The Cleveland Guardians head to Rate Field on Saturday, August 8 to take on the Chicago White Sox in a 7:15 PM ET first pitch. Gavin Williams gets the ball for Cleveland against Chicago's Anthony Kay in what shapes up as a significant late-summer AL Central matchup. The game airs on FOX/FOX ONE and can be heard locally on WTAM 1100 and WMMS 100.7, with the Guardians Radio Network also carrying the broadcast.

Guardians at White Sox: Starting Pitching Matchup

Gavin Williams draws the start for Cleveland. The right-hander has flashed legitimate frontline upside since arriving on the scene, and this is the kind of road start that will tell you something real about where he is right now. Williams has the stuff to work through a lineup — fastball that plays plus, secondary pitches that miss bats — and Saturday night will be a measuring-stick opportunity against a White Sox club working to close out its summer schedule.

Anthony Kay takes the hill for Chicago. Kay is a left-handed arm with enough savvy to give lineups trouble when he's locating his offspeed pitches. The Guardians will need to make him work early, get into counts, and not let him settle into a rhythm. Cleveland's lineup has the ability to grind at-bats, and that approach will be critical against a pitcher who can be effective when he's ahead in the count.

Chicago White Sox Starting Lineup

• 1. Sam Antonacci, LF
• 2. Munetaka Murakami, 1B
• 3. Miguel Vargas, 3B
• 4. Colson Montgomery, SS
• 5. Andrew Benintendi, DH
• 6. Braden Montgomery, RF
• 7. Tristan Peters, CF
• 8. Chase Meidroth, 2B
• 9. Drew Romo, C

The Cleveland lineup card had not been released at time of publication.

Keys to Watch for Cleveland

• Williams's command: Gavin Williams is at his best when he's attacking the zone early and keeping his pitch count manageable. If he's carving up hitters through the first two or three innings, Cleveland will be in good position deep into the game.
• Handling Murakami: Munetaka Murakami slots into the two-hole for Chicago and brings legitimate power to the middle of their order. Williams and the Guardians' battery need a plan for him every time through.
• Pressure on Kay early: Cleveland benefits when it forces starting pitchers to work. Getting deep into counts and manufacturing traffic in the early innings could knock Kay out before the White Sox bullpen is ready to carry the load.
• Colson Montgomery at shortstop: Montgomery bats cleanup for Chicago. He's a name worth tracking for Cleveland's pitching staff — keep him off the bases and the Sox lineup loses some of its teeth.

Prediction

This one comes down to whether Williams can limit damage against a lineup that has some interesting pieces — Murakami, Vargas, and Montgomery are not easy outs. If Williams is on and the Guardians offense can make Kay uncomfortable early, Cleveland has the edge on the road. Look for a competitive game that stays tight into the seventh, with Cleveland finding a way to get out of Chicago with a win. Guardians 4, White Sox 2.