2.28 WHIP, and a 13.5 K/9. Cease has not faced the Red Sox in 2023.
Game 3: Kutter Crawford (6-7, 4.19 ERA) vs. Mike Clevinger (8-8, 3.42 ERA)
Crawford will get the ball in the finale, making his 30th appearance and 22nd start of the season. He posts a 4.05 FIP, a 1.14 WHIP, a 1.3 HR/9, a 2.5 BB/9, and a 9.2 K/9. In his most recent start against the Rangers, he went six innings, giving up two runs on four hits; he didn’t issue a walk and struck out seven. In his career against Chicago, he has made one start, which came this season, going six innings, giving up four earned runs on five hits; he walked one and struck out four in the loss. Crawford will face Mike Clevinger, who is making his 23rd start for the White Sox; he posts a 4.07 FIP, a 1.18 WHIP, a 1.0 HR/9, a 2.8 BB/9, and a 7.9 K/9. Clevinger’s career against the Red Sox has made four starts going 0-1 with a 7.94 ERA, a 2.35 WHIP, and a 9.5 K/9.
Red Sox vs. White Sox Batting Leaders
Series Prediction
The 2023 season is ending, with only nine games left. The Red Sox have ultimately thrown in the towel this season and have lost Triston Casas and Jarren Duran, among others, for the season, so they are playing the kids to end the season. The White Sox have not been good this season either, and that’s justified by the stats given above on their pitching. This series will allow Red Sox fans to see Dylan Cease pitch, which many people around Boston want the Red Sox to acquire in the offseason. This is a series that if the bats show up and the pitching does what it can, the Red Sox should sweep, but the way they’ve played as of late, I’ll take them winning two out of three over the White Sox.
