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Last weeks series in Oakland saw the series struggle to produce runs for both the White Sox and Athletics. Now the tide changes and shifts to the city of Chicago. A week ago I posted the free play with both pitchers at the mound in Oakland, and I’ll do the same today.

Chris Sale and Jarrod Parker combined for a great outing in a 2-0 game June 2nd. Parker allowed two hits while Sale allowed four. An incredible night for both. Chances of both pitchers throwing that well again are doubtful considering their overall pitching record this year, and hitters wanting to avenge their woeful performance of a week ago. No individual can accept being shutdown an entire night as a competitor, which all athletes are. Imagine a whole team with that mindset embedded and fresh in their heads off of five days.

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Neither of these teams has tremendous boasting power in their lineups. When they’re producing runs it comes from timely hits. As-of-late neither team has shown the consistency, primarily in this series to do that. Yesterday both teams hit the ball well, but you could not tell in the 7th inning of a 3-1 game.

The White Sox did tie the game in that inning, but the countless runners left on base came back to bite them in extra innings. Chicago walked in the winning run in the bottom of the tenth frame.

Bartolo Colon had his way with the White Sox lineup Friday. Jarrod Parker gets the start Sunday for Oakland against Chris Sale. Parker has shown enough in his last four starts that this game should sail under the 7 runs. Usually when teams get base hits the day prior in a series, it carries over to better success from a runs standpoint the following day.

Not in this series.

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When two pitchers face off against each other that have been on a roll, one of two things typically happens. They’ll both continue to pitch stellar, and a quick-low scoring game is the result. Or the bats get hot and the other side of the spectrum happens….runs and lots of hits.

I expect the latter today when Cleveland and a hot Tampa Bay team match up. Matt Moore has not lost a game yet. One of his eight wins has already came against Cleveland, in which he only allowed two hits.

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Both teams bats have been producing as of late, and that is why you see a set run total of 8.5. By the time both of these pitchers get relieved, I believe there will already be six to seven runs on the board.

Those that want to bank on the bullpen of these teams to secure an under may do so, but I believe both teams will have late inning run success today.

Take the over of 8.5

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Atlanta is off to a sterling start that has people changing their tune for playoff favorite already. At 13-2 and the way their pitching and bats are complimenting each other, it’s hard not to blame people. But in baseball unlike any other sport, opportunity knocks quite often against the elite teams. Tim Hudson has been awfully consistent and pitching likely won’t be the main issue in the matchup vs Pittsburgh.

Look for the bats on both sides to struggle to develop base runners on, and also to advance. Atlanta’s bats have been unbelievably hot that it has caused a whole lineup to gravitate to hitting the ball out of the park.

Wandy Rodriguez will need to get himself off to a solid first three innings. Those innings will be vital. If Rodriguez does his job and the Atlanta lineup keeps trying to power the ball out, it should have a trickle affect for the extension of the baseball game.

Expect a low scoring game that will hit the under as well, but take Pittsburgh overall.