While part of the sports world is betting on World Cup games, the other part is betting on when Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals will lose his first game. In his first game against an American League opponent, Strasburg helped the Nationals beat the Cleveland Indians. The Nationals fans are hoping that this kid is for real.
The Chicago White Sox take on the Washington Nationals as inter-league play continues. The White Sox are a far cry from the World Series team of 2005 as they are 7 ½ games out of first place in the AL Central with a record that is five games below .500 at 29-34. The White Sox have a losing record at home and on the road, but they have won six of their last 10 outings.
A World Cup contest includes superstars, role players and bench players that can elevate a team to victory. The Nationals only have the one superstar in Strasburg, and a bench that has been extremely inconsistent to this point. As a team the Nationals have a .262 batting average and have only hit 58 home runs this season. The Nationals can hit for extra bases as they have 19 triples this season. The problem for the Nationals is that they cannot hit with runners in scoring position. Their bats are improving, but the Nationals have a ways to go before they are able to convert runs consistently.
The Indians got to Strasburg a little bit and as he threw five walks to the Indians in only five innings of work. It could be that a patient batting line up may be able to hold Strasburg down long enough to finally be able to hit one of his multitude of pitches. The White Sox are hoping that patience is the key to beating Strasburg. The White Sox are also hoping that Mark Buehrle gets his form back on the mound as Buehrle co-holds the record for most inter-league wins with 21.
Pick: Chicago White Sox 3-1
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