White Sox vs Astros Expert Analysis, Picks & Score Prediction

Could Friday be the final start of the season for White Sox All-Star lefty Garrett Crochet? It might be as the team is planning to shut him down eventually.

The Pale Hose are big underdogs on the MLB odds in Houston, which starts a rookie pitcher of its own in Spencer Arrighetti.

Opening MLB Lines: Astros -180, White Sox +165 (total 8.5)
Score Prediction: Astros 5, White Sox 3

Chicago White Sox Moneyline +174

The White Sox (29-93) remain on track to break the MLB modern-day record of 120 losses set by the 1962 Mets. Manager Pedro Grifol was fired recently, and the team will finish the season under interim manager Grady Sizemore, although he’s not expected to get the full-time job. The Sox have lost 26 of their last 28 games, 29 of 32 and 32 of 37. They also have lost 32 series overall this year and are 7-58 when their opponent scores first in a game.

Gavin Sheets

Chicago actually stunned the Yankees 12-2 on Monday for only their second win since the All-Star break, but then reality set in and the Sox were beaten by multiple runs in the final two games. Sheets was the lone bright spot in Wednesday’s 10-2 loss as he was 2-for-4 with two RBIs. He snapped a 47-game homer drought with his solo shot in the second inning. Sheets has been heating up, going 13-for-24 (.542) with five doubles and six RBI during his six-game hitting streak. For the season, he’s slashing .234/.310/.379 with eight homers, and 37 RBI.

Dominic Leone

Reliever Leone (0-2, 6.63 ERA) was removed from Wednesday’s game against the Yankees due to right elbow soreness. Leone was only able to get through one-third of an inning before his elbow forced him out of the game, during which he gave up two earned runs on two hits and two walks.

Season to Forget

The bullpen has been truly horrific this year. Wednesday marked the White Sox’s 45th loss after leading this season, as they held a 2-1 advantage through six before the Yankees scored three in the seventh and six in the eighth. The Sox need to finish 14-26 to avoid the 1962 Mets’ mark of 120 losses. But judging Sizemore by wins and losses won’t be the best way to assess his impact.

Garrett Crochet on the Hill

It’s lefty ace Crochet on the mound here. Crochet (6-9, 3.65 ERA) took the loss last Friday as the White Sox fell 7-6 to the Cubs, coughing up seven runs on nine hits — including four home runs — over 2.1 innings. He struck out five without walking a batter. He generated 15 swinging strikes among his 67 pitches (45 total strikes), but Crochet got tattooed when he left the ball over the plate as he served up multiple homers for the first time since April 19.

The White Sox are trying to limit his workload over the final months of a lost season, but Crochet seems to be fading — he hasn’t worked more than four innings in any of his last six outings and has an 0-3 record, 6.98 ERA, 1.81 WHIP and 26:10 K:BB over 19.1 innings during that span to show for it. Crochet still leads the majors with 12.46 strikeouts per 9.0 IP (min. 120.2 IP) and ranks fifth with 167 strikeouts.

The first-year starter has surpassed his career innings total by 73.2 and has allowed 13 earned runs in 13.1 innings over his last four starts. Crochet faced Houston on June 9 at Guaranteed Rate Field and took the loss. He pitched six innings, allowing three runs and nine hits while striking out eight.

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Houston Astros Moneyline -208

The Astros got off to a very slow start this season, but are back in their usual spot of leading the AL West. They enter on an eight-game winning streak and impressive sweeps at the Red Sox and Rays – Houston took the finale against Tampa Bay on Wednesday, 2-1 in 10 innings, to finish their road trip at 8-1.

Jeremy Pena

Pena went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Wednesday’s win. Pena has found his power with three homers over the last four games. The shortstop is up to 12 homers on the year, including five since the All-Star break. He’s added a .278/.322/.405 slash line with 56 RBI, 61 runs scored and 13 stolen bases on the year.

Mauricio Dubón’s game-winning single off Garrett Cleavinger with two outs in the 10th Sunday was Houston’s first hit since Pena’s leadoff homer in the fifth inning. The Astros won a game with only two hits for the first time since Sept. 5, 2017, and it’s the first time in club history they did it in extra innings.

Josh Hader

Closer Hader (5-6) struck out three over two scoreless and hitless innings to earn the extra-inning win vs. the Rays. Bryan Abreu gave up the tying run in the eighth inning, but Hader was sterling in the ninth and 10th frames to extend his scoreless streak to 8.1 innings. He’s allowed just three runs over his last 15.1 innings, all of which came in a single appearance July 29 versus the Pirates. Hader is at a 3.48 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 82:18 K:BB while converting 26 of 27 save chances through 54.1 innings this season.

Kyle Tucker

All-Star outfielder Tucker has been out since June 7 with a right shin contusion but has started drills in the outfield, including short sprints, some side-to-side movements and fielding some fly balls hit off a fungo for the first time. He’s moving better, tolerating pain better and recovering better, manager Joe Espada said. At the time Tucker went on the IL on June 7, his .979 OPS was fourth in MLB behind Aaron Judge (1.080) and Juan Soto (1.027) of the Yankees and Marcell Ozuna of the Braves (1.000).

Spencer Arrighetti on the Hill

It’s rookie righty Arrighetti on the mound Friday. Arrighetti (5-10) earned the win against the Red Sox last Saturday, allowing two runs on two hits and one walk with 13 strikeouts over seven innings. The Ks were a career high, and he generated 21 swinging strikes on 92 pitches. The rookie’s 5.14 ERA and 1.45 WHIP are still not great, but he has logged four quality starts in his past five outings with a 43:9 K:BB across 31 innings.

Arrighetti pitched at the White Sox on June 20 and took a no-decision, allowing three runs in 4 1/3 innings. Arrighetti struggled with his control throughout the contest, as he issued four walks and threw 47-of-80 pitches for strikes.

The Astros won two of three games in the first meeting against the White Sox in June at Guaranteed Rate Field. The teams split a four-game set at Minute Maid Park to begin the 2023 season.

Bet White Sox at Astros MLB Odds

When: Friday, 8:10 PM ET
Where: Minute Maid Park
Pitchers (away/home): Garrett Crochet/Spencer Arrighetti
TV: MLB Extra Innings
Stream/game day audio: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/