Chicago White Sox begin season strong against Tigers; Mariners next for home opener

If you’ve been watching the Chicago White Sox this weekend against the Detroit Tigers, one consistent trend we probably enjoyed was the White Sox being able to score runs in the first inning of the first three games of the season. It is likely one of the positive signs to come in what is supposed to be a promising season with legitimate chances of seeing a championship. The White Sox have started the ’22-23 season with a record of 2-1, with one of the losses coming from an odd walk-off single from Javier Baez. 

THIS WEEK: SEATTLE MARINERS (2-1)   

Following the series with the Tigers, the White Sox will head home and await the Seattle Mariners. Seattle is currently battling through a 4-game series against the Minnesota Twins. The Mariners have shown some grit to outlast the Twins in the first two close games. However, they were smacked around on Sunday, losing 10-4 with their pitchers giving up a total of six homers and 10 hits in the beatdown.

There are two pitchers the White Sox will likely face off against in the coming series against Seattle:

Robbie Ray (First game stats against MIN: 7 IP, 1 ER, 3 HITS, 5 Ks, 1.29 ERA) — The 30-year-old veteran pitcher is entering his 10th season in the league after signing a 5-year-deal with Seattle this offseason. He has only played the White Sox twice in his career, with lifetime stats of 13.1 IP, 1 HR, 2 ER and 27 total strikeouts against the White Sox.

Logan Gilbert (First game stats against MIN: 5 IP, 1 ER, 3 HITS, 7 Ks, 1.80 ER) — Logan Gilbert is a 6’6” right-handed pitcher going into his second year in the league. He finished his rookie year with the Mariners with a 4.68 ERA. He’s only played against the White Sox for two innings, where he struck out three and gave up hit.

When it comes to Seattle’s group of hitters, the White Sox will need to keep an eye out for Mitch Haniger, who’s coming off a strong start with 3 hits, 2 home runs, and 5 RBIs throughout his first three games. Seattle’s first-baseman, Ty France, and shortstop, J.P. Crawford have contributed to their offense with seven combined hits between each other. Crawford is coming off a career-high 37 doubles last season. While France had a timely hit in the ninth inning for the Mariners to help secure their second win of the season on Saturday.

The White Sox last played the Mariners back on June 27th, 2021, when they won 7-5. They are 5-5 in their last 10 games against Seattle. The three-game series against the Mariners begins on Tuesday, and while it is not official, it appears it will be the eight-year righty, Vince Velasquez on the mound for the home White Sox opener. Seattle still has another game on Monday night, while the White Sox have a short trip back to Chicago from Detroit.

This early in the season, it’s hard not to be optimistic about Andrew Vaughn’s excellent hitting through the first three games (6 RBI, 4 H, 2 HR). The offensive firepower remains more explosive than ever with Luis Robert already leading the club with 5 total hits and Jose Abreu right behind him with four total hits and two doubles to start the season. Dylan Cease was on fire Saturday, racking up eight strikeouts and giving up only two hits through five innings.

It remains a disappointment the White Sox will lose AJ Pollock and Lucas Giolito for some time, but neither case appears to be serious enough to sideline them for weeks. The White Sox will then host the Tampa Bay Rays for three games in their home field, before traveling to Cleveland for a long 4-game series against the Guardians.

Make sure to check out our WHITE SOX forum for the latest on the team.

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