Cleveland Indians at Chicago White Sox 4/13/21 - MLB Picks & Predictions

The Cleveland Indians travel on the road to Guaranteed Rate Field to open up a series with the Chicago White Sox. Cleveland has won their last four sweeping the Detroit Tigers to improve to 5-3 on the year on the back of a 5-2 win. The White Sox fell at home to Royals, splitting a two-game series and dropping to a disappointing 4-5 to start the year. 

Chicago has been able to get guys on base in the early season, coming in batting .242 as a team ranking 11th in the MLB in team batting average. They’re averaging almost six runs per game and are a stacked lineup top to bottom, Yermin Mercedes has especially been red-hot to start the year coming in leading the MLB in batting average at .536 with 2 homers and 7 RBIs. Right fielder Adam Eaton has also been hot to start the year, he’s hitting .258 with 2 homeruns as well.

Lucas Giolito will get his third start of the year for the White Sox, he’s pitched 5 innings in both outings allowing 5 runs and striking out 18 to just 3 walks. He’s been a mainstay in the White Sox rotation for the last five years, and he’s been especially good over the last two posting sub-4 ERAs in both years with a 4K/BB ratio.

Cleveland has been a middle-of-the-pack offense thus far, hitting .226 as a team ranking 18th in the MLB in team batting average. The Indians are red-hot, but a lot of that thanks to their pitching but the bats do appear to be heating up averaging 6 runs per game across their last 4 contests. Right fielder Franmil Reyes has started redhot with 4 home runs, 7 RBIs and is batting a team-high .333. Jose Ramirez is also off to a nice start, hitting .300 with 2 homeruns and 4 RBIs.

Shane Bieber, the ace of the Indians, will get the ball in his third start of the year. Bieber was one of the most dominant pitchers in the shortened year last year, going 8-1 in his 12 starts and posting a 1.63 ERA with 122 strikeouts in 77 innings. He’s got off to a solid start, giving up 8 hits and 6 runs in his 12 innings but striking out 24 to just 7 walks.