DEFENSE: In his White Sox debut, starter Vince Velasquez gives up 1 R/ER on 2 H (3 BB, 2 SO) on 4.0 IP. In the 5th, Bennett Sousa throws LO, 1B and would have retired the side, but for Leury Garcia‘s substandard fielding on what should have been a routine 6-4-3 DP. Instead, Bennett gives up 2B on a wild pitch and issues a BB. Reynaldo López takes over with 2 outs and 2 on, striking out the next batter to end the 5th, then throws a 1-2-3 (1 SO) 6th, then a near-miss FO in the 7th that would have been a HR, but for the incoming wind. Aaron Bummer finishes out the 7th with 2 BB and 2 SO. Kendall Graveman throws GO, 2B, GO, SO in the 8th. Liam Hendriks gets his first save of the season, but it isn’t pretty. In the 9th, Hendriks throws K, 1B, K, 1B, RBI 1B, K. OFFENSE: Tim Anderson RBI FC scores Josh Harrison (walked, advanced to 3B on Reese McGuire 1B) in the 3rd. Luis Robert solo HR (1) in the 6th. Eloy Jiménez RBI FC scores Luis Robert (walked, stole 2B, stole 3B) in the 8th. NOTABLE: The White Sox signed veteran righty Vince Velasquez on March 14. Starting for the Mariners in his major league debut, Matt Brash (23) logs his first and second career strikeouts (both Ks) vs. Luis Robert and José Abreu in a 1-2-3 1st.
➤ Possible injury: Josh Harrison exits with lower back stiffness, after 7
DEFENSE: On a soggy night in Chicago, Dallas Keuchel gives up a HR on his sixth pitch, but ends up with a decent outing, giving up 3 R/ER on 6 H (0 BB, 6 SO) in 5.0 IP. With the help of a perfectly-timed jump catch at the wall by Adam Engel that robs Jesse Winker of a game-tying HR, Kyle Crick walks 1 and retires 3 (1 SO) in the 6th. José Ruiz (2 SO) and Kendall Graveman (2 SO) pitch clean innings in the 7th and 8th. Liam Hendriks gets his second save of the season but, again, it’s not pretty. In the 9th, Hendriks throws 2B, K (runner advances to 3B on passed ball by Yasmani Grandal), RBI 1B, SO, GO. OFFENSE: Eloy Jiménez solo HR (1) in the 2nd. Also in the 2nd: Jake Burger RBI 1B scores Andrew Vaughn (singled, advanced to 2B on WP, advanced to 3B on Josh Harrison FC) and Tim Anderson 2-RBI 2B scores Harrison and Burger. Tim Anderson (1) and Luis Robert (2) launch back-to-back solo HRs in the 7th—in heavy rain.
DEFENSE: Despite losing the game, starter Jimmy Lambert‘s performance isn’t terrible. He gives up 2 R/ER on 2 H (1 BB, 1 SO) in 3.0 IP. Tanner Banks pitches a scoreless 4th and 5th (1 BB, 0 SO). Matt Foster holds the line through the 6th and first out of the 7th (1 H, 0 BB, 2 SO). Bennett Sousa completes the 7th, giving up 2 R/ER on 1 H (1 BB, 0 SO). José Ruiz pitches the first ⅔ of the 8th, giving up 1 R/ER on 3 H (1 BB, 2 SO). And making his MLB debut, hard-throwing, Dominican lefty Anderson Severino (27) finishes out the game without incident (0 H, 1 BB, 3 SO). Severino takes the mound in the 8th with bases loaded and strikes out the first batter of his career (Adam Frazier, top of the lineup) on a 3-2 count to end the inning. Sensational! OFFENSE: On a blustery day in Chicago (29 MPH at first pitch), gusts of wind save the White Sox from three routine pop outs in the 5th, leading to their only (unearned) run of the game. The first two wind gusts benefit Adam Engel who ends up at 2B after his first pop fly blows foul and the wind renders his second fly ball uncatchable (scored as E2). Then Jake Burger reaches 1B on a pop fly, scoring Engel as the wind outsmarts Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford (scored as RBI 1B). Starter Logan Gilbert and the Mariners bullpen keep the White Sox bats in check, allowing just 4 H and 0 ER over 9.0 innings (1 BB, 9 SO). NOTABLE: The White Sox signed free agent Anderson Severino to a minor league contract in November 2020. He had been bouncing around the Yankees Organization since 2013.
Watch game highlights from mlb.com:
Three-Game Series vs. Tampa Bay Rays
Sox win series 2-1 | Season vs. Ray 2-1
MLB Advanced Media, LP Jackie Robinson Day – 75th Anniversary – April 15, 1947
DEFENSE: Dylan Cease turns in a respectable 5 ⅔ IP for his second win in as many starts. He gives up 1 R/ER on 3 H (2 BB, 8 SO). Cease exits in the 6th after walking 1 and striking out 2 (score is 0-3 Sox). Enter Aaron Bummer with 2 outs and a runner on 1B. Bummer gives up an RBI 2B that scores the inherited runner, followed by another RBI 2B that scores the previous batter. A LO ends the 6th. It’s 2-3 Sox. Bummer returns in the 7th to make a better showing—allowing a 1B, then retiring the next three. Kendall Graveman pitches a 1-2-3 (2 SO) 8th. Closer Liam Hendriks is more himself today and doesn’t make things complicated—1-2-3 for the save. OFFENSE: Gavin Sheets (hit ground-rule 2B, advanced to 3B on Leury Garcia GO) scores on a Drew Rasmussen WP in the 2nd. Jake Burger solo HR (1) off his first-ever pitch from Drew Rasmussen (his second career HR) in the 3rd. Jake Burger 1B scores Leury Garcia (doubled, advanced to 3B on Andrew Vaughn GO) in the 5th. NOTABLE: Tim Anderson tallies his first SB of the season in the 1st. Leury Garcia‘s 2B in the 5th breaks an 0-18 slump, and man is he happy!
DEFENSE: Starter Michael Kopech pitched well against a tough lineup, and got better as he went along—a hopeful sign?! He gives up 1 R (0 ER) on 1 H (2 BB, 5 SO) on 5.0 IP (a Josh Harrison E5 in the 1st allows Brandon Lowe to advance to 3B, rendering the subsequent run unearned). Reynaldo López throws 2B, SO, LO, BB, RBI 1B/PO) in the 6th. López is properly charged with 1 ER, but ends up as the technical game winner. José Ruiz (3 K) and Bennett Sousa (2 K) pitch a 1-2-3 inning each in the 7th and 8th. In an “exciting” (?) finish, closer Liam Hendriks goes 1B (advances to 2B on WP), FC (out at 3B), FO, 1B (steals 2B), IW, K, for the save. Okay, fine. OFFENSE: José Abreu 2-run HR (1) scores Tim Anderson (singled, advanced to 2B on a pickoff E1) in the 4th. Abreu is .340 lifetime vs. Corey Kluber. Yasmani Grandal 1B scores Luis Robert (reached on E6, stole 2B, advanced to 3B on José Abreu FO) in the 6th. NOTABLE: Rays left fielder Randy Arozarena ejected by HP umpire Junior Valentine for tossing the bat straight up in the air after he is called out looking in the 6th.
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Noah Ricchetti April 16, 2022 – Sox v Rays at Guaranteed Rate Field
DEFENSE: Starter Vince Velasquez gets off to a rocky start, giving up 4 R/3 ER on 3 H (3 BB, 2 K) in the 1st, then pitches 3 scoreless innings. He exits with 2 outs in the 5th after allowing a 1B. Velasquez posts 5 H and 5 SO on 4 ⅔ IP (no additional R or BB after the 1st). Tanner Banks retires the side with a K, then throws 2B, K, GO, FO in the 6th. Matt Foster walks 1 and retires 3 (0 SO) in the 7th. He exists in the 8th after throwing GO, BB. Anderson Severino takes the mound with 1 on. After 3 unsuccessful pickoff attempts, the inherited runner advances to 2B on a wild first pitch. Severino’s second pitch hits Kevin Kiermaier, then he gives up 3B and 2B after making a throwing error on a pickoff attempt. Next, he allows a 2-RBI 1B that scores the inherited runner and the HBP, followed by GO, RBI 2B, WP gives up 3B, RBI 2B, PB gives up 3B, K, making it 8-2 Rays. Ouch! Kyle Crick goes GO, 1B, 1B, RBI 1B, L1-3 DP in the 9th. OFFENSE: Gavin Sheets RBI HBP scores José Abreu (singled, advanced to 2B on Yasmani Grandal BB, advanced to 3B on Eloy Jiménez BB) in the 4th. White Sox again load the bases in the 5th (Adam Engel 1B SB(2) WP, Tim Anderson BB SB(2), José Abreu BB), but Engel scores the only run on a PB. Gavin Sheets solo HR (1) in the 9th. NOTABLE: Rays lineup have sharp eyes today, taking a bunch of close changeups. This is the first game of the season in which the Sox allow 5 runs.
W, 6-0, 2-3 (.400), W1 | WP: Carlos Rodón (1-0) | Game 5
Carlos Rodón throws 9 SO on 5.0 IP. Yasmani Grandal150th career HR off Justus Sheffield. Yermín Mercedes goes 3-for-4 – 11-17 on the season. Andrew Vaughn logs first career RBI on a HBP. Watch game highlights from mlb.com:
Tuesday, April 6 at 9:10 pm CDT T-Mobile Park, Seattle Lucas Giolito, RHP vs. Mariners / James Paxton, LHP
W, 10-4, 3-3 (.500), W2 | WP: Lucas Giolito (1-0) | Game 6
Lucas Giolito throws 10 SO on 5 ⅓ IP. José Abreu 2nd Grand Slam of season – 200th career HR off Keynan Middleton. Zack Collins 3-run HR. Luis Robert 2-run HR. Andrew Vaughn doubles for first career hit. James Paxton relieved after 24 pitches due to elbow discomfort. White Sox are W17 vs. lefty starters – second-longest streak in the modern era (since 1901). The 2004-05 Atlanta Braves hold the record at 18. Last loss was 09/28/2019 vs. Detroit / Tyler Alexander.Watch game highlights from mlb.com:
Wednesday, April 7 at 3:10 pm CDT T-Mobile Park, Seattle Dallas Keuchel, LHP vs. Mariners / Justin Dunn, RHP
L, 8-4, 3-4 (.429), L1 | LP: Matt Foster (0-1) | Game 7
Mariners, down 4-1, take the lead with a 7-run 6th inning. Dallas Keuchel relieved by Matt Foster in the 6th with runners on the corners and no outs.Watch game highlights from mlb.com:
Tim Anderson to Injured List
MLB Advanced Media, LP
April 7—Shortstop Tim Anderson will not play in Thursday’s home opener, due to a strained left hamstring. Anderson was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to April 5.
Lance Lynn pitches first complete-game shutout in a White Sox home opener since Wilbur Wright in 1976, striking out 11. Yoán Moncada 2-run HR. Yermín Mercedes homer hit 485 feet – second-longest White Sox hit since 2006. Luis Robert sac fly scores a run. Adam Eaton 2-run single.Watch game highlights from mlb.com:
Dillon Cease throws 6 SO in a 4 ⅔ inning start (3 BB, 4 H, 1 R). Adam Eaton 2-run HR. White Sox squander chance to tie record for most consecutive wins against lefty starters (18).Watch game highlights from mlb.com:
Billy Hamilton to Injured List
MLB Advanced Media, LP
April 8—Outfielder Billy Hamilton has been placed on the 10-day injured list, due to a strained left hamstring sustained in yesterday’s loss against the Mariners.
