Chicago White Sox vs. Oakland Athletics Pick & Prediction AUGUST 7th 2024
Preview and Prediction
The Chicago White Sox will attempt to accomplish something on Wednesday afternoon that they haven't achieved since June - put together a winning streak. They will be wrapping up a three-game series on the road against the Oakland Athletics.
In Tuesday's game, the White Sox broke their losing streak of 21 consecutive games, tying the American League record. This was their first win since July 10, thanks to the strong pitching of Jonathan Cannon and the impressive hitting of Andrew Benintendi, leading to a final score of 5-1.
This long-awaited victory has brought the White Sox within two games of the modern-day record for consecutive losses in the major leagues. Their next goal is to win two games in a row, something they haven't accomplished since their three-game winning streak was broken on June 29.
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The White Sox have scheduled right-hander Davis Martin (0-1, 7.11 ERA) to make his second start of the season, facing off against Oakland's righty Joey Estes (5-4, 4.77).
Benintendi predicts that Martin will have a much more relaxed team behind him after their win on Tuesday.
"Everyone on this team has heard the criticism. It's a relief to finally get the weight off our shoulders," he stated. "Baseball players have a short memory. We know that it's a game of failure. Hopefully we won't go through a streak like this again, but it's bound to happen. This win gives us a chance to relax for a night."
Unfortunately, the White Sox have lost their next game the last four times they have won, including the final game of their winning streak in late June. The losing streak began on July 10, after they had beaten the Minnesota Twins in the first game of a doubleheader.
Martin has pitched twice during the losing streak, first throwing 2 2/3 innings of relief in a 6-3 home loss to the Seattle Mariners on July 27, and then 3 2/3 innings as a starter in a 10-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins in Minneapolis on Friday.
He has not won a game since September 2022, and his only previous matchup against Oakland was during that season. Martin pitched 3 1/3 innings of two-run relief, resulting in a no-decision.
However, only one of the 14 A's players who played in that game is still on the team, and Martin probably wishes that player wasn't. Seth Brown hit two home runs in that game, including a solo shot during Martin's relief appearance.
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Estes was only 20 years old at the time, pitching for Class-A Lansing. He has since become one of Oakland's most reliable starters and is currently on a three-start unbeaten streak (with two wins). This will be his first time facing the White Sox in his career.
In his last three starts, Estes has allowed two earned runs in each game, resulting in wins against the Philadelphia Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
After celebrating the end of seven- and nine-game losing streaks earlier this season, A's manager Mark Kotsay gave credit to the White Sox after Tuesday's game.
"They played well and deserved the win. They had a clean, solid game," he acknowledged. "I'm sure the team over there is thrilled with the win."
Chicago White Sox vs. Oakland Athletics Recap AUG 7TH 2024
The Chicago White Sox tied the American League record for consecutive losses with a 21st straight Monday night, succumbing to seven strong innings from left-hander JP Sears in a 5-1 defeat at the hands of the host Oakland Athletics.
The White Sox, who haven't won since July 10, matched the AL record set by the Baltimore Orioles in 1988. Since 1900, the major league record is 23, set by the Philadelphia Phillies in 1961.
After Oakland scored in the bottom of the first without benefit of a hit against Ky Bush (0-1) in his major league debut, Chicago drew even in the fourth on a one-out double by Andrew Vaughn and a two-out RBI single by Andrew Benintendi.
However, that was the last of the visitors' scoring on a night when they got just two other hits against Sears and relievers Austin Adams and Tyler Ferguson.
En route to the fifth win in his past six starts, Sears (9-8) limited the White Sox to one run and three hits. He walked one and struck out five.
After Adams pitched around Miguel Vargas' two-out double in a scoreless eighth, Ferguson struck out two of the three men he faced in a non-save situation in the ninth.
Oakland's first-inning tally was the result of Bush walking Daz Cameron, Brent Rooker and Shea Langeliers, then allowing a sacrifice fly by Tyler Nevin.
The A's, who had lost three of their previous four games, took the lead for good on a two-run single by Max Schuemann in the fourth.
Bush was pulled after four innings, charged with three runs on just two hits. He walked five and struck out three.
Oakland tacked on against the White Sox bullpen with single runs in the sixth, on Lawrence Butler's pinch-hit homer, and in the eighth, when Zack Gelof raced home from third while Schuemann was striking out.
The homer was Butler's 13th.
Gelof scored twice after a pair of walks for the A's, who have won the opener in their past seven series.
Each team had four hits.