Baltimore Orioles vs Chicago White Sox: 3 players to watch

Chris Davis, 1B

If you’ve been following the Orioles at all in 2018, you know it’s been a rough year for Davis. His .166/.241/.272 slash line is among the worst on the team, and Buck Showalter has often been forced to keep him on the bench against lefties — not the best use of a player making $23 million this season.

Fortunately for Davis, the White Sox’s probable starters for this week just might provide him with a chance to rediscover his form. On Tuesday, they’ll send out James Shields, who has an ERA of 4.88 and an average fastball velocity of 90.2 mph. With Davis’ .120 batting average against pitches of 96 mph or more since the start of 2016, it’s an ideal matchup. He won’t have to worry about keeping up with the heat, and can instead focus on swinging as hard as he can.

Thursday’s probable starter, Lucas Giolito, throws a bit harder, but he’s also one of the wildest pitchers in baseball — he leads the American League in both walks and hit batsmen. He doesn’t give up a lot of home runs, but with Davis’ good eye, it’s still a favorable matchup.

Of course, the White Sox are starting lefty Hector Santiago on Monday, so Davis might not have a good opportunity to produce right away. But as the week wears on, look for the big first baseman to take some mighty swings.