Guardians Host White Sox in Crucial Weekend Series

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cleveland Guardians will face off against the Chicago White Sox in a pivotal three-game weekend series at Progressive Field starting Friday. The matchup is critical for both teams as they push for postseason positioning.

The series opens Friday at 7:10 p.m. with right-hander Tanner Bibee (9-11, 4.69 ERA) on the mound for Cleveland, taking on left-hander Martín Pérez (1-4, 3.15 ERA) of the White Sox. Saturday’s game is set for 6:10 p.m., featuring LHP Parker Messick (2-0, 1.93 ERA) against RHP Davis Martin (6-9, 4.03 ERA). The final game is Sunday at 1:40 p.m., with RHP Slade Cecconi (6-6, 4.45 ERA) facing RHP Yoendrys Gómez (3-2, 5.05 ERA).

The Guardians have dominated the season series thus far, winning eight of ten games against the White Sox. Cleveland has a slight overall edge historically, leading 1,132-1,131.

Currently, the White Sox hold a record of 57-90 but have shown signs of life recently, winning nine of their last 11 games. This includes a four-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins and series victories over the division-leading Detroit Tigers and the Tampa Bay Rays. Lenyn Sosa leads the White Sox with a .250 batting average against the Guardians this season, hitting three home runs and driving in six runs.

Meanwhile, the Guardians are 75-71 after clinching three of four games against the Kansas City Royals. Kyle Manzardo has excelled, batting .290 with five home runs and nine RBIs against the White Sox this season, while Steven Kwan’s performance has been less impressive at .175 with seven RBIs.

Injury concerns loom large for both squads. The White Sox are missing several key players, including RHP Grant Taylor (groin), CF Luis Robert Jr. (hamstring), and LHP Bryan Hudson (back). The Guardians have their own injury list, which includes RHP Nic Enright (forearm) and OF Lane Thomas (plantar fasciitis), among others. SS Gabriel Arias is day-to-day with a wrist issue.

After this series, the Guardians will have a day off before traveling to Detroit for a three-game series against the Tigers on Tuesday.