MLB Picks: White Sox vs. Orioles

By: Willie Bee 

The betting odds are tight, but find out who we are backing with our MLB picks when the Batimore Orioles host the Chicago White Sox in tonight's series opener.

Several teams continue to defy logic and hang around in the playoff picture as we head towards September. Certainly the Pirates, who dragged a 19-year losing streak into the 2012 campaign, qualify though they seem to be tailing off. Oakland is another squad we didn't expect to see in the chase at this time. 

But the team in the postseason mix that is most surprising has to be the Baltimore Orioles. Somehow, some way, Buck Showalter's squad continues to hang around in the American League postseason hunt despite allowing more runs than they've scored this season, the only MLB team with winning record and a red differential in the scoring columns. 

Last week we followed the Atlanta Braves as they went coast-to-coast for a pair of crucial road series. This week we'll pal around with the O's as they stay on the Atlantic Coast for a couple of big matchups. Baltimore will be at home to get the week rolling with a 4-game set against the Chicago White Sox that begins Monday evening. 

An all-southpaw duel is expected with Francisco Liriano in line for Chicago and Wei-Yin Chen next up for the Orioles. Overnight MLB odds listed Baltimore as the slightest of favorites in a game that was practically a pick. There's a little stronger lean to the O's on Monday morning while the total remains at 8.5 where it started.

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SIDE

MONEY LINE

TOTAL

SCORE

CHI. WHITE SOX

BALTIMORE

• +1½ -190
• +105
• o8½ +105

• -1½ +175
• -115
• u8½ -115

• +1½ -200
• +107
• o8½ -100

• -1½ +170
• -117
• u8½ -120

• +1½ -200
• -104
• o8½ +100

• -1½ +170
• -116
• u8½ -120

• +1½ -210
• -110
• o8½ -105

• -1½ +175
• -110
• u8½ -115

• +1½ -195
• +105
• o8½ -105

• -1½ +165
• -115
• u8½ -115

• +1½ -193
• +107
• o8½ +103

• -1½ +177
• -114
• u8½ -114

• +1½ -205
• -102
• o8½ -105

• -1½ +175
• -118
• u8½ -115

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One thing all bettors need to keep an eye on this week across the MLB betting card is the weather. Rain 86'ed the finale in Baltimore on Sunday between the Orioles and Blue Jays, and while the chance for wet stuff is just 30% for Charm City on Monday, the salty blow out in the Gulf of Mexico which has taken the name Isaac could cause trouble in other areas for several days now. 

Chicago begins a big week on the road on top of the AL Central with a 2.5-game bulge over the Tigers. Detroit is the next stop on the trip for the White Sox. Baltimore is third in the AL East, 4.5 behind the Yankees, and tied with Oakland for the second AL wild card position just a half-game south of Tampa Bay who leads that race. 

Liriano hasn't necessarily been setting the world on fire with his pitching since the ChiSox acquired him at the end of July, but the results have been there with Chicago 4-1 in his outings. His 4.38 ERA in those games is right in line with his career mark (4.33), and Liriano has been able to keep the ball inside the fences with just two homers surrendered in nearly 27 IP for the White Sox compared to 12 in his first 100 frames while with the Twins. 

He didn't have any success in two starts earlier this year against the Orioles while wearing aMinnesota jersey. One was a decent July assignment in Chicago, but his season debut at Camden Yards was ugly (4 IP, 5 ER). 

Chen is after this fourth win of August though he has run hot-&-cold in his four previous starts this month with a 5.16 ERA, his highest for any single month this season. The Tigers knocked him around in Motown last week, but the Orioles put enough runs on the board and the bullpen did its usual solid job to over come Chen's line (5 IP, 5 ER). 

Keeping the ball in the park is also crucial for Chen who has allowed 14 homers in his nine startsBaltimore has lost against just six in the 16 winners. He earned his first MLB victory against the White Sox in his second big league start back in April, giving up two runs in 5.1 innings.

Oriole Park has been kind to the Pale Hose overall, with Chicago 48-37 on these grounds since it opened after winning three of the four played here in the '11 season. It has been a little more than four months since the clubs met in Chicago where the O's took three of four (2-1-1 O/U/P).

Both teams dealt with the elements on Sunday, with the White Sox enduring a couple of rain delays before their home finale with the Mariners was finally washed out. Baltimore got the whole day off, and having their bullpen entirely rested for the start of this series is one reason the Orioles will be my pick on Monday.

My pick: Orioles -110 +++