First pitch is 3:05 PM CT at Citizens Bank Park, and the pitching matchup is a mismatch on paper that's a little weirder under the hood. Andrew Painter takes the ball at 1-6 with a 5.74 ERA, but his last three starts have been the version the Phillies actually drafted — a 2.60 ERA over 17.1 innings after he scaled back the four-seamer and leaned into the slider. The White Sox counter with Brandon Eisert, a lefty reliever in a clear opener role, coming off a 1.1-inning, 19-pitch tune-up against Detroit.
Philadelphia is 4-1 over the last 5 and just dropped the Padres in a sweep before jumping the White Sox 8-6 on Friday night. Brandon Marsh's homer off a lefty and Kyle Schwarber's 4-single night did the damage in that one, and now the Phils sit a game ahead of Chicago in the standings at 34-29. Pinnacle has them at -128 with a fair win probability of 54.8%, which feels light if Painter's last three starts are real.
The White Sox are the more interesting story here, honestly. They're 33-30 and have been pulling rabbits out of hats with a roster that reads like a Triple-A Charlotte call sheet. Munetaka Murakami is parked in Chicago getting PRP shots in his hamstring, Austin Hays got pulled off his rehab with calf soreness again, and the rotation is shredded — Noah Schultz, Ky Bush, and Drew Thorpe are all on the IL. Hence the bullpen day with Eisert.
- Day-To-DayMason Adams RP — The White Sox announced that Adams underwent successful Tommy John surgery Wednesday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILEverson Pereira RF — Pereira (pectoral) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte on Friday, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILMunetaka Murakami 1B — White Sox manager Will Venable said Monday that Murakami (hamstring) stayed back in Chicago during the team's road trip and was given a platelet-rich plasma injection, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.
- 10-Day-ILAustin Hays LF — Hays has been pulled off his rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte due to a recurrence of left calf soreness, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILNoah Schultz SP — White Sox manager Will Venable said Wednesday that Schultz (knee) remains sore and isn't ready to throw a bullpen session, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.
- 15-Day-ILJordan Hicks RP — Hicks was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday with a right lat strain.
- 60-Day-ILJordan Leasure RP — Leasure (forearm) said Friday that he will be shut down from throwing for four weeks, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.
- 60-Day-ILKyle Teel C — Teel (knee) will begin a running program Saturday, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.
- Day-To-DayCarson DeMartini SS
- Day-To-DayBryan Rincon SS — The Phillies promoted Rincon from Single-A Clearwater to High-A Jersey Shore on Aug. 15.
- Day-To-DayRene Pinto C — Pinto (undisclosed) began a rehab assignment Monday, Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
- Day-To-DayDaniel Robert RP — Robert suffered a cardiac incident Sunday while preparing to throw a bullpen session and was taken to a local hospital, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.
- Day-To-DayMark Kolozsvary C — Kolozsvary (undisclosed) agreed to a minor-league contract with the Phillies on Friday that includes an invitation to spring training, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
- 15-Day-ILKyle Backhus RP — Backhus (elbow) played catch Wednesday, MLB.com reports.
- suspensionJohan Rojas CF — Rojas (shoulder) is starting in center field and batting leadoff in Thursday's Grapefruit League contest against Atlanta, Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
The total sits at 9.5 with the over juiced to -121, which makes sense given Painter's full-season ERA and the fact that Chicago is essentially asking its bullpen to cover 9 innings. If Painter is actually the guy from his last three starts, the under is live. If he's the guy from the first 10, this thing could be 11-7 by the 6th inning.
Lean Phillies. Chicago put up 6 runs on Philadelphia yesterday and now has to do it again with no real starter, against a Painter who's quietly figuring out his arsenal. Getaway-day matinees are weird, but home cooking plus a bullpen mismatch is usually enough.