Game 103 Open Thread: Indians at White Sox

Could it be nine in a row? The Indians hope so as they take on a depleted White Sox squad today at 2:10, having so far reaped the benefits of this series taking place after the White Sox traded Jose Quintana and basically all of their good relievers.

Now, White Sox fans get a glimpse of the future in the form of prospects headlined by Yoan Moncada, who was a popular choice as the top prospect in baseball before the season and made his Sox debut just this week. The Indians, meanwhile, go for a third straight sweep as they hope to solidify their spot atop the AL Central and hold off the similarly surging Royals.

A couple of lineup notes:

• Today’s pitching matchup features a couple of players hoping to get their seasons on track. For the Indians it will be Josh Tomlin, whose ghastly ERA, according to advanced stats, may be largely the result of bad luck–let’s hope so. For the other side, it will be Carlos Rodon and his even more ghastly ERA. Rodon, a former top ten pick, has been plagued by injury and boasts a statline featuring a 6.66 walk rate–the devil’s walk rate!–but still shows a lot of promise. The Indians will have to hope that promise does not make an appearance today.
• Why Austin Jackson is hitting second, the spot where your best hitter should hit according to most studies, is anyone’s guess.

The lineups: