White Sox @ Athletics

Who will WIN this matchup?

Chicago White Sox (42-44)

@ Oakland Athletics (50-41)

Starting Pitchers:

Nova (CHW): 4-7; 5.58 ERA

Fiers (OAK) 8-3; 3.87 ERA

Last 10 Games Played:

Chicago White Sox: 6-4

Oakland Athletics: 7-3

Current odds:

Chicago White Sox: (+165)

Oakland Athletics: (-180)

• The Oakland Athletics wrapped up the first half of the season about as well as any team in the majors, winning each of their last four series to leave themselves in great shape to keep the heat on the American League wild-card leaders. The Athletics set their sights on a 10th victory in their last 13 contests Friday when they host the Chicago White Sox in the opener of a three-game set. Oakland’s powerful lineup led the charge during the team’s 9-3 close prior to the All-Star break, homering at least once in every contest to increase its season total to a club-record mark for home runs (145) prior to the Midsummer Classic. The recent inspired play of the Athletics (50-41) has kept them on the heels of Tampa Bay (52-39) and Cleveland (50-38), who hold the two wild-card slots at the moment but only enjoy a two-game and 1 1/2-game edge, respectively, over Oakland.

• Chicago (42-44) just missed out entering the All-Star break with a .500 or better record for the first time since 2016 but also finished the first half strong, winning six of nine. Yoan Moncada has been an instrumental part of that charge and is batting .385 with five doubles, four homers and nine RBIs during his career-high 13-game hitting streak.

• Nova shut down the Chicago Cubs for the second time in his last four outings in Sunday’s win, holding them to five hits and a walk over 5 2/3 scoreless innings after allowing one run in five frames against them on June 18. The victory halted a seven-game winless streak for the 32-year-old, who has permitted at least four runs in his other four turns dating back to June 7. Opponents are batting .318 against Nova, who is 2-0 with a 3.52 ERA in five appearances (four starts) versus Oakland.

• Fiers was unable to add to his six-game winning streak but remained unbeaten since May 7 following a no-decision July 3 versus Minnesota, which managed two runs (one run) against him across six innings. The Nova Southeastern product has also yielded three earned runs or fewer in 13 consecutive starts since April 26 – a stretch during which he has posted the fourth-lowest ERA among AL starters (2.52). Fiers is 5-2 with a 2.91 ERA in 10 turns at home this season and 2-0 with a 2.21 ERA in six career starts against Chicago.

• The Athletics have lost a major-league high seven extra-inning contests (2-7) – one more than all of last season (13-6).

• Chicago has dropped five straight at The Coliseum and seven of its last nine overall to Oakland.

• Athletics 1B Matt Olson homered in his final two games before the break and is batting .300 with seven home runs, 13 RBIs and 10 runs scored over his last 12 games.