Phillies welcome a weak Chisox club to town for weekend set

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Powerful Jose Abreu leads the punchless Chisox into Philly

The Chicago White Sox (46-60) come in to South Philly for a three-game weekend Interleague series with the host Philadelphia Phillies (57-51) at Citizens Bank Park.

Though both teams are at around the same spot in their respective divisions, their respective fates in this 2019 season couldn’t be more different. The Chisox season is already over. They are buried at 14.5 games out in both the AL Central Division race and American League Wildcard playoff race.

The Phillies enter this series in a three-way tie with the Washington Nationals and Chicago Cubs for the two available NL Wildcard playoff berths. The Phillies are tied for second place, sitting six games behind the Atlanta Braves in the loss column in the National League East Division.

These two franchise’ have met just 16 times in their history, with the Phillies capturing 10 of those, including eight of 11 meetings at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies have also won the last three straight in the head-to-head series, taking the last two at home by 8-3 and 7-6 scores back in September of 2016.

The Phillies and White Sox share an affinity for a recent-era legend, Jim Thome. Though he was inducted last summer to the Baseball Hall of Fame wearing a Cleveland Indians cap, Thome starred with the Phillies from 2003-05 and returned briefly in 2012. He was inducted to the Phillies Wall of Fame in 2016.

Dealt to the Chisox in November 2005 in a multi-player deal highlighted by Aaron Rowand coming to Philly, Thome then starred in Chicago into the 2009 season when he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers at the August 31 waiver deadline. He actually played in more games (529-391) and hit more home runs (134-101) with the White Sox than the Phillies. Thome now works as a special assistant to the White Sox organization.

A plaque is located at the White Sox home ball park, Guaranteed Rate Field, in the center field fan deck honoring Thome. It reads: “On June 4, 2008, Chicago White Sox slugger Jim Thome became the first player ever to hit a baseball onto the Fan Deck of U.S. Cellular Field as the Sox beat the Kansas City Royals. He duplicated the tape-measure feat on September 30, 2008 as the White Sox beat the Minnesota Twins, 1-0, in a one-game playoff to win the American League Central Division championship.”

Labor Day 2017 MLB Power Rankings

For a third consecutive month, the Los Angeles Dodgers sit at the top of the MLB Power Rankings. The Dodgers hold an 11.5 game lead on their nearest pursuers in all of baseball.

Following games of Friday, September 1, the Dodgers ‘Magic Number’ is down to just 13 in order to clinch the NL West Division crown. It will be the franchise’ fifth division title in a row, their seventh in the last decade.

The Washington Nationals have established themselves as the second-best club in the National League. The Nats ‘Magic Number’ is now down to only 14 for their second straight NL East crown, their fourth in the past six seasons.

The defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs have now run off five straight wins to open up a 3.5 game lead in the NL Central. However, the Milwaukee Brewers have won three in a row, and remain tough to shake for the Cubbies.

In the NL Wildcard race, what was once a two-horse race between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies has become a bit more interesting over the last month. The Brew Crew are now just 1.5 games back of the Rockies, with the Cards just four back.

White Sox Deal Chris Sale to Red Sox

It wasn’t the Boston Red Sox, but instead the Washington Nationals who were supposedly ready to strike at National Harbor, Maryland.

Over the first couple of days of baseball’s 2016 Winter Meetings, the Nats were heavily rumored to be nearing a deal for the top available pitcher on the trade market.

However, rumors began to leak out late this morning that the BoSox had entered the Chris Sale sweepstakes. As the afternoon moved along, the Red Sox apparently had pushed ahead of the Nationals in the race for the big lefty.

Now comes word that Boston has won that race. The Red Sox have acquired Sale from the Chicago White Sox. 

In exchange, Boston is sending a substantive package of prospects to the South Side of the Windy City.

Headed to the White Sox are Boston’s top overall prospect, Yoan Moncada, as well as their top right-handed pitching prospect, Michael Kopech.

According to CSN Chicago’s Dan Hayes, the other minor leaguers going to the White Sox are outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe and right-hander Victor Diaz.