The Chicago White Sox (58-101) travel to face the Washington Nationals (65-94) Friday evening at Nationals Park, where both teams continue playing out disappointing seasons. Despite their struggles, Washington enters as -131 favorites behind James Wood’s recent two-homer performance against Atlanta.
Game Details
Date: Friday, September 26, 2025
Time: 6:45 p.m. ET / 5:45 p.m. CT
Location: Nationals Park, Washington
TV Coverage: MASN2, Chicago Sports Network (CHSN)
Betting Lines: Nationals -131, White Sox +110
Run Total: 8.5 runs
Spread: Nationals -1.5
Pitching Matchup: Cavalli vs Gomez
Cade Cavalli Gets Opportunity
Cade Cavalli takes the mound for his 10th start with a 3-1 record and 4.23 ERA across 44⅔ innings. His 34 strikeouts show promise, though he faces the challenge of maintaining consistency for a Nationals team that’s struggled with pitching depth.
Yoendrys Gomez Draws Assignment
Yoendrys Gomez gets his ninth start of the season with a 3-3 record. The young pitcher has shown flashes of potential during this development year, and facing Washington’s offense provides another opportunity to demonstrate his capabilities.
White Sox Offense: Finding Individual Bright Spots
Lenyn Sosa Continues Development
Lenyn Sosa remains Chicago’s most consistent offensive contributor, leading the team with 21 home runs, 72 RBIs, and a .259 batting average. His growth has been one of the season’s few positives for White Sox fans.
Supporting Cast Shows Promise
Chase Meidroth contributes solid contact hitting at .257, while Colson Montgomery adds 19 home runs despite a .231 average. Miguel Vargas provides 15 homers and veteran presence, though the White Sox rank 28th in baseball with just 624 runs scored.
The team’s .231 batting average (27th in MLB) reflects their offensive struggles throughout this challenging season.
Nationals Looking for Momentum
James Wood’s Recent Power Display
James Wood enters Friday riding momentum from his two-homer game against Atlanta. Leading Washington with 30 home runs and 92 RBIs while batting .256, he represents the type of young talent the organization is building around.
Veteran Leadership
C.J. Abrams leads the team with a .259 batting average and 18 home runs, while Josh Bell provides veteran presence despite batting .235. Luis Garcia adds 120 hits with steady production.
The Nationals’ 4.2 runs per game (20th in MLB) shows they can compete offensively, though they lack consistent depth.
Pitching Staff Comparison
Both teams have struggled on the mound this season. Washington’s 5.34 ERA ranks 29th in baseball – significantly worse than Chicago’s 4.26 ERA (21st). The Nationals’ pitching woes have been a primary factor in their disappointing season.
Chicago’s pitching staff, while not impressive, looks solid compared to Washington’s struggles to get consistent outs.
Betting Analysis
The Nationals have been terrible as favorites this season, going just 6-12 (33.3%) when favored. When favored at similar odds, they drop to 2-7 (22.2%) – a concerning trend for bettors.
The White Sox have struggled as underdogs but show slightly better numbers at 57-156 (36.5%). When facing similar underdog odds, they’re 51-89.
The 8.5-run total reflects both teams’ offensive capabilities and pitching struggles.
Key Injuries
Nationals: MacKenzie Gore, Cole Henry, and Mason Thompson are on shorter-term IL, while Keibert Ruiz deals with concussion protocol.
White Sox: Luis Robert, Mike Tauchman, and Andrew Benintendi remain unavailable, further limiting an already thin roster.
What to Watch For
For White Sox fans, this represents another opportunity to evaluate young talent like Gomez against major league competition. Individual performances from developing players remain the primary source of optimism.
The matchup between two struggling organizations provides a chance for players on both sides to finish the season on positive notes.
Game Prediction
Final Score: White Sox 7, Nationals 5
Total: Over 8.5 runs
While Washington enters as favorites, their terrible record in that role creates value on the White Sox. Both teams’ pitching struggles suggest a higher-scoring affair, and Chicago might be the hungrier team despite their poor record.
The Nationals’ inability to win as favorites (22.2% success rate at similar odds) makes them a difficult team to back, even against a White Sox club that’s endured a historically bad season.
Both offenses should find success against questionable pitching, making this the type of game where the under-performing favorite fails to cover.
Let´s gooo Sox!!!