Game #39: White Shoes vs. White Sox

This should be fun, a battle of the top 2 offenses in the AL. Yep, the White Sox behind the monster start from Jose Abreu are #1 with 197 runs, and the A's are not too far behind dialing 187 on an undercover (pitcher), tied with Toronto and one ahead of the ugly red team down south.

Jesse Chavez takes the rock for the A's and is looking to bounce back from his bump in the road, a 4 run, 5⅔ inning performance against Seattle. He goes up against John Danks, 3-2 with a 4.93 ERA this season. Danks has been very pedestrian and hopefully the A's bats + Chavez' pitching can win the day.

I want to draw your attention to a long-running AN game, GOG (Guess the Outcome Game). You can play at the start of any series, it's in the Fanposts section on the right side of the page (or if you're on mobile, click the "Fanposts" button at the top of the page). You still have time to get in for this series and test your mastery at predictions:

http://www.athleticsnation.com/2014/5/11/5707610/gog-2014-13-the-white-sox-are-from-the-south-side-of-chicago-and

A couple of things bode well for the A's in this battle of offenses: 1) the A's are much better at run prevention (126 to 196 for the Sox) and 2) this series is in the spacious Coliseum and not in the U.S. Cellular Bandbox on the South Side.

Given Abreu's torrid start (13 jacks/.935 OPS) I wonder if Cespedes will have a little extra something in the spirit of Cuban competition...

Also this...

.@ChrisCotillo reporting 1B-OF Kyle Blanks may be headed to A’s, possibly for OF Jake Goebbert & Goebbert’s not in River Cats lineup tonight

— Athletics Farm (@AthleticsFarm) May 13, 2014

Here are your lineups, let's go Oakland!