Tigers vs White Sox Prediction - MLB Picks 9/1/23

Chicago White Sox (53-81) vs Detroit Tigers (60-74)

Game Info: Friday, September 1, 2023 at 8:10 pm (Guaranteed Rate Field)

Touki Toussaint (2-6) (4.85) vs Eduardo Rodriguez (9-7) (3.21)

Betting Odds: Chicago White Sox +106 / Detroit Tigers -125 --- Over/Under: 8.5 Click Here for the Latest Odds

The Detroit Tigers will head to the Southside for game one of their divisional series with the Chicago White Sox this Friday from Guaranteed Rate Field.

Tigers Preview & Projected Starter

Detroit moved to 60-74 after dropping three of four to New York. The Tigers snapped a five-game skid in the series finale, and they’ll attempt to take a few games in Chicago this weekend. The Detroit offense is scoring 2.72 runs per game, while batting .230, with a .300 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 4.41 ERA, with a 1.26 WHIP.

Eduardo Rodriguez (9-7, 3.21 ERA, 116 Ks) will take the mound for Detroit. The veteran lefty struggled with Houston last time out, allowing four runs thru 4.2 innings pitched en route to his seventh loss. ERod has now traded his last four starts, and he has a good chance to keep the unwanted trend going here in Chicago. Rodriguez tossed six innings of one-run ball against the White Sox back in late May, and he’ll attempt to deliver similar results here.

Tigers Player Trends & Props

• Riley Greene had multiple hits in the game four win over the Yanks, and he’s leading the Tigers in batting (.285), with 34 RBI.

• Spencer Torkelson homered in the game three loss, and he leads Detroit in hits (113), home runs (24), and RBI (69).

• Kerry Carpenter has collected a hit in eight of his previous ten games, and he’s second on team in both homers (20) and runs batted in (54).

White Sox Preview & Projected Starter

Chicago enters at 53-81 after dropping two of three to Baltimore. The White Sox avoided a series sweep with a five-run win in the finale, and they’ll look to avoid another embarrassing weekend at home. The Chicago offense is 4.72 scoring runs per game, while batting .235, with a .292 on-base percentage. The pitching staff carries a 5.72 ERA, with a 1.21 WHIP.

Touki Toussaint (2-6, 4.85 ERA, 58 Ks) will get the call for Chicago. The sixth-year pitcher capitalized on the light matchup with Oakland, tossing five scoreless frames to earn his second win of the season. It was nice to see Toussaint prevent the Sox from taking a third straight loss to the A’s, and he’ll attempt to replicate that effort in division play here.

White Sox Player Trends & Props

• Luis Robert has multiple hits in four straight games, and he leads the club in hits (131), home runs (35), and RBI (70).

• Andrew Vaughn doubled and homered in the game three victory over the O’s, and he’s posting splits of .255/17/69.

• Eloy Jiménez collected four hits in the series finale, and he’s tallied fifteen homers and 53 RBI for the season, while leading the Sox in batting (.280).

• Yoán Moncada has recorded a hit in eight of the previous ten games, while producing a run in three of his last five.

Corey’s Free Pick

This feels like the scrappy type of division battle Detroit can come away with, and I like testing that theory here. Eduardo Rodriguez should keep the Tigers within striking distance for a good chunk of this contest, and when you factor in how inconsistent the Sox are, trusting ERod feels like the more secure route here. It won’t be the prettiest form of baseball, but let’s back Detroit for this divisional battle.