White Sox Headlines of May 28, 2017
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WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF MAY 28, 2017 “Gonzalez aiming to get back on winning track” … Fabian Ardaya, MLB.com “White Sox sign Cuban OF prospect Robert” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Engel relishes whirlwind Saturday in Chicago” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “White Sox rally comes up short vs. Tigers” … Fabian Ardaya & Scott Merkin “Danish, Sox blank Tigers for DH-opening win” … Fabian Ardaya & Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Saladino to DL with back spasms; Engel up” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “White Sox execs thrilled to add Robert” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Moves have White Sox positioned for bright future” … Phil Rogers, MLB.com “After getting shut down by Buck Farmer, White Sox ninth-inning rally falls short” … Vinnie Duber, CSN Chicago “White Sox courting of Luis Robert Leads to ‘Christmas in May’” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Tyler Danish gets win in first big league start as White Sox beat Tigers in first game of doubleheader” … Vinnie Duber, CSN Chicago “How White Sox tradition of Cuban players helped them land Luis Robert” … Vinnie Duber, CSN Chicago “Nerve issuses send Tyler Saladino to DL, White Sox bring up outfielder Adam Engel” … Vinnie Duber, CSN Chicago “Luis Robert will start journey through White Sox Oranization in Dominican Summer League” … Vinnie Duber, CSN Chicago “Luis Robert a big addition to White Sox's rebuilding project” … Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune “White Sox split doubleheader with Tigers but Tyler Danish earns 1st big-league victory” … Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune “White Sox officially welcome aboard Cuban phenom Luis Robert… Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune “White Sox comeback falls short in 4-3 loss to Tigers in Game 2 of doubleheader” … Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune “White Sox find reasons to stay positive while Cubs start resembling selves” … David Haugh, Chicago Tribune “Tyler Danish impresses in his first major-league start” … David Just, Chicago Sun-Times “Everything you need to know about Luis Robert” … David Just, Chicago Sun-Times “Sox prospect Luis Robert makes his ‘debut’ at Guaranteed Rate Field” … David Just, Chicago Sun-Times “Chicago White Sox's Danish starts, gets first win” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “Rave reviews for Giolito and his no-hitter” … Jason Benetti, Special to the Daily Herald “After years of pursuit, Chicago White Sox sign Luis Robert” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “Why The White Sox Landed Luis Robert” … Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago Gonzalez aiming to get back on winning track By Fabian Ardaya / MLB.com | May 28, 2017 Chicago White Sox right-hander Miguel Gonzalez will be looking for a belated birthday gift on Sunday afternoon as he gets the nod against the Detroit Tigers in a four-game series finale. Gonzalez, who turned 33 on Saturday, will face off against Tigers right-hander Jordan Zimmermann, looking to put an exclamation point on a strong start to Chicago's seven-game homestand. Zimmermann is looking to bounce back after a rough start to his 2017 season. After posting a 9-7 record with a 4.87 ERA in his first season in Detroit, he's gone 4-3 with a 5.86 ERA through his first nine starts this year. He's given up fewer than three runs just once this season -- in his first start against Boston on April 8 -- and allowed four or more in all but one start since. He's had mixed results against Chicago in his career, posting a 4-1 record but with a 4.59 ERA to go with it in six starts. Gonzalez is looking to snap a five-game losing streak, taking the decision in each of his last five outings. After posting a 3.27 ERA in April, he has seen that mark balloon to 6.45 across four May starts. He struggled April 30 at Detroit, giving up seven runs (six earned) in six innings while taking the loss. The right-hander is 2-5 with a 7.65 ERA in 10 career appearances against the Tigers. Three things to know about the game • The Tigers' offense has been quiet since arriving in Chicago, in part because Detroit has struggled to make contact. The Tigers struck out a combined 42 times through the first three games of the series, including eight times in the final three innings of Saturday's first game. • The offensive struggles have also applied when the Tigers have been able to get men on base, as they stranded 32 runners through the series' first three games. The first leg of Saturday's doubleheader saw the Tigers walk nine times while still being shut out, the second-largest figure in franchise history and highest total since June 19, 1977. The Tigers had the bases loaded in each of the first three games of the series, and didn't produce any runs until Saturday's two-run seventh inning. "Right now, we're just not getting the big hit," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "We've had men on base -- plenty of men on base -- but we're just not coming up with the big hit. At some point we will, and we'll break the ice and we'll be fine. Today, that obviously wasn't the case." • The White Sox have been on a bit of a power surge lately. Before Saturday's 3-0 win in the first leg of their doubleheader with Detroit, the South Siders had homered in 11 consecutive games. They got a pair of big flies on Friday off the bats of Matt Davidson and Melky Cabrera. White Sox sign Cuban OF prospect Robert Teen is top-ranked international amateur player By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | May 27th, 2017 CHICAGO -- A few formalities needed to take place Saturday morning at the Guaranteed Rate Field Conference and Learning Center before Luis Robert officially could become a member of the White Sox. With chairman Jerry Reinsdorf and executive vice president Ken Williams among many from the organization looking on, the 19-year-old Robert sat next to general manager Rick Hahn and signed his first professional contract. It was a Minor League deal for the 6-foot-3, 205-pound outfielder, including a $26 million signing bonus. Robert received his first White Sox jersey, then signed a jersey and a baseball for his first official autographs. The young Cuban is the No. 1 international free agent, according to MLBPipeline.com, and he will be yet another important piece in the club's ongoing rebuilding effort. "I feel good, very good," Robert said through interpreter Billy Russo. "I'm happy and I'm proud to be part of the White Sox organization. I feel good because all the sacrifices I've had to do to leave Cuba have already paid off. This is what I wanted." "In adding Luis to our organization, we feel we've added another dynamic potential talent," Hahn said. "Luis, who we view having the potential to be an impact center fielder for the long term, provides a special combination of power and speed that's unique in this game to get today, and he instantly becomes one of our top position-player prospects and one of the top outfield prospects in the game." While 10 of the top 11 White Sox prospects have been acquired via trade or through the 2016 MLB Draft, Robert marks the first significant financial investment during the process. It is the second-highest bonus for an international amateur under the current signing guidelines. Yoan Moncada, Robert's Cuban countryman and now teammate within the White Sox organization, set the record through his $31.5 million deal with the Red Sox in 2015. This signing continues the franchise's long and storied Cuban connection, including the great Minnie Minoso, pitchers Jose Contreras and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez from the 2005 World Series champions, shortstop Alexei Ramirez, outfielder Dayan Viciedo and current first baseman Jose Abreu. Abreu agreed to terms on a six-year, $68 million deal prior to the 2014 campaign, although he opted into arbitration prior to the '17 season and is currently earning $10.825 million. Abreu mentored and befriended Moncada during Spring Training, and he figures to do the same along the way with Robert. "It was certainly part of our identity that we presented to him to help inform him about where we were and the level of success that we've had with similar type players," Hahn said. "It was the talent that drew us to Luis, not the heritage, obviously. We certainly felt we had a good nurturing developmental environment for a player with his background." "I feel comfortable with this team, with the people that I met with," Robert said. "I picked the Chicago White Sox because it was the team that scouted me most." A video also was put together by the White Sox for Robert with messages from Abreu, manager Rick Renteria and reliever Michael Ynoa, who shares an offseason physical trainer with Robert. The presentation included a virtual reality tour around the stadium, but one message from Renteria stood out in particular. "Ricky Renteria was talking straight to me, saying they need me here to win several championships," Robert said. If things pan out in the next few years, the White Sox could feature up-the-middle strength of Zack Collins at catcher, Moncada at second, Tim Anderson at shortstop and Robert in center. Robert enters MLBPipeline's Top 100 prospects at No. 26 and checks in at No. 3 for the White Sox. His White Sox career begins this summer as part of the Dominican Summer League team. "Being able to acquire a premium talent at the cost of -- Jerry should plug his ears -- only money made the most sense for the organization," Hahn said.