Twins vs. White Sox (September 3): Will Cease shake up Cy Young chase by toppling Twins?

Thanks to the Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins being unable to distance themselves, the Chicago White Sox still have a real chance to end up on the AL Central when all is said and done next month.

With three straight wins, the White Sox are now within three games of the first-place Guardians, who have dropped their last three games, and two games of the second-place Twins, who have dropped back-to-back games.

In last night’s series opener between Minnesota and Chicago, the home team rallied for a 4-3, walk-off win.

White Sox WALK IT OFF! ? pic.twitter.com/OikHKxKXj0

— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) September 3, 2022

Tonight, the White Sox will be looking to improve to 4-1 under interim manager Miguel Cairo, and they are favored to do so with AL Cy Young candidate Dylan Cease on the mound.

Minnestoa Twins vs. Chicago White Sox Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Minnesota Twins (67-63, 27-34 away, 2nd in the AL Central) vs. Chicago White Sox (66-66, 33-35 home, 3rd in the AL Central)
• Venue & Location: Guaranteed Rate Field (Chicago, Illinois)
• Date: Saturday, September 3, 2022
• Game Time: 7:15 p.m. Eastern Time (6:15 p.m. local time)
• Twins vs. White Sox TV Info: FOX

Twins vs. White Sox Pitching Matchup

• Minnesota Twins: Tyler Mahle (2022: 22 starts, 6-7, 4.17 ERA – 1-0, 2.51 ERA in three starts w/ Minnesota)
• Chicago White Sox: Dylan Cease (2022: 26 starts, 12-6, 2.27 ERA)

Twins vs. White Sox Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline. This article may also include odds from our other recommended sports betting sites.

Moneyline

• Minnesota Twins +116
• Chicago White Sox -136

Over/Under

• Over 7.5 (-106)
• Under 7.5 (-114)

Run Line

• Minnesota Twins +1.5 (-188)
• Chicago White Sox -1.5 (+155)

Can Cease Close the Gap in AL Cy Young Chase?

With fellow contenders Justin Verlander and Shane McClanahan both on the injured list, Cease has an opportunity to take his Cy Young destiny into his hands.

Verlander, who went on the shelf with a right calf injury, is a -260 favorite at BetOnline. Cease is his next closest challenger at +270, a stark change from when he and McClanahan were out to +900 last wekeend.

McClanahan, who was a late, late scratch from his Tuesday start against the Miami Marlins due to a left shoulder issue, remains in the top three, but he now sits at +1500, with Shohei Ohtani (+1500) and Houston’s Framber Valdez (+3000) rounding out the top five.

Cease remains in the mix despite a pretty disappointing August for both he and the White Sox.

After posting four consecutive winning months, Cease had his first losing month of the season at the worst time. He went 1-2 with a 3.26 ERA in five starts, and only three of his starts were quality starts.

Monthly Splits for Dylan Cease

• April (four months): 2-1, 3.27 ERA0
• May (six starts): 2-1, 3.98 ERA
• June (five starts): 2-1, 0.33 ERA
• July (six starts): 5-1, 0.76 ERA
• August (five starts): 1-2, 3.26 ERA

Everything doesn’t lie at his feet, given how inconsistent the White Sox have been at the plate. But after allowing just six earned runs across 14 starts, he allowed seven earned runs across two starts against the Astros and Orioles.

But he did get back on track last time out against the Arizona Diamondbacks last Sunday, allowing two runs, two hits, and two walks and striking out eight in eight innings.

Unfortunately, the two hits he allowed were both homers, including one in the eighth when he had been left in perhaps a little long, and Jake McCarthy’s RBI double in the ninth gave Arizona a 3-2 win and a surprising sweep.

Prior to that 103-pitch outing, he had gone seven starts without hitting the century mark. For what it’s worth, nine of the 16 times this season that Cease has had 7+ strikeouts have come when he has thrown fewer than 100 pitches.

Minnesota Twins vs. Chicago White Sox Prediction and Best Bets

Twins vs. White Sox Prediction: White Sox to win

Twins vs. White Sox Best Bets: White Sox ML

The White Sox have had a number of moments where you thought that maybe, just maybe the corner was being turned, only for them to revert back to mediocrity and frustration.

But is this finally it? It may be. It may not be. But with Cease on the mound, they should at least move within a game of the Twins tonight and set up an opportunity to secure a sweep tomorrow.

The White Sox are 5-2 in Cease’s last seven home starts, with both losses coming by one run. So, there’s not much separating him from a perfect run at Guaranteed Rate Field.

The Twins have scored more than three runs just twice in their last ten road games, and they will find runs hard to come by again against Cease, who blanked them and allowed just one hit and two walks across seven innings at Target Field on July 17.

If he can deliver that kind of performance tonight, things will tighten up in the AL Cy Young race, and the White Sox will likely grab a big win.