White Sox and Twins fight for A.L. Cental Title

Freddie Garcia takes on the Minnesota Twins in a match-up of two teams battling for the A.L. Central lead. Both the Twins and the Chicago White Sox are pushing hard to make the playoffs as they puch each other to win the Central division. It seems very unlikely that whomever doesn’t win the division will make the playoffs as the A.L. East has a huge advantage in terms or record. Both the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox are fighting hard for the wildcard spot this season.

Garcia has won 5 of his last 6 decisions, but has only pitched well in 1 of those games. He threw 6 innings of shutout ball against the Los Angeles Angels back on July 7th to get his 9th win of the season, but has received a tremendous amount of run support to get 3 of the other 4 wins. He has an earned run average that is dismal. His 70 strikeouts in 117 inning pitched is a huge indication of how he has lost control of his command this year. Garcia was an above average pitcher over his last few seasons, but has fallen into the category of an innings eater rather than a shutdown starter over the last few seasons. He will need to bring his best stuff Tuesday in order to keep the Twins from gaining momentum and pulling away with the division lead.

Scott Baker is coming off of a an 8 inning performance against the Tampa Bay Rays in which he gave up just 3 hits and struck out 7. He has been a consistent starter that rarely lets the team down when he’s called upon to stop a losing streak. Baker may be 9-9 on the year, but he has only had a handful of suspect starts. He has shut down many of the best offenses in the league, and will be much better as he learns how to pitch with the arsenal of pitches he has.

The White Sox have won 5 out of 10 and have given up their slight lead in the A.L. Central, but they have more than enough talent on both sides of the ball to take the division from the Twins. They have won 7 out of 10 and currently lead the league in batting average and hits, The Twins have been a home grown team that can stay competitive for years with the talent they have brough up from the minor leagues. Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer and Delmon Young have led the way all season long. They are all batting well over .300 and have supplied plenty of offense to sustain the Twins lead.

Tune in Tuesday as the Twins and the Sox battle for a chance at the division title. This may be a regular season game, but it may be the difference maker when the season comes to a close. MLB experts have picked the Twins to win this division since the season started, but Chicago has held on for far too long to be ignored.

Related posts:

1. A.L. Central Heats Up: White Sox get Manny
2. Indians and White Sox in A.L. Central Showdown
3. Dodgers and Twins Fight to stay Alive
4. White Sox vs. Athletics in Pitcher’s Duel Tuesday
5. Yankees & Twins battle with transplant Pitchers

Comments