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Ray Monohan	+200.0
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Strasburg Returns Home To Face White Sox

Posted by Sean O'Connor

Strasburg Returns Home To Face White Sox

MLB Betting – Chicago White Sox @ Washington Nationals

Mark Buehrle (4-6) vs. Stephen Strasburg (2-0)

Buehrle vs. Nationals Hitting

Those who have been betting on the White Sox know that the last month has been an interesting one for Mark Buehrle. On May 21^st, Buerhle pitched eight shutout innings, allowing just three hits and striking out three. He followed that up with two of his worst outings of the season; a loss against Texas where he allowed six runs and 12 hits in five innings, and a no-decision against Cleveland where he allowed six runs and eight hits in just three innings. So how does he follow those two stinkers up? He strikes out seven and allows zero runs in 6 2/3 innings against the Cubs. Go figure.

Buehrle doesn’t have much experience against this current Nationals squad; most of his experience has come against players who aren’t with the franchise anymore. But the Nats have some bats that can create fits for Buehrle, especially if he has one of his bad days. Ryan Zimmerman (.302 with 13 homers this season) is one of the best hitters in the game, while Adam Dunn (leads team with 14 HR) and Josh Willingham (leads team with 40 RBI’s) have been key contributors on a surprisingly competitive Nationals team. If Buerhle has a bad day, those three will be most likely to blame.

Strasburg vs. White Sox Hitting

If you haven’t heard of Stephen Strasburg, you obviously don’t watch nearly enough baseball. The game’s biggest phenom has been as good as advertised in his first two starts in the majors. His debut was the stuff of legends, as he absolutely dominated the Pirates to the tune of 14 strikeouts and zero walks in seven innings. His next start versus Cleveland wasn’t as dominate but just as entertaining to watch; eight strikeouts and one run allowed in 5 1/3 innings. He walked five in that game, but he showed incredible composure in being able to pitch out of jams he got himself into. He is the real deal.

Obviously Strasburg has never faced the White Sox in his career. Chicago has more offensive firepower than both Pittsburgh and Cleveland, so the super-rookie will be tested more than he has in his first two starts. The biggest bat on the White Sox roster is Alex Rios. Rios leads the team in batting average (.315) and is near the top in home runs (13) and RBI’s (32). Smart MLB betting would believe he and Paul Konerko (.285, 17 HR, 46 RBI’s) will do the most damage against Strasburg.

Bullpen Comparison

The White Sox bullpen has been an issue all season. Closer Bobby Jenks (12 saves, 4.75 ERA) is past the realm of reliability; he allows too many runs to be considered a top-flight closer. Guys like Matt Thornton (39 K’s in 27 innings), Sergio Santos (1.66 ERA) and J.J. Putz (2.38 ERA) should get more late-inning time, but coach Ozzie Guillen seems reluctant to do so. It could come back to haunt them.

The Washington Nationals bullpen has an impressive trio of intriguing and talented relievers. Tyler Clippard leads all MLB relievers with 8 wins, and his 1.51 ERA in 41.2 innings pitched (along with 49 K’s) could very well earn him an All-Star berth. Matt Capps leads the major-leagues with 20 saves, while Drew Storen (1.54 ERA) is showing the kind of stuff that justifies him as a former first round pick.

Outlook

It’s incredibly hard to be betting against Stephen Strasburg when he is pitching this well. His stuff is almost unhittable, and his team seems to play better when he pitches. Granted it’s only been two starts for the rookie, but they’ve been incredibly impressive starts and have justified all the hype surrounding him. You gotta ride this gravy train as long as you can.

Pick: Washington Nationals