The Chicago White Sox like to start a series 1-1 with their opponent and then lose the rubber match. That is exactly what happened in their most recent series vs the Texas Rangers.
Now, the White Sox will welcome in a team that they have been facing for over a century in the Boston Red Sox. This is a team that the White Sox can learn from.
The Red Sox are no stranger to last place. They also know how to retool on the fly. They play in a division that right now is the best in the league (and it’s not really close).
Over the last two decades, the Red Sox have won the World Series four times. They run their organization as well as any team in the league. Their last World Series win came in 2018 and they have an ALCS appearance since then as well (2021).
The Chicago White Sox are ready for a series with the Boston Red Sox.
Boston currently sits with a record of 39-37. That is good for last place in the aforementioned AL East Division. The funny thing is that they would be leading the AL Central by 1.0 game.
When we say that the White Sox can learn from them, we mean that the Red Sox do things in a way that the White Sox could if they were smart. They do spend some money but they also let people walk at times and find ways to recover.
Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts were traded and let go in free agency. They also retained Rafael Devers and signed Masataka Yoshida during the off-season. They have made big trades over the years as well, you might remember the blockbuster they made to get Chris Sale.
Yes, they wanted to keep Betts and Bogaerts but they do find a way to get back to winning when they lose guys like that. They’ll never go a decade without a playoff experience like the White Sox when they lose good players.
In order for the White Sox to beat them here in 2023, they need to play hard mistake free baseball. It would also be cool to see them not be cheap but also learn when to make hard decisions like them.
On Friday, Lucas Giolito will face Brayan Bello. On Saturday, Lance Lynn will face James Paxton. In the finale on Sunday, the White Sox will likely have a bullpen day (this is Mike Clevinger’s spot) and the Red Sox will throw Kutter Crawford.
All of these pitching matchups could go either way for both sides. What will be important for the White Sox is their offense. The usual suspects need to stay hot but some of the slumping players need to get going. Sox vs Sox is always fun.