Chicago White Sox manager Tony LaRussa is in the rumor mill that he’s too old to manage and that he’s turned the players off as he will manage against his old team the Oakland A’s starting Fri Jul 29, 2022 at Guarantee Rate Field in Chicago (AP News file photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Oakland A’s are in Chicago to start a three-game series with the White Sox starting Friday night at Guarantee Rate Field. The A’s and the White Sox have played each other since the American League’s first season in 1901.

Over the years, the A’s have appeared in 14 World Series and won nine. The White Sox have been to the World Series just four times and won the title in 1906 and again in 2005. Former A’s skipper Tony La Russa manages the 2022 team.

La Russa is in Baseball’s Hall of Fame. Tony has won 2869 games in his career and is second place on the list of winningest managers. Only Connie Mack, with 3731 wins, is ahead of him. La Russa is 77 years old.

There are grumblings in Chicago that Tony is too old for the job. There are rumors that players have turned him off. The White Sox won the AL Central last year with a record of 93-69. Hopes were high for Chicago before the season started.

The White Sox are 49-49 and are in third place in their division. The Minnesota Twins have a three-game lead over the Sox. The Sox are four games back in the chase for the third slot in the Wild Card race. The grumbling will cease if the White Sox win the division and make the playoffs.

The A’s have been playing well since just before the All-Star break. Oakland has won 12 of the last 20 games played. The A’s are 38-63 and are in last place in the American League West Division. There is no question Oakland will not be in the playoffs this year. The A’s may be sellers at the trade deadline.

Frankie Montas, under club control through 2023, is rumored to be on the trading block. The A’s are in rebuild mode, and any player that will be a free agent at the end of this year may be moved. The players would love to be spoilers as there are only two months left in the season.

Let’s take a look at the pitchers for the upcoming series. The A’s will send James Kapielian to the hill Friday Night. Kaprielian is 1-5 with an ERA of 4.74. Kaprielian did not pitch well earlier in the season. He was on the IL with a shoulder injury but has returned to form as he has pitched well in his last three or four starts.

Lance Lynn will go for Chicago. The 35-year-old righty is not having a good year. Lynn is 1-3, and his ERA is 6.43. Lyn was 11-6 with an ERA of 2.39 ERA last year. On Saturday, the A’s will send Paul Blackburn out to pitch. Blackburn started well and made the All-Star team. However, in his last start, he was tagged for ten runs.

His record stands at 6-6, and his ERA has risen to 4.35. Former San Francisco starter, Johnny Cueto, will go for the Chisox.

Cueto is 4-4 and has a respectable ERA of 2.89. The A’s have not announced their starter for Sunday’s game. Dylan Cease will be on the mound for Chicago. Cease is having an outstanding season. He is 10-4 and has an ERA of 2.03.

The Key position players for Chicago include first baseman Jose Abreu. Abreu was the American League’s MVP in 2020. Josh Harrison, who played with the A’s last year, will be at second base. Tim Anderson represented the White Sox at this year’s All-Star game.

Anderson has killed the A’s in past seasons. Yoan Moncada will be at third base. The White Sox will feature Eloy Jimenez in left field, either A.J.Pollock or Adam Engel in center. Luis Robert is out until August first. Gavin Shields, Andrew Vaughn, or Leury Garcia will be in right. Andrew Vaughn is the designated hitter.

Former A’s closer Liam Hendriks is the closer for Chicago. Hendriks is having another good year with 19 saves. Their setup man is another former A’s pitcher, Kendall Graveman. Graveman is 3-2 and has five saves.

Other players that will see action coming out of the bullpen are Joe Kelly, Reynaldo Lopez, Jose Ruiz, Matt Foster, Taner Banks, and Jimmy Lambert.

The A’s bullpen has done well recently. A’s manager Mark Kotsay has received outstanding performances from Domingo Acevedo, Sam Moll, Austin Pruitt, Zach Jackson, and A.J.Puk. Puk earned a save on Wednesday, setting the Astros down in order 1-2-3 to preserve the 4-2 victory.

The White Sox have not played well at home this year. Their home record is 21-27. The road record is 28-22. The A’s, like the Sox, have played better on the road, too. It should be a fun series. The A’s have won three in a row and would love to extend their streak.

The White Sox must win to stay in contention for the AL Central crown. The only way Chicago will get into the playoffs is to win the division. This series should be interesting.