White Sox Open Wild-Card Series Against 84-Win Astros With Bullpen-Day Duel
Updated
Updated · Chicago Tribune · Sep 28
White Sox Open Wild-Card Series Against 84-Win Astros With Bullpen-Day Duel
3 articles · Updated · Chicago Tribune · Sep 28
Summary
Chicago opens its best-of-three AL wild-card series in Houston with a modified bullpen day, matching Astros manager Joe Espada’s Game 1 bullpen plan.
84-win Chicago arrives as an underdog despite a plus-56 run differential, while Houston stumbled in as a .500 club after losing the AL West and firing its general manager on Aug. 24.
226 home runs made the Astros dangerous, but they still ranked just 13th in runs, 18th in batting average, 24th in ERA and 18th in Outs Above Average.
Will Venable faces his first playoff game as manager with every pitching move under scrutiny, especially in a short series where Chicago will not play at home unless it advances.