WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF APRIL 15, 2016 “Frazier flashing leather despite slow start” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Honoring Jackie 'hits home' for Jackson” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “White Sox won't make hasty roster decisions” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Mat-nificent: Latos, White Sox sweep Twins” … Scott Merkin and Brian Hall, MLB.com “White Sox Complete Sweep Of Twins Behind Another Mat Latos Gem” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Mat Latos, Dioner Navarro Could Force White Sox Hand” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Rick Hahn: Miguel Gonzalez Could Help White Sox At Some Point” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “White Sox Legend/Csn Analyst Bill Melton To Be Next Featured Guest On Inside Look” … CSN Staff, CSN Chicago “Struggling at plate, Todd Frazier comes up big on defense against Twins” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Starter Mat Latos continues strong of White Sox pitching” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Thursday's recap: White Sox 3, Twins 1” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “White Sox minor-league report: Updates on top prospects” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “If they keep this up, Cubs, White Sox can make this summer to remember” … Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune “White Sox sweep Twins, improve to 7-2” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “White Sox notes: Offense, pitching, catching combos” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “Twins lose again as White Sox sweep with 3-1 win” … Associated Press “White Sox keep cleaning up in hotter-than-usual spring start” … Jon Greenberg, The Athletic Frazier flashing leather despite slow start By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | April 14th, 2016 MINNEAPOLIS – Todd Frazier now features a .162 average following a 0-for-4 showing Thursday afternoon at Target Field.

So why was the White Sox third baseman smiling amidst the postgame music blaring in the visitors' clubhouse? Probably because his team claimed a 3-1 victory to complete a three-game sweep of the Twins and improve to 7-2.

And while Frazier's bat has been somewhat quiet, he's helping the team in other ways. It was his defense and smarts turning Thursday's momentum.

With the White Sox clinging to a 2-1 lead in the sixth with Eddie Rosario on second and nobody out, Joe Mauer hit a squibber down the third-base line. It had the makings of an infield hit against the shift and the potential beginning of a rally against starter Mat Latos.

Frazier gloved the ball near the line, pump-faked to first and then fired to second behind Rosario, who had moved too far off the base. Second baseman Brett Lawrie had to corral the slightly off-target throw, but it began a rundown that eventually eliminated Rosario from the basepaths.

It was a plan put into action by Frazier as soon as the ball was hit.

"I already had my mind made up, and he probably would have beat it out," said Frazier, referring to Mauer at first. "You never know, but at the same time, [I] got him a little jumpy at second base. I was going to fake it and throw it no matter what, whether he was off by a little bit or not."

Added Latos, who allowed three hits and one run over six innings: "Definitely gave me an added boost of adrenaline. I threw a split there and he cued it off the end of the bat and the first thing that popped in my head was, 'Oh no,' because we kind of had a shift on him a little bit. I didn't know Frazier was that close to the bag, so it was just fortunate that he made that play and was able to get that guy cutting off on second base."

Frazier reached base via an error in the eighth and then swiped second. He ended the contest taking away extra bases from Byung Ho Park by diving down the line and firing a perfect strike to Jose Abreu.

Hitting will come for a talent with a bat such as Frazier. For now, he's doing whatever he can to help the team win as part of this collective success story.

"He can do a lot of different things," manager Robin Ventura said. "The hitting is going to come. He's got power, and it's just nice to see a well-rounded player."

Added Frazier: "There's no way you can get down in the dumps when you are playing for a team like this because you know your time is going to come. I'm struggling at the plate, but what are you going to do? That's the way it is, but we are winning games and we are finding ways. It's a new guy every day."

Honoring Jackie 'hits home' for Jackson By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | April 14th, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS -- When Austin Jackson was in elementary school, he remembers doing a paper on Hall- of-Famer Jackie Robinson.

"I had to do quite a bit of research," a smiling Jackson said. "I would be lying if I told you I remember all that stuff, but at the same time, it's something that I chose to do, and I'm glad I did it."

The White Sox center fielder's connection to Robinson continues on Friday night against the Rays, when all baseball players, coaches and managers don jersey No. 42 in honor of the man who broke 's color barrier for the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. Robinson's baseball greatness was part of a bigger picture influence that he had on society itself.

"Especially during a time where you know it wasn't easy to really take a stand for what you believed in, and it let you know that it was bigger than the game of baseball," Jackson said. "It was bigger than anything that anybody was going through from a selfish standpoint. He liked to play the game of baseball, and he was good at it. He was able to open up eyes by coming out and playing a game that is still considered a kids' game."

Added manager Robin Ventura: "It's our little way of celebrating that, and it's important. It's bigger than baseball, but because it's baseball where it happened, it's a great way to celebrate."

Jackson believes that Robinson's actions and career "opened up so many eyes" and "inspired a lot of people to get over whatever things were going on at that time."

"Obviously, it's a great thing that MLB does to really recognize and honor Jackie Robinson, and being able to see everybody with that No. 42 on their back really means a lot," Jackson said. "It hits home.

"You realize everything that he went through on a personal level, but what he did for the game of baseball is what really touches everybody."

White Sox won't make hasty roster decisions By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | April 14th, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS -- The White Sox are always looking to improve. That fact has been true for this team, whether it's in full revamp mode or standing as a highly competitive group.

But looking to improve doesn't equate to making knee-jerk reactions to an early slump for a position player or a few bad April starts for one of the White Sox's rotation members.

"It's a matter of feeling that there's not a reasonable basis to believe things are going to improve of what you're seeing in a day-in or day-out basis at the big league level and the level of confidence in your alternatives that you're going to have better results going forward," general manager Rick Hahn said. "Right now, that's not on our minds in terms of making changes."

Question marks hung over Mat Latos and John Danks at the back end of the rotation coming out of , primarily because Latos struggled in Cactus League play and Danks had struggled the past three seasons despite giving the team consistent innings and starts. The same held true for Avisail Garcia, a 24-year-old who the White Sox were hoping would live up to his high talent level.

Garcia homered, doubled and scored two runs during Thursday's 3-1 win over the Twins, supporting Latos (2-0), who has allowed one run on four hits and two walks over 12 innings this season.

"When I'm healthy and have a good slider, things tend to go really good," Latos said. "The past couple of outings, I've had a good slider. I'm healthy and just going out there with a game plan and trying to stick to it."

Danks lost the home opener for the White Sox, although he posted a solid finish in Arizona. Miguel Gonzalez, Jacob Turner and Chris Beck all stand as rotation alternatives at -A Charlotte, but as Hahn explained, don't look for any sort of imminent move.

"A knee-jerk reaction is pretty difficult with the way this group is performing right now," manager Robin Ventura said. "They left Spring Training with us, so there's something there you feel pretty good about. "You are always evaluating that stuff. We also like what we have here. We like the group that is here. Any move you make can affect the team one way or another."

Adam LaRoche's unexpected retirement freed up $13 million for the White Sox to use. But that money is more likely to be allocated towards a hitter or pitcher around the non-waiver Trade Deadline. Getting off to an impressive 7-2 start builds in an extra level of comfort with the current 25.

"Really, when we send the pro scouts out from Spring Training, it's always from the mindset of upgrades at the Major League level and what are we going to do to augment this roster with the list of potential targets and potential positions of need, and all the conversations early in the season are about adds," Hahn said. "Getting off to a good start just reinforces what they're doing out there could very well be important as we get closer to the deadline.

"In an ideal world, you're looking to do it late June to get more starts out of a guy or plate appearances or from the bullpen, so it's not just a two-month or half-season thing. Certainly, the volume of activity now isn't the time when you see a great deal of transactions between clubs. It usually picks up in June and July, with July being the sweet spot.

Mat-nificent: Latos, White Sox sweep Twins By Scott Merkin and Brian Hall / MLB.com | April 14th, 2016 MINNEAPOLIS – Mat Latos put together his second straight quality start and the White Sox produced enough offense against Ervin Santana to claim a 3-1 victory Thursday and sweep the three-game series from the Twins at Target Field.

The White Sox improved to 7-2 overall and a robust 6-1 on the road, while the Twins fell to 0-9. Per MLB Network pregame notes, the Twins are off to the franchise's worst start since the 1904 Washington Senators opened their season with an 0-13-1 mark in their first 14 games. The Twins became the fourth team since 1969 unable to score more than three runs in any of their first nine games, and they have the longest losing streak to start a season since the Tigers started 0-11 in 2002.

"It's always been tough. I don't care if it was in the Metrodome or not. It's always been a tough place to play," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura, whose team improved to 30-30 all-time at Target Field and is off to its best nine-game start since an 8-1 run in 1981. "They always have good teams, and they've always had good managers to go with it. Very great teams, and we're happy to get out of here with what we did and move on."

Latos yielded one run on three hits over six innings, striking out four batters and walking one. In two White Sox trips to the mound, Latos has given up one earned run on four hits and two walks in 12 innings.

"It's getting harder, I'll tell you, to kind of come up with words," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "It's kind of the repetitive story day to day. We get good pitching and just not enough offense once again. Not a lot of opportunities, but we left a couple guys out there. We're just trying to find a way to put some numbers on the board offensively, but it's just not happening right now."

Minnesota's Taylor Rogers, ranked as the club's No. 13 prospect by MLBPipeline.com., made his Major League debut. Rogers, 25, gave up one hit and got the final two outs in the ninth.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Swing and a drive: The ball didn't exactly carry during this three-game series at Target Field, making Garcia's solo homer in the fourth all the more impressive. After battling Santana through a nine-pitch in the second, Garcia connected on a 1-0 pitch for a 424-foot homer. His drive hit the back wall in center.

"Any time you have a nine-pitch at-bat, you start seeing more pitches," Ventura said. "Your timing gets a little bit better. You're seeing it out of his hand a little bit longer. Balls weren't carrying very well today, but the one he got out front, he's strong. Even in right-center, it ends up setting him up for some good at-bats later on that made a difference for us."

Bruised Buxton: Twins outfielder Byron Buxton left the game with a left hand contusion after he was hit by a pitch from Latos in his first at-bat. Buxton stayed in the game and stole second base in the third, but he was replaced in center field by Max Kepler to start the fourth. The team announced X-rays were negative, and he's considered day-to-day.

When the going gets tough: Minnesota's struggle to score runs was exemplified in the sixth after Eddie Rosario led off with a single and stole second base. Joe Mauer sent a slow grounder down the third-base line, which was picked up by White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier. Frazier likely didn't have a play to get Mauer at first, but he was able to catch Rosario too far off second and got an out in a rundown. Trevor Plouffe fouled out and Miguel Sano flew out to center to end the frame. The streak lives on: Matt Albers has now thrown 28 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings over 25 appearances, dating back to Aug. 5, 2015, but Wednesday's extension didn't come without a fight. Byung Ho Park launched a one-out to center, and one out later, Kepler drew a walk. Albers might have had Park on a set pickoff play at second, but he threw the ball into center when he spun around on the move. With runners on second and third, Albers retired Brian Dozier on a weak tapper back to the mound to end the rally.

QUOTABLE "Once we start winning, and everybody starts getting hot, you never know what can happen." -- Frazier "I know we've said this before, it kind of gets redundant, but we're nine games into the season now. 0- and-nine [stinks]. It does. It's bad. But we've got a lot of baseball left to play. I think this is when a man's true character is revealed. Anyone can be happy and work hard when things are going their way. But when your back's against the wall and it's looking bad, this is when your true character comes out. I think you'll see that in this team. I know you'll see it from me. I'm not going to shy away from it. I'll continue to work hard, and we'll get out of this funk. No doubt in my mind." -- Twins third baseman Trevor Plouffe

STREAKING Brett Lawrie has hit in 14 straight games against the Twins for a .351 average, dating back to the second game of a doubleheader on April 17, 2014. It's the second-longest active streak against the Twins, behind Josh Donaldson at 24. Lawrie, who finished 1-for-4 is hitting .265.

ROAD WARRIORS The White Sox started the 2015 season with a 2-12 road record. They opened 2-6 away from home in 2014 and began 0-5 on the road in 2013. They are 6-1 entering this weekend's Rays series.

UPON FURTHER REVIEW Frazier reached with two outs in the eighth on a throwing error by shortstop Eduardo Escobar. The call was challenged by Minnesota manager Paul Molitor, but after video review, the call stood and Frazier remained on first.

WHAT'S NEXT White Sox: Chris Sale stays in his regular rotation spot, despite Sunday's postponement and Tuesday's scheduled off-day, to face the Rays at 6:10 p.m. CT Friday. One of Sale's top career efforts came at Tropicana Field in 2012, when the southpaw fanned 15 over 7 1/3 innings.

Twins: Tommy Milone makes his second start of the season at 7:10 CT Friday against the visiting Angels. Milone retired the first 10 Kansas City batters he faced in his first start before allowing back-to- back homers and giving up four runs (two earned) in a loss.

White Sox Complete Sweep Of Twins Behind Another Mat Latos Gem By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | April 14th, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS -- Don’t look now but the White Sox have produced a pretty good brand of baseball.

The pitching has been outstanding, especially by the starters. The fundamental play has been more than enough. The White Sox have even found a way to produce a clutch hit here and there.

All those factors resulted in a 3-1 White Sox victory over the Minnesota Twins on Thursday afternoon at Target Field to complete their first series sweep in the Land of 10,000 Lakes since September 2012. Avisail Garcia homered and doubled and Mat Latos produced another strong effort as the White Sox improved to 7-2, their best nine-game start since they went 8-1 in 1982.

Todd Frazier also turned in a pair of nice defensive plays for the White Sox, who are 6-1 away from U.S. Cellular Field.

“It has been fantastic,” Latos said. “Everybody is loose. Everybody wants to win. Everybody is pulling for everybody and it doesn’t get no better than right now.”

Slow out of the gate after a fantastic spring, Garcia has begun to drive the ball again. He set the tone for his big day with a lengthy second-inning at-bat against Santana that resulted in a strikeout. Santana needed nine pitches to whiff Garcia, including four sliders.

So when Garcia saw a 1-0 slider the next time up, he destroyed it for a 424-foot solo homer to dead center and a 2-0 lead. Garcia made a park that played big in the series look small as his line drive banged off the back wall above the 411-foot sign.

Three innings later, Garcia tagged Santana again, ripping a first-pitch fastball high off the wall in right center for a leadoff double. Garcia advanced to third on J.B. Shuck’s sac bunt and slid in ahead of Miguel Sano’s throw on Tyler Saladino’s sac fly to make it 3-1.

Garcia is 4-for-12 with three extra-base hits after he started the season only 2-for-17 with a pair of singles.

Jose Abreu also singled in a run for the White Sox.

“Any time you have a nine-pitch at-bat, you start seeing more pitches,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “Your timing gets a little bit better. You’re seeing it out of his hand a little bit longer. Balls weren’t carrying very well today, but the one he got out front, he’s strong. Even in right-center, it ends up setting him up for some good at-bats later on that made a difference for us.”

Latos continues to look much different than he did in March.

He picked up right where he left off last week in Oakland and continued a nice trend by White Sox starters, who have produced seven quality starts in nine games.

The right-hander spotted his fastball just enough and mixed in a nasty curveball/slider combination to keep Twins hitters out of sorts.

Latos allowed a run and three hits in six innings. He struck out four, walked one batter and hit another. White Sox starters improved to 6-2 with a 2.75 ERA this season.

Only Joe Mauer gave Latos any real difficulty.

Mauer worked a first-inning walk after Latos got ahead 0-2 in the count, but couldn’t put him away. The veteran also produced Minnesota’s first hit off Latos in the fourth inning with a leadoff triple past a diving Melky Cabrera. Trevor Plouffe followed with an RBI groundout to make it a one-run game.

But Latos retired nine of his final 11 to keep his team ahead.

Mauer also went the opposite way again in the sixth inning with a man on second base. He appeared to be headed for an infield single on a cue shot to third base until Frazier faked a throw to first -- he had no chance -- and threw behind Eddie Rosario at second base to force him into a rundown. Latos retired Plouffe on a pop out and Miguel Sano on a fly ball to deep left center to end his day.

“Definitely gave me an added boost of adrenaline for sure,” Latos said of the Frazier play. “(Mauer) cued it off the end of the bat and the first thing that popped in my head there was ‘Oh no,’ because we kind of had a shift on him a little bit there. I didn’t know Frazier was that close to the bag, so it was just fortunate that he made that play.”

Latos has only allowed four hits in 12 innings. He’s the first pitcher to allow three or fewer hits in six innings in his first two starts in a White Sox uniform since Esteban Loaiza in 2003. Frazier likes how the White Sox have found ways to win so far.

A former teammate in Cincinnati, Frazier said Latos is commanding pitches like he did with the Reds. But he also noted that Latos is calm, cool and collected.

While Frazier would prefer to make an impact with his bat, he’s done plenty with his glove, part of the collective effort. Beyond the rundown, Frazier also made a diving stop and long throw to first to record the final out for David Robertson, who has converted each of his first five save tries.

“It’s a new guy every day,” Frazier said. “Jerry (Sands) had the yesterday. Avi came up big today with a couple of hits. It seems like it’s somebody else and its fun to watch.

“There’s no way you can get down in the dumps when you are playing for a team like this because you know your time is going to come eventually.

“Once we start winning, and everybody starts getting hot, you never know what can happen.”

Mat Latos, Dioner Navarro Could Force White Sox Hand By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | April 14th, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS -- The White Sox would like to avoid anointing either of their backstops as a pitcher’s personal . But Dioner Navarro and Mat Latos may just force the issue.

Back in February, Latos -- who is making his second 2016 start on Thursday afternoon -- said a big reason he joined the White Sox on a discounted deal is to again work with Navarro, whom he teamed up with for seven starts in Cincinnati in 2012. The right-hander implicitly trusts Navarro, who joked early in spring training he would like to be the “hashtag -- personal catcher” for Latos. Including last Thursday’s one-hitter in Oakland, Latos has a 2.01 ERA in 53 2/3 innings with Navarro behind the dish.

“I don’t want to get into that game already this early in the season, but if they do match up and he continues to pitch like that it might evolve into that,” manager Robin Ventura said.

It’s evident how much Latos likes throwing to Navarro, who didn’t catch him until Aug. 8 of the 2012 season. The two shared a big bear hug when they saw each other on the first day of spring training.

And Latos praised Navarro’s game-calling and gave the veteran catcher all the credit for last Thursday’s start in Oakland. Latos allowed a hit and a walk in dispensing of the Oakland A’s and said he only attempted to shake off Navarro once before he thought better of it.

“He kind of paused and kind of tilted his head at me,” Latos said. “And I stepped off the mound and was like ‘Whatever you want. Ok, boom let’s go.’ Called the pitch and we went after it.”

With Navarro behind the dish, Latos has allowed 34 hits, walked 14 and struck out 44 in 53 2/3 innings. Still, the White Sox probably want to see more evidence before they commit to a Latos-Navarro battery, especially since they also employ Alex Avila.

“I’ll leave that to Robin and Coop,” general manager Rick Hahn said. “I don’t think we’re going to have the quote, unquote personal catcher situation. But that has to be a consideration when Robin’s making the lineup. Both of our guys, Dioner and Alex, have the ability and have previously been full-time so to speak, so there’s no problem using them back-to-back or using them three days in a row, if that’s what the matchups dictate.

“There’s a great deal of faith in both of those guys. Robin’s just going to put whichever one gives us the best chance to win out there on any given day.”

Rick Hahn: Miguel Gonzalez Could Help White Sox At Some Point By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | April 14th, 2016 MINNEAPOLIS — Miguel Gonzalez will make his second start at Triple-A Charlotte sometime this weekend. His first outing pleased the White Sox.

Gonzalez looked sharper than the White Sox expected when he pitched for the Knights on Monday after nearly a two-week layoff, general manager Rick Hahn said. The right-hander allowed two runs and three hits in five innings.

But even more important is that Gonzalez’s velocity appears to be making a comeback. Hahn said he reached 92 to 93 mph on the radar gun. That could be a pleasant development for the White Sox, who would love to boast depth for their starting rotation.

“There was expected to be a little bit of rust, but he really seemed to throw the ball well for those five innings, threw strikes,” Hahn said. “In that first start, he looked good, looked healthy and looked like the kind of guy who conceivably could help us at some point.”

The White Sox signed Gonzalez to a minor league deal on April 3, several days after he was released by the Baltimore Orioles.

With questions looming about whether or not Mat Latos or John Danks could be effective pitchers, the White Sox turned to Gonzalez, who went 30-21 with a 3.45 ERA from 2012 to 2014 before he struggled last season. Both Hahn and White Sox manager Robin Ventura said the team isn’t currently considering any personnel changes, especially with the White Sox off to a 6-2 start.

“We like the group that is here,” Ventura said. “Any move you make can affect the team one way or another.

“A kneejerk reaction is pretty difficult with the way this group is performing right now.”

White Sox Legend/Csn Analyst Bill Melton To Be Next Featured Guest On Inside Look By CSN Staff / CSN Chicago | April 14th, 2016

Chicago, IL (April 14, 2016) – Comcast SportsNet, the television home for the most games and most comprehensive coverage of the Chicago Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs and White Sox, continues to delve into the lives of some of the biggest names in Chicago sports with its candid, monthly, one-on-one interview series Inside Look presented by Cadillac.

Debuting Sunday, April 17 at 3:30 PM CT (following “White Sox Postgame Live”), Comcast SportsNet’s Chuck Garfien hosts an exclusive one-on-one interview with legend/veteran CSN studio analyst Bill Melton. Regarded as one of the all-time White Sox greats, “Beltin’ Bill Melton, a ten-year MLB slugging standout (eight with the White Sox) and the home run champion in 1971 with 33 HRs (the first White Sox player to ever hold that distinction), discusses everything from the rarity of never playing organized baseball other than Little League and wound up being signed by the White Sox right out of high school, winning the AL home run title on the last day of the ’71 season, being embraced by White Sox fans and his unspoken rivalry with Cubs third baseman , returning to the White Sox as a team ambassador and eventual CSN analyst, and much more.

In addition, viewers are urged to check out Comcast SportsNet’s website,CSNChicago.com, for additional interview content never before seen on TV. Fans will also be able to watch every Inside Look guest interview online after it debuts on Comcast SportsNet. Comcast SportsNet will also re-air Inside Look with Bill Melton on the following dates/times: Sun , Apr. 17 at 6:30 PM (on CSN+HD) - Mon, Apr. 18 at 4:00 PM (on CSN+HD) - Wed, Apr. 20 at 4:00 PM - Sat, Apr. 23 at 6:30 PM (on CSN+HD) - Tue, Apr. 26 at 12:30 PM - Sat, Apr. 30 at 6:00 PM - Sun, May 1 at 12:30 PM - Thu, May 5 at 1:00 PM - Sat, May 7 at 8:30 PM (on CSN+HD) & Sun, May 8 at 12 noon (on CSN+HD). (Schedule subject to change).

Note the following quotes from Inside Look with Bill Melton presented by Cadillac premiering Sunday, April 17 at 3:30 PM on Comcast SportsNet:

Melton on never playing organized baseball and getting signed by the White Sox out of high school: “I was playing baseball on Saturdays by the Rose Bowl in California just on weekends, pick-up games. I remember there were a lot of A & AA players out there and that’s where Don Drysdale, Sandy Koufax, and the Dodgers would practice on the fields, but we played there every weekend. Then, an old scout with the White Sox by the name of Hollis Thurston saw me hit two home runs in one game and he said ‘did you ever consider playing ?’ I said I never gave it any thought at all. He said ‘I’ll tell you what…we’re going to go down to Florida in June.’ I said ‘you know what? I do need a job, it’s a nice summer job, so let me go down there and see what I can do.’ That’s how it all started.”

Melton on winning the AL home crown title on the last day of the 1971 season: “I had 30 home runs. and had 32. They had a game left and I played in that game. They didn’t play in their game that day and I hit two that night off Brett Parsons and Jim Slaton with the Milwaukee Brewers. So now, there’s three of us that are tied. 32-32-32. Their season was over. We had a game the next day…and I’m leading off. I go to the clubhouse. I had been out (the night before). The boys had thrown a little party for me on Rush Street. So I get to the ballpark, I remember it was September 30th and it was 95 degrees. I went to the manager and said “you know Chuck, I don’t feel like stealing bases today…you know what I’m saying?...why are you leading me off?’ At that time, what did another home run mean? Was I going to get a million dollar raise? I don’t think so. But the second time up, I hit a fastball out of the ballpark. Chuck Tanner made me go out to third base, I got a nice ovation, and they took me off the field. At five o’clock that evening, I was on a plane back to L.A.”

Melton on being a southside hero and the crosstown rivalry with Cubs third baseman Ron Santo: “I was popular because (the White Sox) never had a power hitter, and the competition was Ron Santo at third base with the Cubs and this young kid Bill Melton with the White Sox. Fans were ecstatic that a guy on the southside could lead the league in home runs or a guy on the southside could hit more home runs than Ron Santo. So, in the bars, it was ‘I bet you Melton hits another home run…I bet you Melton hits more home runs than Santo… I bet you Santo hits more RBIs.’ It was competition between me and Ron Santo, even though he had already been in the big leagues about seven or eight years. So that’s where my popularity kind of came in because when you hit 33 home runs back-to-back, all of a sudden people go ‘is this guy for real?’ because (old Comiskey Park) was a big ballpark.”

Melton on his approach analyzing White Sox baseball on Comcast SportsNet: “I think I’m overall pretty honest with the people. You know…one thing about a Sox fan, you can’t trick ‘em. You know what I’m saying? You just can’t. If they’re sitting there watching on TV, and I try to tell them something like I know about it because I played the game you didn’t…no, it doesn’t work that way.”

Struggling at plate, Todd Frazier comes up big on defense against Twins By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | April 14th, 2016

Todd Frazier was 0-for-4 Thursday in a 3-1 victory over the Twins, but the third baseman made an impact with his defense.

With Eddie Rosario on second base with no outs in the sixth inning, Frazier made a back-handed stop of Joe Mauer's shot down the third-base line. He pump-faked to first, drawing Rosario further off second, and then threw to second baseman Brett Lawrie to start a rundown for the first out.

He also made a diving stop of Byung Ho Park's drive down the line and threw it to first to end the game.

"He does a lot of things besides just his power," Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "When you look at 'Fraz' and his total package, there's more to it than that. The hitting is going to come. … It's just nice to see a rounded player."

Frazier is hitting .162 with two homers and six RBIs, but he said he is not getting too down on himself about his offense yet.

"I'm struggling at the plate, but what are you going to do?" Frazier said. "We are winning games, and we are finding ways. It's a new guy every day. … There's no way you can get down in the dumps when you are playing for a team like this because you know your time is going to come eventually." Good pairing: Mat Latos said he is comfortable throwing to catcher Dioner Navarro, who he knows from his time with the Reds. He praised Navarro multiple times after his first start and has a 1.96 ERA over 592/3 career innings when throwing to him.

Ventura put Navarro in the lineup to catch Latos Thursday because he didn't want Alex Avila catching in a day game after a night game, but he said he will continue to watch how the Latos-Navarro pairing works.

"I don't want to get into that (personal catcher) game already this early in the season," Ventura said. "But if they do match up and he continues to pitch like that, it might evolve into that."

In the minors: Sox general manager Rick Hahn said top prospect Tim Anderson is day to day with a left wrist strain. Anderson played just two games with Triple-A Charlotte before the injury. … Outfielder Courtney Hawkins, beginning his second season with Double-A Birmingham, is out with a mild oblique strain.

Starter Mat Latos continues strong run of White Sox pitching By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | April 14th, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS — Mat Latos said he likes to think of the White Sox pitching staff as a "friendly competition." When one pitcher has a good night, the next one tries to top him.

So far, Latos has kept himself in that game. The right-hander gave up one earned run over six innings Thursday to help the Sox to a 3-1 victory over the Twins. The Sox left Target Field for a three-game visit with the Rays at 7-2, their best nine-game start since 1982.

A lot of the credit goes to the pitching staff, which allowed two runs during the three-game sweep of the 0- 9 Twins. The Sox have seven quality starts and a 2.25 ERA.

"We want to compete with one another and try to outdo each other's starts," Latos said. "Carlos (Rodon) threw the ball really well (Wednesday), and I just tried to basically do the same thing. I put that in the back of my mind that he threw a real good game, and I want to outdo him."

Latos had as much to prove as anyone on the Sox coming into this season. On Thursday, it was proving that his solid first start — six scoreless innings against the A's last week — wasn't a fluke for a pitcher who battled a knee injury and recovery from it the last two seasons.

"You can question one (good outing), but when (he does) it again, you like where he's at," manager Robin Ventura said. "He's in a little bit of a groove, and velocity seems to be there enough to make that curveball very effective."

Latos gave up three hits with a walk, a hit batter and four . The only Twins run scored after Joe Mauer's leadoff triple to left escaped Melky Cabrera's diving reach in the fourth. Mauer scored on Trevor Plouffe's groundout to cut the lead to 2-1.

"Real good sliders," Latos said. "It kept them off balance off the fastball, and then I would locate the fastball when I needed to. … Actually had a good curveball today, too, which was surprising.

"When I'm healthy and have a good slider, things tend to go really good."

The Sox provided just enough hitting, and relievers Matt Albers, Zach Duke, Nate Jones and David Robertson locked down the victory.

After sitting out Wednesday, Avisail Garcia hit his second homer an estimated 424 feet to center off right- hander Ervin Santana. He added a leadoff double in the seventh, advanced on J.B. Shuck's sacrifice bunt and scored on Tyler Saladino's sacrifice fly to right, just beating Miguel Sano's spot-on throw. "Do we want more runs? Of course," third baseman Todd Frazier said. "But if we have to make some plays, some fundamental things, bunt and get the guy over and we hit a sac fly, those are huge runs. When the pitchers are doing the job they are doing, it makes it a lot easier for us hitters."

Thursday's recap: White Sox 3, Twins 1 By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | April 14th, 2016

Avisail Garcia hit his second homer of the season an estimated 424 feet to center field to help the White Sox to a 3-1 victory over the Twins on Thursday at Target Field.

Garcia, back in the lineup after a night off Wednesday, added a leadoff double in the seventh inning. He advanced on J.B. Shuck’s sacrifice bunt and scored on Tyler Saladino’s sacrifice fly to right field, just beating Miguel Sano’s spot-on throw to the plate.

The Sox improved to 7-2, their best nine-game start since they went 8-1 in 1981. The Twins dropped to 0- 9.

At the plate Adam Eaton, who entered Thursday hitting .393, led off the game with a double, and he scored following back-to-back singles from Melky Cabrera and Jose Abreu.

On the mound Right-hander Mat Latos gave up one run on three hits with a walk, a hit batter and four strikeouts over six innings.

In the field Joe Mauer’s leadoff triple to left field escaped Melky Cabrera’s diving reach in the fourth inning, and Mauer scored on Trevor Plouffe’s groundout to cut the Sox lead to 2-1.

Key number 7 – Quality starts over the first nine games for Sox starting pitchers.

The quote “You can get your teeth kicked in by anybody. I know we had a hard time playing these guys the last couple of years. We’ve seen them when they’ve gotten hot and taken it to us. I understand their situation over there, but you don’t let up at all.

“And I don’t think anybody is really looking at it as this is the indication of how they are going to be at the end of the year. So you just continue to play and try to win your games. It’s a league where nobody feels sorry for you.” –Sox manager Robin Ventura on the Twins 0-8 start entering Thursday

Up next At Rays, 6:10 p.m. Friday. LH Chris Sale vs. RH Jake Odorizzi.

White Sox minor-league report: Updates on top prospects By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | April 14th, 2016 White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said he received a promising report about right-hander Miguel Gonzalez's first start in the club's minor-league system.

Gonzalez, who signed a minor-league deal with the Sox last week, hadn't pitched in nearly two weeks when he took the mound for Triple-A Charlotte on Monday, so Hahn said they expected some rust. But he gave up two earned runs — both on homers — on three hits with no walks and five strikeouts over five innings. Gonzalez's velocity was questioned early in spring, but Hahn said it averaged in the low 90s and hit 92-93 mph in some instances.

"In that first start, he looked good, looked healthy and looked like the kind of guy who conceivably could help us at some point," Hahn said.

Fulmer's bumpy start: The Sox were excited about prospect Carson Fulmer's spring showing, but he has gotten off to a slow start at Double-A Birmingham.

In his first start, Fulmer walked four in the third inning before giving up a grand slam to Jacksonville's Brady Shoemaker to end his night. He lasted longer in his second outing, giving up four earned runs on six hits with four walks and three strikeouts in five innings.

Sox manager Robin Ventura said it should be kept in mind that prospects will develop at their own pace.

"That doesn't take away anything he has done during spring training as far as what we've seen," Ventura said. "He's still on the radar. … Whether or not he has a rough outing it doesn't take away from what's he's capable of and what his future holds. He'll develop on his own time, and there's no need to force it and rush it. He'll let you know when he's ready."

Ventura said it's important for Fulmer, the Sox's first-round draft pick last June, to remember not to rush himself to make it to the big leagues, even though that could be a possibility for 2016. He said that's when prospects can lose focus.

"You have to let it breathe a little and let him take care of it on his own," Ventura said.

Injury updates: Hahn said top prospect Tim Anderson has been out with a left wrist strain. The shortstop played just two games with Triple-A Charlotte before the injury. Hahn said he is day to day.

Outfielder Courtney Hawkins, beginning his second season with Double-A Birmingham, is out with a mild oblique strain, Hahn said.

If they keep this up, Cubs, White Sox can make this summer to remember By Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune | April 14th, 2016

After a long, miserable winter, things finally are heating up in Chicago, thanks to our baseball teams.

The Cubs and White Sox have replicated their hot starts from 1907, the year after the first and only all- Chicago World Series.

It may be a little early to start dreaming of a Cubs-White Sox World Series, but then again, it's never too early to dream when spring finally has arrived.

The Sox are 7-2 after Thursday's victory in Minnesota, their best start since going 8-1 in 1982. The Cubs went into Thursday night's game looking to start 8-1 for the first time since, um, 1969.

The only time besides 1906 both teams made the postseason was in 2008, when both flamed out in the Division Series. Joe Maddon's Rays beat the Sox and the Dodgers swept the Cubs.

It's a rarity when both teams get off to hot starts, so let's enjoy this while we can.

According to CSN stats guru Christopher Kamka, the Cubs and Sox each have started 6-2 or better only twice before this season — in 1907 and 1945.

The Cubs went on to the World Series both times, beating the Tigers in 1907 in the first of their back-to- back championships, and losing to the Tigers in '45, the last time they played in a World Series.

So maybe this is a good omen … though they may have said that in April of '69 when the Cubs won 11 of their first 12 games.

The 1907 Sox wound up 87-64, in third-place in the American League, while the '45 team was a mirage, finishing seven games below .500 and sixth in the AL, 15 games behind the Tigers.

Most everyone expected the Cubs to win early and often this year, but they somehow have managed to exceed their own lofty expectations.

The Sox, on the other hand, are a bit of a surprise behind a strong pitching staff that began Thursday ranked second in the majors with a 2.42 earned-run average, just behind the Nationals' 2.25. They lowered it to 2.37 after Mat Latos' gem Thursday, and send ace Chris Sale to the mound Friday to start a three-game series against the Rays in Florida.

The Cubs ranked third in pitching before Thursday's game with a 2.52 ERA, and were tied with the Giants for the major-league lead in runs (56). There don't seem to be any flaws in the lineup, even after losing Kyle Schwarber to a season-ending knee injury.

"We hate to lose Kyle, we're hurting for Kyle, it changes who we are a little bit because he's unique," President Theo Epstein said. "But we're built to withstand some injuries, and to keep fighting and to have the next guy step up."

Both teams stressed the importance of getting off to good starts, particularly the Sox, who stumbled out of the gate last year and never recovered. Sox manager Robin Venturasaid Sunday they needed to prove themselves over a longer stretch for this truly to qualify as a good start.

"We need to go longer," he said. "We have a long (six-game) trip. When you go on the road this long, that kind of decides if it's a good start or not. I wouldn't say just one week into it that's your start. I guess you could blow it early. You can't win it early, but you can sure lose it."

The Sox know that all too well. On May 4 last year they were 8-14 after being swept in a four-game series at Minnesota, seven games out of first place.

A lot can happen before the two teams meet in back-to-back two-game series at U.S. Cellular and Wrigley fields July 25-28.

But if both can keep this up, it's going to be a very hot summer indeed.

White Sox sweep Twins, improve to 7-2 By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times | April 14th, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS — Mat Latos made his second strong start in as many outings, Avisail Garcia hit a 424- foot home run against Ervin Santana, and the White Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Minnesota Twins with a 3-1 victory Thursday afternoon at Target Field.

Latos, the only right-hander in the Sox starting rotation, signed a one-year, $3 million deal in February that, based on what he’s shown in his first two outings, is looking like small money well spent.

Latos followed six innings of one-hit ball at Oakland in his first start with six innings of three-hit pitching against the Twins, this time allowing a run while walking one and striking out four as the Sox improved to 7-2.

The Sox are off to their best start in 34 years. They were 8-1 in 1981.

“It’s fun to watch,’’ Todd Frazier said of the Sox’ start. “There’s no way you can get down in the dumps playing for a team like this. You know your time is going to come eventually, and once everyone gets hot, you never know what can happen.’’

Matt Albers pitched a scoreless seventh, left-hander Zach Duke retired the two lefties he faced and Nate Jones got an out in the eighth before David Robertson closed in the ninth for his fifth save in as many opportunities.

Robertson, who hasn’t allowed a hit this season, struck out two in a perfect inning.

The reeling Twins are 0-9 while the Sox, at 6-1, are off to their best start on the road since they were 6-0 in 1991.

Garcia, after sitting out Wednesday’s game at designated hitter in place of Jerry Sands, hit his second homer with two outs in the fifth to stake Latos to a 2-0 lead. Garcia also doubled off the right-center field wall in the seventh and scored the Sox’ third run on Tyler Saladino’s sacrifice fly after J.B. Shuck bunted him to third.

The Twins, trailing 2-0, got their run against Latos when Joe Mauer led off the fourth with a triple into the left-field corner and scored on Trevor Plouffe’s grounder to shortstop Tyler Saladino with the infield back. Left fielder Cabrera probably took an ill-advised dive toward the line on Mauer’s liner, allowing Mauer three bases instead of one or two.

Latos had his breaking ball working, and spotted his low 90s fastball well enough to keep the Twins’ slumping lineup at bay. He faced one batter over the minimum in his last two innings and finished with a season-high 95 pitches, 61 for strikes.

The Sox opened the game with a double by Adam Eaton, single by Cabrera and RBI single by Jose Abreu to score for the first time in the first inning.

Frazier went 0-for-4 and is 6-for-37 in his first season with the Sox. The third baseman made a heady play in the sixth when the Twins had the tying run on second with no outs. On Mauer’s roller near the bag, Frazier double-pumped toward first and caught Eddie Rosario in a rundown before Latos retired the next two Twins. Frazier ended the game with a diving stop to his right, throwing out Byung Ho Park at first.

The Sox continue a six-game road trip with three games against the this weekend. Chris Sale starts against Jake Odorizzi Friday night.

White Sox notes: Offense, pitching, catching combos By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times | April 14th, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS – The White Sox led baseball with 51 home runs during spring training. That monster mashing hasn’t carried over to the first nine games of the regular season, but so far, a middle of the offensive pack lineup has been more than adequate.

“We have a lot more to come,’’ promised hitting coach Todd Steverson. “We’re in the middle of the pack without everybody hitting on all cylinders just yet, and it’s early and we’re winning ballgames. I’ll take that. I’ll take the Ws over us hitting us .315 and having the reverse record.’’

The Sox (6-2) went into Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Twins ranking seventh in the American League with a .238 batting average. They were ninth in runs with 31, ninth in on-base percentage at .298 and 10th with seven home runs. Nothing to write home about, but after ranking last in most categories in 2015, it looks better. And the coaches and front office are satisfied with the approaches and situational hitting they’ve seen thus far.

“The game is about doing the things your asked to do,’’ Steverson said. “Get it done.’’

“The quality of at-bats has been good,’’ manager Robin Ventura said. “They keep moving the line as far as quality after quality [at-bat]. The younger guys learn from that, you see what the guy in front of you and after you is doing. So there is a nice little roll there of what guys are trying to do.’’

Cleanup man Todd Frazier was hitting .182 but with six RBI and a big three-run home run, Avisail Garcia was at .162 but also has a big three-run homer to hang his hat on. Jimmy Rollins (.207) has a game- winning home run

“Our pitching staff has been phenomenal, our bullpen has been phenomenal,’’ Steverson said. “And we’re finding ways to get runs across the board.’’

Pitching in Sox pitchers led the AL with a 2.41 ERA and a .208 batting average against going into Thursday. They were tied for second in quality starts with six. The bullpen owns a 1.27 ERA with 22 strikeouts over 22 1/3 innings.

Catching on Dioner Navarro caught Mat Latos, and while Latos sang the catcher’s praises after his first outing, Ventura said the day after a night game was the primary reason.

“I don’t want to get into that [personal catcher] game already this early in the season but if they do match up and he continues to pitch like that it might evolve into that,’’ Ventura said.

No mercy Ventura said there is no letting the guard down facing a winless team. Especially at a park where the Sox were 2-8 last season.

“No. You can get your teeth kicked in by anybody,’’ Ventura said. “I know we had a hard time playing these guys the last couple of years. We’ve seen them when they’ve gotten hot and taken it to us. I understand their situation over there but you don’t let up at all.

“So you just continue to play and try to win your games. It’s a league where nobody feels sorry for you.’’

Winning is fun and fun is winning General manager Rick Hahn, on enjoying the Sox’ good start after three consecutive losing seasons: “I’m not checking the standings just yet,’’ Hahn said. “I do know that for all of us in the front office and White Sox fans it’s been real enjoyable this week and you go to bed feeling good about where things sit.”

Twins lose again as White Sox sweep with 3-1 win By The Associated Press | April 14th, 2016

MINNEAPOLIS -- Trevor Plouffe lingered in the dugout after Minnesota's ninth straight loss to open the season, staring at the diamond in disappointment.

The bewildered Twins were left wondering how to explain this streak, let alone break it. Stumbling Thursday to the worst start by a major league team in 13 years, the Twins were beaten by Mat Latos, Avisail Garcia and the Chicago White Sox 3-1.

"We're all frustrated. You can't hide that. It's probably about the worst-case scenario for us to start a season, and we know that," said Plouffe, who drove in the only run with a groundout in the fourth inning. The Twins have scored only 14 runs. They're hitting .076 with runners in scoring position. According to STATS research, the last team in the majors to begin the year 0-9 was Detroit in 2003, when the Tigers finished 43-119. The Atlanta Braves also dropped to 0-9 on Thursday with a loss at Washington.

"Everybody's kind of down right now because I know we don't score a lot of runs," said Ervin Santana (0- 1), the latest starting pitcher to lack support. He allowed three runs in seven innings.

The White Sox (7-2) won their fourth in a row, extending their best start since an 8-1 run in 1982. They're 6-1 on the road after recording their first sweep at Minnesota since 2012.

Latos (2-0) gave up one run and three hits in six innings, his second straight dominant turn with his new team.

"It's getting harder, I'll tell you, to kind of come up with words," manager Paul Molitor said. "It's kind of the repetitive story day to day. We get good pitching and just not enough offense once again."

Garcia homered in the fourth and hit a double about as hard leading off the seventh inning and came around on a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly to push the lead to 3-1, and that was all the White Sox needed.

Joe Mauer, one of only two Twins regulars batting better than .167, tripled to begin the fourth and scored to snap a 17-inning shutout streak.

They were on the verge of another run in the sixth after Eddie Rosario's leadoff single and stolen base. Mauer hit a grounder down the line that Todd Frazier fielded well behind the base and likely wouldn't have been able to throw over in time to beat Mauer. Instead, Frazier pump faked and caught Rosario trying to advance to third. Rosario was out in a rundown.

"I was going to fake it and throw it no matter what, whether he was off by a little bit or not," Frazier said. "Great opportunity."

Latos retired the next two batters.

"Definitely an added boost of adrenaline, that's for sure," Latos said.

With reliever Matt Albers on the mound in the seventh, the Twins had runners at second and third with two outs after the right-hander's pickoff throw to second base sailed into center field for an error. Brian Dozier grounded out weakly back to the mound.

"We've got a lot of baseball left to play," Plouffe said. "I think this is when a man's true character is revealed. Anyone can be happy and work hard when things are going their way."

TRAINER'S ROOM White Sox: Dioner Navarro was behind the plate for the fourth time this season, two with Latos on the mound. Manager Robin Ventura was hesitant to declare Navarro, who has shared the position with Alex Avila, the personal catcher for Latos, but he indicated the possibility of such an arrangement.

Twins: CF Byron Buxton bruised his left hand when he was hit by a pitch from Latos in the third. Buxton stayed in the game and stole a base before being replaced by Max Kepler in the bottom of the inning. Buxton's X-rays showed no broken bones, but Molitor said he'd likely be out for a few days.

UP NEXT White Sox: LHP Chris Sale (2-0, 3.86 ERA) will start the three-game series opener Friday at Tampa Bay. He has thrown exactly seven innings five straight times, dating to Sept. 18, 2015. The Rays will counter with RHP Jake Odorizzi (0-1, 3.86 ERA).

Twins: LHP Tommy Milone (0-1, 3.86 ERA) will take the mound Friday, when the arrive for three games. RHP Garrett Richards (0-2, 3.86 ERA) will start for the visiting team.

White Sox keep cleaning up in hotter-than-usual spring start By Jon Greenberg / The Athletic | April 14th, 2016 On Thursday afternoon in Minnesota, the Sox finished off a three-game sweep of the winless (0-9) Twins with a 3-1 victory. That improved their record to 7-2, the franchise’s best since going 8-1 back in 1981.

It’s early. But that’s good.

One of the biggest narratives at SoxFest was a familiar one: How important is it to get off to a good start?

We had no metrics to determine what a good start was, or even any proof that it’s true. We were just armed with common sense. Wins are better than losses, that kind of stuff.

“The past two years I’ve always said it’s not a big deal, but I truly believe it is a big deal now that I’ve been in the league more than two years,” Sox outfielder Adam Eaton said then. “It’s important to get off to a good start to show the league we’re for real and to build confidence in our team and in our organization that we can win and win early.”

Stacking up wins is also good for the team’s coffers because Sox fans will support a winner. Maybe not in April or May, but they come out when school is out and the weather and team are good. “We’ve analyzed our data and we know it’s important to sell tickets 10 to 14 days before a series,” White Sox vice president of sales and marketing Brooks Boyer said recently. “Sometimes that goes down to three to seven days, depending on the matchups. In April and May, weather is very important to us. Team performance drives sales for June, July and August.”

Manager Robin Ventura is in the last year of his contract and in the previous three seasons, his team had never been more than two games over .500, and they had only done that four times over a two-year span. In 2015, their high-water mark was 18-17. The consensus was he could be launched if the Sox’s start was particularly wretched.

“You want to win just because you want your team to get off to a good start, you want to make a good run at it,” Ventura said at SoxFest. “Besides I have one year on my contract. That’s not a secret. Regardless of that I would want to win just as many games early on if I had 10 years, it doesn’t matter. The competitive part of everyone, we want to get off to a good start. That much is for sure.”

The Sox were 8-11 last April. They got off to an 0-4 start they never really recovered from, as crazy as that sounds. Through nine games they were 3-6 and had a -15 run differential (25 runs scored, 40 scored against).

The Sox are +12 in runs so far, just 34 scored and just 22 given up. In a past life, we’d call this OzzieBall. Now, we don’t really know if this is an identity yet?

So how are the Sox winning?

The defense has been much cleaner this year — third baseman Todd Frazier ended the game with a nice pick and throw — and that edge that had been so dull in past years past has seemingly returned. A lot of the Sox’s fundamental mistakes that have tortured their fanbase have been diminished or eliminated. This team is, dare I say it, fun to watch again.

Mat Latos, the team’s biggest non-John Danks wild card going into the season, pitched six innings and gave up one run on three hits and a walk. He struck out four and gave up one extra -base hit, a triple to Joe Mauer, of all people. He’s given up just that one run in 12 innings through two starts. Team MVP “Hey Hey It’s” Matt Albers pitched a scoreless seventh — he hasn’t given up a run in six innings this season — and Zach Duke, Nate Jones and David Robertson finished off the win.

The Sox relievers have a 1.10 ERA so far, while the starters are at 2.80. Sox pitching coach Don Cooper deserves a raise, right?

(Sorry, Coop got on my computer.)

Eventually, the Sox are going to start pitching to better lineups, but hey, they didn’t make the schedule.

Subpar opponents or not, the Sox have won six of seven on the road, perhaps inspired by Hawk Harrelson’s presence. Last year, they went 2-8 on the road in April, and 36-45 for the season. Chicago won two of three in Oakland then a split a weather-shortened series against Cleveland in Chicago before their sweep of the Twins. They start a weekend series against the Rays (3 -6) Friday in St. Petersburg and then return to Chicago for a seven-game homestand against the Angels (5-4) and Rangers (5-5).

The Rays (24 runs) and Angels (26 runs) have worse offenses than the Sox, but the Rangers (42 runs) are dangerous, with 24 extra-base hits so far.

Is it sustainable for the Sox to win 78 percent of their games scoring 3.8 runs per game? No. But Frazier’s .143 BABIP (batting average balls in play) isn’t sustainable either. This isn’t an offensive juggernaut, but it’s not the Winning Ugly Sox either.

At least designated hitter/outfielder Avisail Garcia is showing a little power. He hit his second homer in his past three games Thursday.

Eaton’s words at SoxFest have proved prophetic. Last year, his April slash line was .192/.241/.251. He had 15 hits (along with five walks) in 78 at-bats. He scored seven runs.

This year, through nine games, his slash line is .393/.452/.500. He has 11 hits in 28 at-bats. He’s only scored three runs so far, with one of them coming Thursday.

Facing Ervin Santana, Eaton doubled to left to start the game and moved to third on Melky Cabrera’s single. Jose Abreu knocked in Eaton with another single. The Sox only scored one run that inning, but it was the team’s first in a first inning this season.