Headlines of August 6, 2015 “Patient Avi walks tall with game on the line” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “White Sox walk off with finale win on walk” … Greg Garno and Bill Chastain, MLB.com “Rodon pulled early after not attacking zone” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Sale fighting command, not velocity” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Jones ready to put exclamation on comeback” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Danks tries to provide lift to White Sox in Kansas City” … Greg Garno, MLB.com “John Danks is your White Sox ace, and why that's a good thing” … Steve Rosenbloom, Chicago Tribune “Dave Dombrowski would be a good fit as White Sox president” … Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune “White Sox walk away with a victory, but Carlos Rodon outing problematical” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Wednesday's recap: White Sox 6, Rays 5 (10 innings)” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Robin Ventura: Despite recent struggles, Chris Sale won't skip a start” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Nate Jones back after hitting 100 mph during minor-league rehab” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Snakes in the ballpark: Shedd Aquarium brought a boa to U.S. Cellular” … Blair Sheade, Chicago Sun Times “White Sox fan runs onto field, avoids five security guards” … Blair Sheade, Chicago Sun Times “White Sox win on walk-off walk” … Blair Sheade, Chicago Sun Times “Avisail Garcia drives in four runs as White Sox tip Rays in 10 innings” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun Times “Victoria’s Secret supermodel Taylor Hill at White Sox game” … Dan Cahill, Chicago Sun Times “Nate Jones back in Chicago White Sox' bullpen” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “White Sox showing a shorter leash with Carlos Rodon” … Doug Padilla, ESPNChicago.com “White Sox beat Rays 6-5 on walk-off walk” … Associated Press, ESPN.com “Rapid Reaction: White Sox 6, Rays 5” … Doug Padilla, ESPNChicago.com “Nate Jones returns possibly better than ever” … Doug Padilla, ESPNChicago.com “White Sox deny that struggling Chris Sale is ailing” … Doug Padilla, ESPNChicago.com “Avisail Garcia drives in four as White Sox top Rays in 10” … Dan Hayes, CSN “Rays' Boxberger not a fan of Cash's call to walk batters in loss to White Sox” … Dan Hayes, CSN “White Sox: Carlos Rodon OK with Robin Ventura's call for bullpen” … Dan Hayes, CSN “Home run a 'step in right direction' for Avisail Garcia” … Dan Hayes, CSN “'Long road' leads Nate Jones back to White Sox” … Dan Hayes, CSN “Athletic Thompson family reaches new heights” … Steve Aschburner, NBA.com “Levine: White Sox Have No Plans To Rest Struggling Chris Sale” … Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago
Patient Avi walks tall with game on the line Slugger hits 3-run homer, takes walk-off walk By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | August 5th, 2015
CHICAGO -- Avisail Garcia hit a three-run homer in the first inning of Wednesday's 6-5 White Sox victory over the Rays in 10 innings that carried 420 feet to left field. That second homer in two at-bats dating back to the end of Tuesday's game was a good sign for the right fielder, who has been working on timing and using his hands more instead of his body in the swing.
But it was Garcia's patience in the 10th that stood out on this day. Garcia drew the rare walk-off walk from Tampa Bay closer Brad Boxberger to force home Adam Eaton and ensure the White Sox (51-55) would not go 0-6 against the Rays this season.
That walk was Garcia's 21st against 99 strikeouts. "Yeah. I was trying to be relaxed, focused, looking for a good pitch," said Garcia, who has nine home runs, 38 RBIs and a .315 on-base percentage. "Don't try to do too much because it's one out, the bases loaded. I just tried to be focused and be patient."
"For him to be able to do that and look comfortable doing it, not looking like he had a trigger finger going … ," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura. "But he needs to do that. That's part of the rumor going around about him, he's going to swing at everything. He's got to be able to shorten up and be able to get it in the zone and do something with it."
Garcia's free pass served as the final moment of an interesting 10th, ultimately pushing the White Sox record in extra innings to 9-3. Eaton singled, swiped second and went to third when the ball glanced off shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera's glove, hit him in the right side of the face and rolled away. After a Tyler Saladino flyout, in which third-base coach Joe McEwing held Eaton, Rays manager Kevin Cash elected to intentionally walk Jose Abreu and Melky Cabrera.
Boxberger unintentionally walked Garcia, not really coming close on the four pitches out of the zone. Garcia now has a walk and a hit-by-pitch to end games this season.
"I'm working really hard with [hitting coach Todd] Steverson and the manager a little, too," Garcia said. "Just trying to be focused and trying to swing at good pitches and trying to learn how they are going to throw to me."
"Avisail's an aggressive hitter, but he stayed patient, which was great," Eaton said. "It was a crazy day, and to have a walk-off walk is par for the course for the day."
White Sox walk off with finale win on walk By Greg Garno and Bill Chastain / MLB.com | August 5th, 2015
CHICAGO -- Adam Eaton scored on a bases-loaded walk to Avisail Garcia in the 10th inning as the White Sox defeated the Rays, 6-5, on Wednesday at U.S. Cellular Field.
Eaton singled and stole second, reaching third on Asdrubal Cabrera's error. Rays reliever Brad Boxberger then intentionally walked Jose Abreu and Melky Cabrera before losing Garcia on five pitches.
Chicago prevailed despite blowing a 5-0 lead it built in the first inning. Reliever Zach Duke surrendered a game-tying double in the eighth after starter Carlos Rodon allowed two runs in the third and two more in the fifth. David Robertson pitched two scoreless innings to earn the win for the White Sox.
"We needed the win," Robertson said. "We didn't play too well the last two days and when you don't play well you don't win games. We started out really hot today and just let this one slip into a really tough game."
Evan Longoria and Cabrera finished a combined 7-for-10 with three RBIs and three extra-base hits for the Rays, who finished 5-1 against the White Sox this season.
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Ready to roll: The White Sox wasted little time jumping on the board, as the first five batters in the lineup scored in the first inning. Abreu hit an RBI single, Cabrera reached on a ground-rule double before both scored on Garcia's three-run homer. It was a rare burst to begin the game for Chicago, which is still being outscored, 80-51, in the first frame.
Short session: Rodon tested the patience of manager Robin Ventura, who pulled the rookie after he allowed four runs on six hits over 4 2/3 innings. The left-hander was roughed up for eight runs across three innings in his last outing, and Ventura pulled him before he could earn the win. Even in the second inning, when Rodon had allowed two runners to reach base, Ventura began to warm up Matt Albers in the bullpen. Rodon has lasted fewer than seven innings in each of his starts this season, earning the victory only once in his last seven games. "It's a decision that the manager has to make, and you go with that and what's best for the team," said Rodon, on his early exit. "I totally understand the circumstances and the outcome, and I agree with it. That's all you can do."
Unflappable Erasmo: Erasmo Ramirez has been solid all season. Entering Wednesday's start, he had allowed one earned run or fewer in seven of his previous eight starts. But the White Sox ambushed the right-hander for five runs in the first to take a 5-0 lead. Despite being down, Ramirez continued to grind, adding five scoreless frames to his line before leaving the game prior to the seventh inning with the White Sox ahead, 5-4. He came away with a no-decision.
QUOTABLE
"If only the first inning didn't count. Erasmo, I don't think he was that sharp throughout the entire game. But he did a good job of honing it in enough to limit them. They just came out in attack mode early on and we couldn't stop them that first inning. I guess that's just the way it goes sometimes." -- Rays manager Kevin Cash, on the first inning
"Hopefully, we're going in the right way, and hopefully, we can start streaking for about a month or two. We've definitely been Jeckyl and Hyde, where it's been one or the other. Hopefully, we can get on the good side of things and roll a little bit here." -- Eaton, after his team won seven straight games, then dropped five of its next seven
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
The Rays endured their eighth walk-off loss, tied for the Major League lead and tops in the American League.
UNDER FURTHER REVIEW
Asdrubal Cabrera got caught in a rundown between first and second when he rounded the base too far after he singled in the seventh. He ended up in a foot race with shortstop Alexei Ramirez, who dove to tag him out. After 1 minute 50 seconds, a decision was made that the call on the field stood.
WHAT'S NEXT
Rays: Jake Odorizzi will make his 18th start of the season and his first career start, or appearance, against the Mets on Friday. He is 3-3 with a 3.52 ERA in eight career Interleague appearances, but he is 0-2 with a 6.30 ERA in four career starts against National League East opponents. First pitch at Tropicana Field is set for 7:10 p.m. ET.
White Sox: After a day off Thursday, the White Sox travel to Kansas City for a three-game series against the American League Central Division leaders. John Danks takes the mound for the fourth time against the Royals this season, carrying a 2-1 record and 3.57 ERA in those outings. Friday's first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. CT.
Rodon pulled early after not attacking zone Rookie unable to work efficiently with big lead By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | August 5th, 2015
CHICAGO -- All games count the same, as Major League baseball players often say. But there was an indication early Wednesday afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field as to the importance of a win over the Rays for the White Sox.
After the White Sox struck for five runs in the first inning, rookie hurler Carlos Rodon gave up two singles and a walk to fellow rookie Richie Shaffer to load the bases with one out in the second. At that point, manager Robin Ventura had Matt Albers start to warm up in the bullpen.
Rodon escaped that jam unscathed, but he left in the fifth. He departed with two outs after hitting a batter, allowing an Evan Longoria home run and walking Logan Forsythe. In a game the White Sox eventually won by a 6-5 margin in 10 innings, the team victory ranked as more important than having Rodon qualify with five full innings for a win.
"[Rodon] was getting a little erratic. I think that's part of him going through walking a guy, getting behind in counts and things like that," said Ventura. "Once we get that lead, you want to see a guy attacking the zone. "Today just wasn't quite that, so we felt it was best to start using up the bullpen somewhat. It just seemed like one of those days to get him out of there."
Four White Sox relievers combined to allow one run, which did tie the game in the eighth, culminating with two scoreless innings from closer David Robertson. But the pitching story for this day centered on Rodon, who has walked 50 over 84 2/3 innings and has been victimized by the big inning in two of his last three starts against the Cardinals and Yankees.
Although he didn't seem thrilled with the early hook at the time, Rodon understood the move.
"It's a decision that the manager has to make, and you go with that and what's best for the team," said Rodon, who threw 49 of his 81 pitches for strikes. "I totally understand the circumstances and the outcome, and I agree with it. That's all you can do."
"You have to be able to go out there and throw strike one and get that first guy out. Not give them any free opportunities," Ventura said. "It's the development, but we are in here to win games, too. There's days it's going to be like this."
This situation stands as part of the Rodon learning curve, in the midst of a team making an uphill climb toward the postseason with only 56 games remaining.
"Just figuring out hitters, figuring out what I need to do," said Rodon of that learning process. "I mean, it's pretty simple when you say it out loud, but it's a little difficult when you get in the game. But that's the way the game is. This is the best of the best."
Sale fighting command, not velocity Left-hander has strung together two subpar starts By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | August 5th, 2015
CHICAGO -- White Sox left-hander Chris Sale will make his scheduled start Monday at home against the Angels, pitching with one extra day of rest because of Thursday's scheduled off-day. He has not been affected by being hit with a line drive in his left thigh last Thursday at Fenway Park, and he feels good overall.
So mound struggles over his past two starts simply can be classified as moments reminding the White Sox that their ace hurler is human after posting eight straight games with double-digit strikeouts from May 23 to June 30.
"Again, you look around the league and there's some other great pitchers that have had some struggles as well," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "But do I want to run him out there every five days? Absolutely. I'm not less excited to throw him out there.
"I'm excited every time he goes out there, and we're confident every time he goes out there. He is human, and that's part of going through a long season. There's going to be some ups and downs, but for him, when he goes out there, there's a chance he could do something special, and there's a chance something like that could happen. So, it's a tough couple games for him, but he's always been able to bounce back."
In his past two starts against the Red Sox and the Rays, Sale has allowed 14 earned runs on 18 hits and four walks over 10 1/3 innings. His location has been off, and with his fastball seemingly a problem in that area Tuesday, Sale threw only 43 compared to 34 changeups and 30 sliders, according to Brooks Baseball.
But with 16 strikeouts in those two starts and no clear-cut indicators of trouble, Ventura has no plans to give Sale a rest, as has been done in the past with the four-time All-Star.
"I know in the past we've done that, but that's with his velocity. He'd start getting really, low 90s, almost 80s at some point, where most of his pitches were like that," Ventura said. "That's not what it is. Again, you take your chances with a guy like that. If it's something physical, we'd definitely do that. We're always going to err on the side for him to do that, but he doesn't feel that way, and we don't feel that way. "It's possible that command might not have been there, but the fastballs that he threw, they hit pretty far. He's got other pitches. I think they were sitting fastball. They got him early and hit some homers, so he readjusted and went with some offspeed stuff. And I think good pitchers will be able to do that. They'll go off of that. But when he has his really good fastball he can locate, it makes him even tougher."
Jones ready to put exclamation on comeback Reliever returns to bullpen following Tommy John surgery By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | August 5th, 2015
CHICAGO -- It was July 29, 2014, when an injury-plagued season came to an end for Nate Jones via Tommy John surgery. A little more than one year later, the 29-year-old right-hander has returned to the White Sox.
Jones was brought back from his rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Charlotte and reinstated from the 60-day disabled list prior to Wednesday's series finale with the Rays. Daniel Webb was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a back strain.
Over nine games with Class A Winston-Salem and Charlotte, Jones compiled a 1.93 ERA. He also was reported to be hitting 100 mph on the radar gun, which an exceedingly upbeat Jones said was not necessarily a function of the adrenaline kicking in as he primed for a comeback.
"What was going on is what I have," Jones said. "It's what I pitch with, and I was fortunate enough to have those seven or eight [simulated] games before I started the rehab process, and that allowed me to test it there instead of going out into the game and being timid about it.
"It was definitely a good test, going down to Winston and Charlotte. It was nice to see the hitters' reaction, what they're doing, and adjusting my game to that, and seeing how I react after I was done throwing, because it's a different intensity level with the lights on and everything. Everything went well."
That forgettable 2014 season for Jones involved two games, two hits and four earned runs, three walks, no batters retired and a pair of surgeries. A May 5 microdiscectomy preceded Tommy John surgery and was an offshoot of back and hip problems that bothered him at the outset of Spring Training.
But a goal was set to return by the 2015 All-Star break, and Jones just missed his target. He certainly isn't going to fret over a few weeks.
"I'm pretty excited about it," Jones said. "It's going to be hard to contain it out there whenever I do get to pitch, but I think after that first pitch, we can finally put a closing on the whole rehab process, so I'm looking forward to that. We've done pretty good working hard and everything's paid off so far."
"Nate probably had another game to do something else before --- we probably had four more days without him," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "But with Webby going down, he seemed like the logical choice to get him back here and get him back in action. He has worked hard. We've seen him off and on here. He comes in, works and we get some updates. For a guy that you have that surgery and work your way back, it's a long road, and he deserves to be here."
Danks tries to provide lift to White Sox in Kansas City By Greg Garno / MLB.com | August 5th, 2015
The Royals and White Sox have seen each other for three different series -- 10 games -- this season, and starters Edinson Volquez and John Danks have pitched in three of those contests. And now for the fourth time, Volquez and Danks will face off against each other when the teams begin a three-game series on Friday at Kauffman Stadium.
Chicago has gone 2-1 in those games as Danks earned both victories. He has allowed seven earned runs in 17 2/3 innings, including six scoreless frames in his last outing against Kansas City. Volquez may own a 1-2 record in those three games, but he has allowed just three earned runs in 20 innings against the White Sox. He allowed two earned runs in 6 1/3 innings in a losing effort against Danks in July.
Things to know about this game
• The Royals have outscored the White Sox, 44-28, in 10 games this season, including 15-11 in their last four-game series. Kansas City is 7-3 this season against its American League Central opponents.
• Danks is much less effective when he pitches on the road this season. The lefty carries a 6.29 ERA away from home, compared to a 3.70 ERA at U.S. Cellular Field.
• Only three Royals -- Eric Hosmer, Omar Infante and Kendrys Morales -- have a batting average above .200 against Danks in their careers. Hosmer leads all batters with a .286 average.
John Danks is your White Sox ace, and why that's a good thing Steve Rosenbloom, Chicago Tribune | August 6, 2015
John Danks is your ace this week. G’night, White Sox fans. Drive home safely.
Danks has been better than Chris Sale the last time through the rotation. Better than Jeff Samardzija. Better than all of them.
Not to make you suicidal, but Danks is the only Sox starter to get a win in their, um, playoff push. I just wrote “playoff push’’ with a straight face. Sorta.
Anyway, Sale has lost consecutive games, which hasn’t happened in two years. The Red Sox and Rays rocked Sale for seven earned runs in each of his last two starts. He looks tired -- see his 7.61 ERA since the All-Star Game for details -- and needs a rest, but the Sox won’t give him one.
You know who else looks like he needs a rest? Carlos Rodon, that’s who.
Like Sale, Rodon has allowed 14 earned runs his last two outings. What’s worse, Rodon was given a five-run lead in the first inning Wednesday and couldn’t even qualify for the win.
It’s hard to make a 5-0 lead unwatchable, so, congratulations, Sox.
They gained no ground in their, um, playoff push, which includes trailing a Tigers team that traded its best pitcher and one of its best hitters -- a hitter the White Sox tried to acquire.
The Sox woke up Thursday 4½ games behind Toronto for the second-wild-card berth. They also woke up with six teams ahead of them, which makes them as non-competitive as an Adam LaRoche at-bat.
As the Sox head to Kansas City to face the best team in the American League, then, Danks is your ace as Friday’s starter. Turns out, that's actually is a great thing, and here’s why:
Danks figures to turn in another solid start that could convince some desperate team he’s pitching well enough to get claimed on waivers.
That would be a dream sequence for the Sox, who could dump the rest of this year’s $14.25 million salary and all of next year’s pay for the same money, the end of the $65 million deal that has been all kinds of horrible.
Remarkably, the defending AL champs are just the team for Danks to sucker somebody. No lie. You’d better sit down for this.
Danks is 9-1 with a 2.60 ERA lifetime against the Royals. That ERA is his best against division opponents, and it is his best by a ton. In fact, the Royals are the only AL Central team that Danks has held under a 5.00 ERA. This season, Danks has won two of three decisions and posted a 3.57 ERA with a strikeout-to-walk ratio of almost 2-1. Another one of those outings, and Danks could fool an actual playoff contender to make the move.
Whether you know it, Sox fans, this is what you should be rooting for.
Whether Sox wonks know it, this should be what they’re rooting for.
It also should be something we’re used to: The Sox’s “playoff push’’ is sending players to teams that actually reach the playoffs.
Dave Dombrowski would be a good fit as White Sox president Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune | August 5, 2015
Dave Dombrowski's firing as Tigers president, CEO and general manager Tuesday sent shock waves throughout baseball and ignited a guessing game as to where he will land next.
Toronto? Boston? Anaheim? Milwaukee?
Several franchises either are looking for or are expected to seek high-level executives to run their organizations in 2016, and as someone with successful runs with the Expos, Marlins and Tigers, Dombrowski is likely at the head of multiple lists.
The White Sox aren't mentioned as a possible destination, though they probably should be.
If Dombrowski is willing to return to the place he began his career under former GM Roland Hemond in 1978, Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf should consider the idea seriously. Adding another bright mind to the front office could only help the Sox.
Just make Ken Williams the president and CEO, Dombrowski the president of baseball operations and keep Rick Hahn as GM. Or if Williams interviews for the Blue Jays presidency — a job in which he was interested over the winter — and leaves the Sox, let Dombrowski replace him.
The odds of this happening are slim. The Sox don't have a president, with Williams the highest-ranking official under Reinsdorf as executive vice president.
But Williams says he is on the same level as Cubs President Theo Epstein, and only the structure is different.
"The president of baseball operations doesn't fit (here)," he said last winter. "So those are equal positions, equal titles. The CEO position as it's laid out in different organizations means different things to different people."
White Sox walk away with a victory, but Carlos Rodon outing problematical Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune | August 5, 2015
Avisail Garcia watched the outside pitch sail by, blew out air from his cheeks in a sigh of relief and tossed his bat to the side to head to first base.
Just like that, the White Sox halted a three-game losing streak with a 6-5, 10-inning victory over the Rays at U.S. Cellular Field.
Garcia's walk-off walk with the bases loaded against reliever Brad Boxberger prevented a six-game season sweep for the Rays. The Sox, who dealt with several of their own pitchers' mistakes during a 2-4 homestand, were happy to take help from the misdeeds of an opponent.
"I was trying to be relaxed, focused, looking for a good pitch," Garcia said. "I don't try to do too much." Adam Eaton set up the victory when he singled, stole second and advanced to third when the throw hit Rays shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera on the glove and ear. With one out, Boxberger intentionally walked Jose Abreu and Melky Cabrera to get to Garcia, who had homered in the Sox's five-run first inning.
Sox closer David Robertson, who gave up an earned run in each of his last three outings and suffered the loss Monday, pitched two perfect innings for the victory.
Manager Robin Ventura was not very patient with rookie starter Carlos Rodon. In the second inning, he ordered a call to the bullpen to have a reliever warm up, and he yanked Rodon after 81 pitches in the fifth inning as the Rays were clawing their way back into a game the Sox led 5-0. Rodon allowed four earned runs on six hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
"He was getting a little erratic," Ventura said. "Once we get that lead, you want to see a guy attacking the zone."
Sox pitchers have a 7.71 ERA over the last seven games, and they need to regain their swagger if the team is to go on another winning streak. Rodon's short day came on the heels of a stretch from left-hander Chris Sale that has been so uncharacteristic that he earned a loss in consecutive starts for the first time since July-August 2013.
After allowing seven earned runs in losses to the Red Sox and Rays, Sale has a 7.61 ERA in four starts in the second half, compared with a 2.72 ERA over 17 starts in the first half.
The Sox have given Sale rest in past seasons to deal with arm soreness and fatigue, but Ventura said he doesn't expect to skip one of Sale's starts now. Sale said after Tuesday's setback that his arm and body feel good. He was hit with a line drive in his left thigh in Boston, but Ventura said that was not bothering him.
"(In the past) he would start getting really low 90s (velocity), almost 80s at some point, where most of his pitches were like that," Ventura said. "That's not what it is. … If it's something physical, we'd definitely (skip him). We're always going to err on that side, but he doesn't feel that way and we don't feel that way."
Because of an off day Thursday, Sale will get an extra day of rest before his next start against the Angels at home next week. Ventura expects Sale to bounce back.
"He is human, and that's part of going through a long season," Ventura said. "There are going to be some ups and downs."
Wednesday's recap: White Sox 6, Rays 5 (10 innings) Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune | August 5, 2015
Avisail Garcia drew a bases-loaded walk in the 10th inning Wednesday to give the White Sox a 6-5 victory over the Rays at U.S. Cellular Field. Rays reliever Brad Boxberger had walked Jose Abreu and Melky Cabrera intentionally with a runner on third and one out to get to Garcia.
Turning point
Adam Eaton singled, stole second base and advanced to third when the throw to second ricocheted off Rays shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera's glove and ear in the 10th.
On the mound
The Sox let a five-run, first-inning lead slip away. Brandon Guyer's double to center field off Sox reliever Zach Duke in the eighth drove in a run to tie the game 5-5.
Key manager's decision
Sox manager Robin Ventura pulled left-hander Carlos Rodon after 42/3 innings. He was charged with four earned run on six hits and two walks, and the bullpen then gave up only one run over 51/3 innings. Key number
2 — Perfect innings from closer David Robertson, with four strikeouts.
The quote
"I stunk it up on Monday, so I needed to do a little better today, and the team needed me to. So I was glad to have a positive outing." — Robertson
The quote II
"Competitors — especially Avisail — kind of rally to that. When they pick the guy they want to face, you kind of take that as, 'Hey, I need to do it here.'" — Eaton on Garcia's walk
Up next
At Royals, 7:10 p.m. Friday, CSN.
Robin Ventura: Despite recent struggles, Chris Sale won't skip a start Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune | August 5, 2015
Chris Sale’s recent stretch has been so uncharacteristic that he earned the loss in consecutive starts in the last week for the first time since July-August 2013.
The White Sox left-hander has given up 20 earned runs over his four starts since the All-Star break, including seven earned runs in each of his losses to the Red Sox and Rays. He has a 7.61 ERA so far in the second half, compared with a 2.72 ERA over 17 starts in the first half.
The Sox have had to give Sale rest in past seasons to deal with arm soreness and fatigue, but manager Robin Ventura said he doesn’t expect to skip one of Sale’s starts at this time. Sale said after his loss Tuesday that his arm and body feel good. He was hit with a line drive in his left thigh in Boston, but Ventura said that was not bothering him.
“In the past we’ve done that (skipped him), but that’s with his velocity,” Ventura said. “He’d start getting really low 90s, almost 80s at some point, where most of his pitches were like that. That’s not what it is. ... If it’s something physical, we’d definitely do that. We’re always going to err on the side for him to do that, but he doesn’t feel that way and we don’t feel that way.”
On Tuesday, Sale’s fastball averaged a little under 95 mph, with a high of 97 mph, according to Brooks Baseball. He threw 43 fastballs, as compared with 34 changeups and 30 sliders.
“It’s possible that command might not have been there, but the fastballs that he threw, they hit pretty far,” Ventura said. “He’s got other pitches. I think they were sitting fastball. They got him early and hit some homers, so I think he re- adjusted and went with some off-speed stuff.”
Because of a Sox off day Thursday, Sale should get at least one extra day of rest before his next start, likely against the Angels at home next week. Ventura said they expect Sale to be able to bounce back.
“I’m excited every time he goes out there, and I think we’re confident every time he goes out there,” Ventura said. “He is human, and that’s part of going through a long season. There’s going to be some ups and downs, but for him, when he goes out there, there’s a chance he could do something special and there’s a chance something like that could happen. It’s a tough couple games for him, but he’s always been able to bounce back.”
Nate Jones back after hitting 100 mph during minor-league rehab Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune | August 5, 2015
Nate Jones hasn't pitched in a major-league game in 16 months, but that could change soon. The White Sox reinstated Jones from the 60-day disabled list before Wednesday's victory over the Rays, a little more than a year after the reliever and former closer candidate had surgery on his right elbow.
Jones takes the roster spot of reliever Daniel Webb, who was placed on the 15-day DL with a mid-right back strain after allowing three earned runs over 1 1/3 innings against the Rays on Tuesday.
"It's going to be hard to contain it out there whenever I do get to pitch," Jones said. "After that first pitch we can finally put a closing on the whole rehab process, so I'm looking forward to that."
Jones last pitched for the Sox on April 3, 2014, before he had minor back surgery in May and elbow surgery in July of last year. He had set a goal to be back around the All-Star break this season.
"In the beginning, it was real tough because you took something away from me that I've done all my life, which is throwing a baseball," Jones said. "To get through that first bit was probably the hardest part, and then once you started throwing you saw a little bit of light."
Jones allowed two earned runs over 91/3 innings in nine appearances on rehab assignments with Class A Winston-Salem and Triple-A Charlotte. His fastball was clocked at 100 mph during some of his appearances, and he was pleased with the way his command came back.
Solid appearances: Avisail Garcia's three-run, first-inning homer off Rays starter Erasmo Ramirez was his second in two at-bats after he also homered Tuesday night in the ninth inning.
But of course, his work at the plate to draw a walk-off walk in the 10th inning was just as big. It was his second walk of the day.
"For him to be able to do that and look comfortable doing it, not looking like he had a trigger finger going (is big)," Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "That's part of the rumor going around about him, he's going to swing at everything. He has to be able to shorten up and be able to get it in the zone and do something with it."
Snakes in the ballpark: Shedd Aquarium brought a boa to U.S. Cellular Blair Sheade, Chicago Sun Times | August 5, 2015
The Shedd Aquarium scared the losing out of the White Sox before the game on Wednesday.
In the wake of a three-game losing streak, the aquarium brought some reptiles to U.S. Cellular and allowed the players to touch them.
The White Sox players should touch that snake before every game. The South Siders snapped their losing streak and beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4.
White Sox fan runs onto field, avoids five security guards Blair Sheade, Chicago Sun Times | August 5, 2015
In the middle of the 7th inning, a young White Sox fan jumped the outfield fence and ran onto the field at U.S. Cellular.
The White Sox fan was a 10-year-old boy. As the fan ran around the field, five security guards chased him. The young boy eventually gave up and was escorted off the field.
During the chase, one security guard fell on his face and laid on the ground while the other four guards tracked down the young White Sox fan.
People who run onto the field could be charged with a felony, and because this kid is 10 years old, he could have this incident on his record until he’s 18 years old. White Sox win on walk-off walk Blair Sheade, Chicago Sun Times
The White Sox snapped a three-game losing streak on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Rays in walk-off fashion.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 10th inning, Rays relief pitcher Brad Boxberger walked Avisail Garcia, and Adam Eaton crossed the plate for the game-winning run.
Garcia’s walk was his fourth RBI of the day— the White Sox outfielder hit a three-run home run in the 1st inning.
This was the first walk-off walk since Juan Uribe against the then-Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
The South Siders avoided the three-game sweep and will start a three-game series against division-rival Kansas City Royals on Friday.
Avisail Garcia drives in four runs as White Sox tip Rays in 10 innings Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun Times | August 5, 2015
You can debate whether or not the White Sox are in the wild card chase. Their 6-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in 10 innings Wednesday left them with a 51-55 record, so good luck building a case that they are.
If building blocks for 2016 and beyond are what really matter in the last 56 games of 2015, then the small but perhaps important step taken by right fielder Avisail Garcia was the most important “W” of the day.
Garcia, struggling mightily during July to hit with any power, homered for the second time in less than 24 hours, a three- run shot in the Sox’ five-run first. Then he showed some selectivity and walked with the bases loaded in the 10th.
It was everything manager Robin Ventura and hitting coach Todd Steverson wanted to see, all in one afternoon.
“Absolutely,’’ Ventura said. “You want him to be offensive enough to be a threat when he goes up there. The started it yesterday. The homer being aggressive. Right there at the end of the game, he has to be patient. You know that guy [Brad Boxberger]has a great split and throws 94 so it’s hard to lay off that.’’
The Sox had built a 5-0 lead in the first inning against Erasmo Ramirez but were stymied until the 10th as the Rays chipped away at Carlos Rodon (four runs allowed in 4 2/3 innings) and Zach Duke.
After Adam Eaton led off the 10th with a single, stole second and advance to third when catcher Curt Casali’s throw hit shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera in the head, Boxberger retired Tyler Saladino on a fly to left that wasn’t deep enough to score Eaton. Intentional walks to Jose Abreu and Melky Cabrera set the state for Garcia, who took a 3-1 pitch for the game- winner.
“For him to be able to do that and look comfortable doing it, not looking like he had a trigger finger going … ’’ Ventura said. “He needs to do that. That’s part of the rumor going around about him, he’s going to swing at everything. He’s got to be able to shorten up and be able to get it in the zone and do something with it.’’
The word on the big and strong Garcia, still a pup at 24, is that his swing is too long and his power is limited to the opposite way. His homers Tuesday and Wednesday were both pulled, albeit on breaking pitches.
Baby steps.
“I’m working really hard with Steverson and the manager a little, too,’’ Garcia said. “Just trying to be focused and trying to swing at good pitches and trying to learn how they are going to throw to me.
“When I start my at-bat, all my weight is in the back and then when the pitch is coming all my weight is in the front. I’ve got to be in the middle. Not too much back, not too much front, just in the middle to be successful, to use my hands more.’’ As for whether the Sox are still in the wild card hunt, Ventura made it clear where he stands using closer David Robertson (5-3) for two perfect innings and by pulling Rodon, who wasn’t filling the strike zone with a comfy lead.
Development for Rodon, a rookie, and Garcia are key, “but we are here to win games, too,’’ Ventura said.
Handed a 5-0 lead, S Rodon was unable to finish the fifth inning as the Rays scored two in the third on Logan Forsythe’s RBI double and Asdrubal Cabrera’s RBI single. Rodon’s pitch count was climbing, however, and after Longoria hit a home run to deep center and walked Forsythe with two outs in the fourth, Ventura pulled the rookie in favor of right-hander Matt Albers. Albers gave up an RBI double to Cabrera, the run charged to Rodon.
Ramirez regrouped after the first, throwing five scoreless innings of one-hit ball, and the Rays tied it in the eighth against Duke on Brandon Guyer’s double to left-center that scored catcher Casali (two-out single) from first. Eaton’s throw was over cutoff man Alexei Ramirez’s head, and the trailer on the relay, Carlos Sanchez, hesitated before throwing home too late.
The Sox (51-55) are off Thursday before going to Kansas City for a three-game weekend series against the Royals.
Victoria’s Secret supermodel Taylor Hill at White Sox game Dan Cahill, Chicago Sun Times | August 5, 2015
Victoria’s Secret supermodel Taylor Hill was making the rounds in Chicago on Wednesday.
The Palatine native spent the afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field where she threw out the first pitch for the White Sox game.
Hill also spent some time in the Sox TV booth with Hawk Harrelson and Steve Stone.
Stone conducted the entire interview during the third inning. When he returned to his place in the booth, Hawk quipped: “Don’t lose that smile.”
Then Hill made her way over to the radio booth where she visited with Ed Farmer and Darrin Jackson. ed farmer interviewing Victoria's Secret model. #precious. just imagining what it would be like if it was Hawk #sox
— Rick Armstrong (@RickArmstrong28) August 5, 2015
Hill was at the game to promote the Victoria’s Secret MLB Collection.
Nate Jones back in Chicago White Sox' bullpen Scot Gregor, Daily Herald | August 5, 2015 etting back on the mound and facing hitters again wasn't the hard part for Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Nate Jones.
It was the initial reaction to having Tommy John surgery.
"In the beginning it was real tough because you took something away from me that I've done all my life, which is throwing a baseball," Jones said. "I had the surgery and I couldn't do that. To get through that first bit was probably the hardest part, and then once you started throwing you saw a little bit of light and then started throwing (simulation) games and saw the bigger light at the end of the tunnel. Right now is kind of like the icing on the cake."
Just over a year removed from reconstructive elbow surgery, Jones rejoined the Sox before Wednesday afternoon's game against Tampa Bay.
The 29-year-old reliever replaces Daniel Webb, who was put on the disabled list with a back strain. "He has worked hard," manager Robin Ventura said of Jones. "We've seen him off and on here. He comes in, works and we get some updates. For a guy to have that surgery and work your way back, it's a long road and he deserves to be here."
Jones last pitched on April 3 of last season. The right-hander was sidelined with a hip injury and later hurt his elbow.
He pitched in 3 rehab game with Class A Winston-Salem and 6 games with AAA Charlotte this season, combining to allow 2 earned runs in 9⅓ innings.
Jones' fastball regularly hit 100 mph before the surgery. Can he still throw that hard?
"I couldn't tell you," said Jones, who didn't pitch against the Rays. "It's not something I'm worried with. I'm just worried with how I feel after a game and how I feel the next day so I can come back and pitch. I feel stronger, because I think we cleaned up my mechanics a little bit. We got everything going toward the plate and it makes a lot less stress on everything else on your body. I feel stronger and I feel better."
Sale ailing?
Chris Sale has had some injury issues in the past, and after giving up 14 runs on 18 hits in 10⅓ innings over his last two starts, the obvious question is health.
After getting knocked around against Tampa Bay Tuesday night, Sale said his arm and body "feel good."
Manager Robin Ventura said Sale is going to continue taking his regular turn in the rotation.
"I don't see skipping him," Ventura said. "I know in the past we've done that, but that's with his velocity. He'd start getting low 90s (mph), almost 80s at some point, where most of his pitches were like that. That's not what it is. I think for him, you take your chances with a guy like that.
"If it's something physical, we'd definitely do that. We're always going to err on the side for him to do that, but he doesn't feel that way and we don't feel that way."
Sale was hit by a line drive on his left thigh in a July 30 start at Boston.
"He says he's fine," Ventura said.
Deep thoughts:
Before Tuesday's game against the Rays, slumping right fielder Avisail Garcia said he made two adjustments at the plate.
The first was using his hands more. The second was getting his weight distribution properly balanced.
Garcia homered in his final at-bat on Tuesday against Tampa Bay, the first time he'd cleared the fences since June 8.
In his first at-bat Wednesday, Garcia hit a 3-run homer.
"For him it was get it started a little earlier, be out front," manager Robin Ventura said. "There are a lot of guys throwing hard and you'd rather be a little early than late. If you're late you're not going to be able to hit anything."
White Sox showing a shorter leash with Carlos Rodon Doug Padilla, ESPNChicago.com | August 5, 2015
CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox appear to have moved on to the tough-love stage when it comes to the development of talented starting pitcher Carlos Rodon. When the first-round draft pick from last year started falling behind in counts early and letting his pitch total rise during Wednesday's outing against the Tampa Bay Rays, White Sox manager Robin Ventura decided that the bullpen would be a better option.
Despite being staked to a 5-0 lead in the first inning, Rodon was not allowed to pitch the required five innings for the victory, even though he still had the lead when he was removed. The White Sox eventually squandered the five-run lead but got a ga
Not only did Rodon get sent to the showers after 4 2/3 innings of work, the first time the bullpen got to its feet was in the second inning. That move was as telling as anything.
"He was getting a little erratic," Ventura said, when asked why he removed his starter so early. "I think that's part of him going through walking a guy, getting behind in counts and things like that. Once we get that lead, you want to see a guy attacking the zone. Today, it just wasn't quite that, so we felt it was best to start using up the bullpen somewhat. It just seemed like one of those days to get him out of there."
Rodon has dealt with command issues all season. Blessed with a blazing fastball and an electric slider, the White Sox have been trying to round out his repertoire by having him throw a changeup, as well.
Results have been mixed as the North Carolina State product as struggled with walks and high pitch counts. But he has also breezed through lineups at times, with his most impressive start coming July 26 at Cleveland when he struck out nine, didn't walk a batter over 6 2/3 scoreless innings.
But in his previous start Friday against the New York Yankees he was back to walking four batters, and he needed 91 pitches, while recording only nine outs before he was removed.
He threw 81 pitches Wednesday (49 strikes) and in his final inning of work he hit Brandon Guyer with a pitch, got Joey Butler to ground into a double play, gave up a long home run to Evan Longoria and walked Logan Forsythe.
When Rodon left, the White Sox were leading 5-3. Forsythe would eventually score against reliever Matt Albers for the fourth run charged against the White Sox's starter.
"It's a decision that the manager has to make, and you go with that and what's best for the team," Rodon said about his removal. "I totally understand the circumstances and the outcome, and I agree with it. That's all you can do."
Rodon had just two walks, but even that was a glaring number given the fact that he started the second inning with a five-run lead and he was implored to just throw strikes and let his defense do the work.
"Yeah, there's definitely talk like that," Ventura said of in-game discussions with Rodon and pitching coach Don Cooper. "You have to be able to go out there and throw strike one and get that first guy out. Don't give them any free opportunities."
Rodon said he felt as if he was doing a solid job of throwing strikes.
"I felt I was throwing in the zone fine," said Rodon, whose ERA rose to 5.00, the highest it has been since his second outing of the year on April 29. "I'm glad we showed up with the bats today. It was a complete effort by the whole team."
Closer David Robertson pitched two crisp innings to get the victory, the type of efficient innings the White Sox hope to one day see out of Rodon.
"He looked pretty good out there," Robertson said of Rodon. "I felt like he kept his composure today. He got into a couple of situations that were tough. He pitched really well today. He pitched better and he's got electric stuff, so he's going to develop into something special, I believe. "These games like this are going to build him up and get him ready for those years to come. We're hoping that every time he takes the ball he can give us that electric stuff like he did tonight. He's got room to improve, but he has time to do it."
As for that message sent by taking Rodon out of the game one out before he would have potentially earned a victory, Robertson wasn't about to touch that one.
"The manager has to do what the manager has to do," Robertson said. "Everybody on the team understands that. When he makes a decision, we're right behind him, and we'll do whatever he asks and go out there and play hard. You can't sit there and second-guess him, because that's not our job. We're just here to play."
White Sox beat Rays 6-5 on walk-off walk Associated Press, ESPN.com | August 5, 2015
CHICAGO -- Avisail Garcia got the Chicago White Sox started -- and finished off the Tampa Bay Rays, too.
Garcia hit a three-run homer in Chicago's five-run first inning and had a bases-loaded walk in the 10th to give the White Sox a 6-5 victory over Tampa Bay on Wednesday.
Garcia drew the winning walk off closer Brad Boxberger (5-6) to end Chicago's three-game losing streak.
"I think that last at-bat was pretty important to win the game," Garcia said. "That's why we're here. We've been fighting, fighting, fighting."
In the 10th, Adam Eaton singled and stole second base and advanced to third when catcher Curt Casali's throw struck shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera in the right side of the face, knocking him to the ground, and later from the game. Cabrera was cleared of a concussion following the game.
Boxberger then intentionally walked Jose Abreu and Melky Cabrera to load the bases with one out before walking Garcia. Boxberger didn't agree with manager Kevin Cash's strategy.
"I was already struggling to throw strikes," Boxberger said. "I don't really get walking Cabrera, but it's not my choice."
Chicago closer David Robertson (5-3) had four strikeouts in two hitless innings.
After falling behind 5-0 in the first, the Rays tied it in the eighth inning, scoring their fifth two-out run of the game. Brandon Guyer had an RBI double off reliever Zach Duke.
Cabrera, who had four hits, got the Rays to 5-4 in the fifth with an RBI double. Evan Longoria homered two batters earlier off starter Carlos Rodon, who was pulled after working 4 2/3 innings and for being what manager Robin Ventura termed "erratic".
Before the 10th inning walks gave the White Sox the win, Robertson held the Rays in check after struggling on Monday when took the loss in the series opener. Wednesday's outing was much different.
"The team really needed someone to hold those innings (the 9th and 10th) right there," Robertson said. "We were fortunate to get a run there in the last (inning)."
A NEW BAT
The Rays claimed INF/OF Daniel Nava off waivers from Boston and optioned OF Mikie Mahtook to Triple-A Durham. Nava, 32 was designated for assignment by Boston on July 28. Nava was hitting .152 in 29 games with the Red Sox.
NOT FOR SALE White Sox manager Robin Ventura stressed Wednesday that struggling ace Chris Sale is fine physically. Over his past two starts, Sale has allowed 14 earned runs in 10 1/3 innings.
When asked, Ventura explained why he didn't see Sale getting skipped in the rotation.
"I know in the past we've done that, but that's with his velocity. He'd start getting really, low 90s, almost 80s at some point, where most of his pitches were like that. That's not what it is," Ventura said.
"I think for him, again you take your chances with a guy like that. I mean, if it's something physical, we'd definitely do that. We're always going to err on the side for him to do that, but he doesn't feel that way and we don't feel that way."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rays: OF Desmond Jennings (left knee bursitis) went 1-for-3 as a designated hitter for Triple-A Durham on Tuesday night and is scheduled to DH on Wednesday as he continues his rehab assignment. ... LHP Drew Smyly (torn left labrum) is scheduled to make his third minor league rehab start on Thursday.
White Sox: LHP Nate Jones was activated from the 60-day disabled list Wednesday. Jones hasn't pitched in the major leagues since April 3, 2014 and has been recovering from Tommy John surgery since undergoing the procedure on July 29 of last year. RHP Daniel Webb (back strain) was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Wednesday. Webb is 0-1 with a 2.49 ERA in 17 relief appearances.
UP NEXT
Rays: RHP Jake Odorizzi (6-6) is 4-2 in his last six starts and will be looking for his third straight win on Friday against the New York Mets.
White Sox: LHP John Danks (6-8) is 3-6 in road starts this season, but will be going for his second straight win away from home Friday against the Kansas City Royals.
Rapid Reaction: White Sox 6, Rays 5 Doug Padilla, ESPNChicago.com | August 5, 2015
CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox avoided a sweep Wednesday with a 6-5 walk-off victory in 10 innings over the Tampa Bay Rays.
How it happened: The Rays walked the bases loaded in the 10th inning, and Avisail Garcia coaxed another walk out of Rays pitcher Brad Boxberger for the game-ending run. The White Sox scored five runs in the opening inning and nearly blew a chance at the victory. Garcia capped the opening outburst with a three-run home run. White Sox rookie starter Carlos Rodon gave up four runs on six hits with two walks over 4⅔ innings. Rays starter Erasmo Ramirez gave up just one hit and no runs after the first inning, pitching through the sixth. White Sox closer David Robertson pitched two perfect innings for the victory.
What it means: White Sox manager Robin Ventura planned on giving a start to rookie outfielder Trayce Thompson but changed his mind at the last minute. Ventura went with Garcia instead, and his hunch paid off when Garcia hit a home run for the second consecutive night. Garcia said he has been working on his weight transfer during his swing, and two home runs to left field show he isn't getting out in front on his swing as much. His game-ending walk on five pitches came much easier
Outside the box: The first inning has been a major struggle for the White Sox all season, but it has actually been their friend of late. Over the past 12 games, the White Sox have outscored their opponents 24-8 in the first inning. They have scored multiple runs in the first inning six times in that stretch. They also have delivered 29 first-inning hits over that time with three home runs. Off beat: According to STATS, the White Sox had never finished winless against an opponent in a season when they played them at least six times. Wednesday's victory gave the White Sox a 1-5 record against the Rays this season.
Up next: After an off day Thursday, the White Sox will send left-hander John Danks (6-8, 4.80 ERA) to the mound Friday to face Kansas City Royals right-hander Edinson Volquez (10-6, 3.20) in the 7:10 p.m. start from Kauffman Stadium.
Nate Jones returns possibly better than ever Doug Padilla, ESPNChicago.com | August 5, 2015
CHICAGO -- Chicago White Sox reliever Nate Jones has returned and is as healthy as ever, with refined pitching mechanics to make sure it stays that way.
Jones has been out for more than a year -- first because of a back issue, and then because he needed Tommy John surgery. He was activated to the 25-man roster Wednesday. Reliever Daniel Webb was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a mid-right back strain.
“I’m pretty excited about it,” Jones said. “It’s going to be hard to contain it out there whenever I do get to pitch, but I think after that first pitch we can finally put a closing on the whole rehab process so I’m looking forward to that.”
Jones was trying to return from a minor back procedure last season when he blew out his elbow during the rehab process. He hasn’t pitched in a major league game since April 3, 2014, and never did record an out in his two outings last season.
Not only has Jones climbed the mountain and returned from all his ailments, the radar gun suggests he is even better than ever. The right-hander has always had velocity in the high 90-mph range, but during his recent minor league rehab stints the gun was showing 100-mph readings.
Yes, the surgery has helped his strength to return, but Jones has something else that he will be using to his advantage.
“I feel stronger, because I think we cleaned up my mechanics a little bit,” he said. “I got everything going towards the plate, and it makes a lot less stress on everything else on your body. I feel stronger and I feel better.”
White Sox deny that struggling Chris Sale is ailing Doug Padilla, ESPNChicago.com | August 5, 2015
CHICAGO -- Even before Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale was knocked around for seven runs in an outing Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays, the questions had already started.
The fact that Sale had a second consecutive rough outing against an American League East opponent only confirmed for some that the left-hander is out of sorts these days.
Sale has been prone to these lulls in years past, with the issue sometimes turning out to be arm soreness. In each of his three years as a starter, Sale has experienced some type of arm issue, actually going on the disabled list last year for the first time in his career.
Nobody with the team, though, is suggesting the four-time All-Star is injured, and the White Sox have him pointed toward a start Monday against the Los Angeles Angels to open a three-game series and a six-game homestand.
“You look around the league and there’s some other great pitchers that have had some struggles as well,” manager Robin Ventura said. “But do I want to run him out there every five days? Absolutely. I’m not less excited to throw him out there. I’m excited every time he goes out there and I think we’re confident every time he goes out there.”
For now, the White Sox are chalking up Sale’s 7.61 ERA over his last four outings as a simple bump in the road. “He is human, and that’s part of going through a long season,” Ventura said. “There’s going to be some ups and downs, but for him, when he goes out there, there’s a chance he could do something special and there’s a chance something like that could happen. So, it’s a tough couple games for him, but he’s always been able to bounce back.”
Much was made of Sale’s run of eight consecutive games with 10 or more strikeouts. He tied a major league record previously set by Pedro Martinez.
That run went from May 23-June 30 and included three starts of at least 119 pitches, with one reaching 125 pitches.
Since then, though, Sale has struck out at least 10 batters just once in six outings, when he fanned exactly 10 in a July 11 start against the Cubs, his first-ever outing at Wrigley Field.
Fatigue is logical, and the assumption from some that he is dealing with some type of arm soreness is understandable just when looking at Sale’s track record.
“My arm feels good, my body feels good, I feel loose; it's just not showing up,” Sale insisted after Wednesday’s defeat. “I don't know what it is. If I knew what it was I'd definitely try to figure it out. Just bad. I'm just not making pitches when I need to make pitches. I'm not keeping the ball in the yard. It seems like I'm just throwing it over the fence for them, really. Like I said, it really stinks.”
Ventura was asked if the White Sox might even go as far as to skip a start for Sale in the hopes that rest will cure his issues.
“I know in the past we’ve done that, but that’s with his velocity; he’d start getting really, low 90s, almost 80s at some point,” Ventura said. “That’s not what it is. I think for him, again you take your chances with a guy like that. I mean, if it’s something physical, we’d definitely do that. We’re always going to err on the side for him to do that, but he doesn’t feel that way and we don’t feel that way.”
Avisail Garcia drives in four as White Sox top Rays in 10 Dan Hayes, CSN | August 5, 2015
Avisail Garcia has produced more good signs in the past three days than he did in the previous two months.
Only in the lineup Wednesday because of recent progress at the plate, the White Sox outfielder forced in the winning run with a bases-loaded walk in the 10th inning of a 6-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays at U.S. Cellular Field. Garcia -- who also blasted a three-run homer during a five-run first -- followed two intentional walks with a five-pitch walk against All- Star reliever Brad Boxberger and then was forced to dodge a mob of happy teammates in pursuit.
“That's why we're here,” Garcia said. “We've been fighting, fighting, fighting. Take that at-bat, I was looking for a good pitch and trying to bring pressure. Relax and throw my hands through the ball.
"Don't try to do too much because it's one out, the bases loaded. I just tried to be focused and be patient."
During a two-month slump, Garcia earned a reputation as a free swinger with poor pitch selection. The young outfielder has always been aggressive, but in between June 8 and Tuesday’s loss, Garcia struck out 28.8 percent of the time, up five percent from 2014.
So with Adam Eaton on third base and one out and Jose Abreu and Melky Cabrera due up, Rays manager Kevin Cash called for two free passes. Garcia fouled off Boxberger’s second pitch to even the count at 1-1 before he took three straight balls, including several close pitches.
“He has to be patient,” said White Sox manager Robin Ventura, who started Garcia over rookie Trayce Thompson because he had begun to pull the ball in losses Monday and Tuesday. “You know (Boxberger) has a great split and throws 94 so it’s hard to lay off that. “For (Garcia) to be able to do that and look comfortable doing it, not looking like he had a trigger finger going -- he needs to do that. That’s part of the rumor going around about him; he’s going to swing at everything. He’s got to be able to shorten up and be able to get it in the zone and do something with it.”
Losers in five of their previous six, the White Sox offense looked in the zone in the first inning against Tampa Rays starter Erasmo Ramirez.
Eaton walked and Saladino and Abreu singled, the latter bringing a run in when Kevin Kiermaier overran the ball in center. Cabrera’s ground-rule double made it 2-0 and Garcia pulled a three-run homer to give the White Sox a five-run lead. Garcia also homered on Tuesday, his first since June 8. Wednesday’s homer traveled 420 feet.
But Ramirez settled down and retired 16 of the last 18 he faced, which allowed Tampa Bay to rally from its 5-0 deficit. The Rays scored four off Carlos Rodon and got another in the eighth on a sloppy relay on Brandon Guyer’s two-out RBI double.
The White Sox didn’t rally again until the seventh inning when Geovany Soto and Carlos Sanchez started with consecutive singles. But Eaton struck out looking and Tyler Saladino grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Eaton led off the 10th inning with a single to center against Boxberger, stole second base and advanced to third when the throw glanced off Asdrubal Cabrera’s glove and hit him in the ear. Asdrubal Cabrera exited the game after the second intentional walk and was diagnosed with a bruise after he underwent tests for concussion-like symptoms.
Five pitches later, Garcia raced toward the middle of the diamond to escape the playful charge of Melky Cabrera and the rest of his teammates.
“Competitors -- especially Avisail -- kind of rally to that,” Eaton said. “When they pick the guy you want to face, you kind of take that as, ‘Hey, I need to do it here.’ You take a littlerival to that -- ‘Let’s hurt them here, make it hurt, right guy, right spot kind of mentality.’ And when he got down early, Avisail’s an aggressive hitter, but he stayed patient, which was great.”
Rays' Boxberger not a fan of Cash's call to walk batters in loss to White Sox Dan Hayes, CSN | August 5, 2015
Some days All-Star closers just don't have their best stuff.
Wednesday was apparently that day for Rays reliever Brad Boxberger.
The right-hander entered the game in the 10th inning and gave up a single to leadoff hitter Adam Eaton. After a stolen base and an error, Eaton found himself on third with nobody out. Tyler Saladino couldn't score Eaton on a pop fly as Boxberger finally got the first out of the inning.
Then the unusual call from Rays manager Kevin Cash came. He elected to intentionally walk not only Jose Abreu but Melky Cabrera as well in order to get to Avisail Garcia, who hit a three-run home run earlier in the game.
With the bases loaded, Boxberger walked Garcia to bring in Eaton and end the game.
The Rays' All-Star closer was not thrilled about Cash's move to say the least.
"Yeah, I understand walking Abreu in that situation, maybe setting up a double play, but walking a lefty to get to another righty, I wouldn’t see it in my game,” Boxberger told reporters after the game. "With a base open, I could’ve pitched around him and made a good pitch and had some weak contact. But without a base open, it’s kind of hard to pitch around someone.”
Boxberger is actually better against lefties this year (.216 BA) compared to righties (.225 BA). He's also been better in situations with runners on first and third (yet to allow a hitter to reach base in five tries) compared to pitching with the bases loaded (.250 BA in four tries with the one hit being a grand slam). "It’s not my call," Boxberger said. "I can’t. I’m not the boss. I can’t say anything at that point. I’m not going to overstep my boundaries. It’s the manager’s decision and it’s what he wanted to do.”
White Sox: Carlos Rodon OK with Robin Ventura's call for bullpen Dan Hayes, CSN | August 5, 2015
Carlos Rodon needed only one more out on Wednesday afternoon to qualify for the victory.
But with the White Sox in need of a win and the rookie not entirely on the mark, White Sox manager Robin Ventura elected to call for the bullpen. Rodon, who allowed six hits and four earned runs with two walks in 4 2/3 innings, slowly walked off the mound and headed for the clubhouse. The White Sox bullpen couldn’t hold the lead though they ultimately defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 6-5 in 10 innings at U.S. Cellular Field.
If Rodon bore any resentment afterward it was nowhere to be found in his postgame media session.
“It’s a decision that the manager has to make, and you go with that and what’s best for the team,” Rodon said. “I totally understand the circumstances and the outcome, and I agree with it. That’s all you can do.”
Rodon appeared to be doing all he could to hang on after his team spotted him five runs in the first inning. He allowed a pair of runs in the third inning on three consecutive two-out hits. The left-hander followed that with a nine-pitch frame in the fourth but wasn’t as lucky in the fifth. He hit Brandon Guyer and induced a double play before Evan Longoria homered to deep center to make it a 5-3 game. Rodon’s day ended after he walked Logan Forsythe as Matt Albers took over. Albers also had thrown earlier in the game when Rodon loaded the bases with one out in the second inning.
“He was getting a little erratic,” Ventura said. “I think that’s part of him going through walking a guy, getting behind in counts and things like that. Once we get that lead, you want to see a guy attacking the zone. Today just wasn’t quite that, so we felt it was best to start using up the bullpen.”
Home run a 'step in right direction' for Avisail Garcia Dan Hayes, CSN | August 5, 2015
Though Robin Ventura would have liked to start rookie Trayce Thompson on Wednesday some positive signs from Avisail Garcia prompted him to change his mind.
Not only did Garcia hit his first home run since June 8 in Tuesday’s loss, it didn’t go without notice from Ventura that the outfielder pulled the ball over the left-field fence. Garcia, who went 2-for-4, also doubled to left field in Monday’s loss. Given the White Sox are hopeful Garcia can learn to hit with power to all fields and not just to right, Ventura thought it best to leave his young outfielder in the lineup.
“Leaving Avi in there to kind of work out his stuff, he had a good day yesterday and you keep going,” Ventura said.
Working with hitting coach Todd Steverson, Garcia has focused on the use of his hands and having a more balanced weight transfer in his swing. The club also has worked with Garcia to give him confidence he’s strong enough that if he hits the ball in the air, he has more than enough power to hit home runs without doing too much. Garcia said he feels better with the adjustments and his most recent results suggest he may have started to find some comfort. Thompson made his major league debut in Tuesday’s game and Ventura plans to find a spot for him sooner than later.
“There’ll be a day he starts,” Ventura said. “Right now (Garcia) seems to be late on most things, you’re just trying to work through it to get him, making contact, kind of thinking middle of the field.
“Yesterday was a step in the right direction.
“That he pulled something, got it in the air -- he’d been hitting a lot of stuff on the ground. For him, he should be a guy that can hit it in the air. He’s strong enough that if he hits it in the air it’s most likely going to go out.” 'Long road' leads Nate Jones back to White Sox Dan Hayes, CSN | August 5, 2015
After Nate Jones spoke to reporters Wednesday his manager greeted him with a big pat on the back, a handshake and a “Hello, Nate.”
Sixteen months after he last pitched in the majors and just over a year removed from reconstructive elbow surgery, Jones is back with the White Sox.
Jones was activated off the 60-day disabled list and Daniel Webb has been placed on the 15-day DL with a mid back strain. Even though he had Tommy John surgery on July 29, 2014, the White Sox have no plans to baby Jones — he’s here and he will be used.
“He’s going to have to be ready,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “If he was up here in September, if that was the earliest he got back, you would look at it a little differently. Once he’s up here and in the middle of it … he says he’s ready to go.”
Not only has Jones made nine appearances in the minor leagues since July 10, he also had more than a half-dozen simulated games prior to that. Jones has lit up the radar gun throughout, throwing four 100-mph fastballs among eight pitches in his first game.
Accompanied by a nasty slider, the right-hander, who led the team in 2013 with 78 relief innings, posted a 1.93 ERA and struck out five in 9 1/3 innings between Single-A Winston-Salem and Triple-A Charlotte on his rehab assignment.
“It was definitely a good test,” Jones said. “It was nice to see the hitters’ reaction, what they’re doing, and adjusting my game to that, and seeing how I react after I was done throwing, because it’s a different intensity level with the lights on and everything. Everything went well.”
Jones didn’t just clear physical hurdles, a deliberate rehab has allowed him to clean up his mechanics and work on command. The right-hander only walked two batters in 9 1/3 innings. He also struck out four batters in his final two appearances.
“I got to zone in on my command and down there,” Jones said. “I feel stronger, because I think we cleaned up my mechanics a little bit. Got everything going towards the plate, and it makes a lot less stress on everything else on your body. I feel stronger and I feel better.”
Jones’ last appearance in the big leagues was April 3, 2014. At the time, Jones battled hip and back issues that led to a May 2014 microdisectomy. Jones was in big league camp all spring and has since made several stopovers in Chicago to throw in front of Ventura and Co. Ventura is glad to have back an arm he heavily relied upon in his first two seasons as the team’s manager.
“He has worked hard,” Ventura said. “For a guy that you have that surgery and work your way back, it’s a long road and he deserves to be here.”
Athletic Thompson family reaches new heights Steve Aschburner, NBA.com | August 5, 2015
CHICAGO — Babe Ruth struck out in his first at-bat. So did Ted Williams. And now so has Trayce Thompson, whose Major League debut Tuesday night as a pinch-hitter for the Chicago White Sox lasted four pitches, produced a skidload of memories and paid off on a lifetime of work, focus and dreams.
Thompson's lone at-bat at U.S. Cellular Field represented a crossroads of MLB and NBA. Not in his personal showdown against Tampa Bay ace Chris Archer, who dispatched Thompson deftly -- the newbie chasing a 1-2 breaking ball that dropped down and away -- in the bottom of the seventh of what already was a 10-1 blowout. No, it was the intersection of Thompson with his family watching from behind home plate, 26 rows up: father and former NBA star Mychal, older brothers Mychel and Klay and mother Julie, along with uncle John and cousin Mitch. They were all there as Trayce became the 18,578th player in Major League history (by baseball-reference.com's count) but first from their clan to achieve this particular sort of sports success.
Trayce said he peeked up there before he walked to the plate.
"I looked up at them in the stands once I got on deck," he said afterward. "I was thinking a lot about my mom. All the sacrifices she made to get me here."
The Thompsons had learned over the weekend -- with some dispute over which brother leaked the news on Twitter from there -- Trayce was getting called up from Class AAA Charlotte to fill in as the White Sox's fourth outfielder. So they descended on the city's South Side from southern California, waited through his DNP-CD Monday -- that's not actually a baseball term but you get the point -- then got their payoff late Tuesday, a small cluster of excitement in a game that had largely drained The Cell of any.
The family's plans had them scattering Wednesday, making it tough to catch the White Sox's getaway matinee.
What I did was great, I appreciate it and I treasure it. But seeing your kids succeed, that's 'infinity better.' I get more joy out of their success than anything I've ever done in my life.
– Mychal Thompson
"Just to get in the game for them to see was definitely a blessing," Trayce said. "It was an unfortunate situation, us losing and the at-bat I had. But that's baseball -- we're going to lose more games and I'm going to have a lot more bad at-bats in my life. I'm just happy I got the first one out of the way."
His dad felt the same way after squirming in his seat with each of Archer's offerings.
"Butterflies," Mychal said. "I felt like I was in The Finals again, just getting so nervous and so excited at the same time. He was aggressive. Can't leave your bat on your shoulder."
That's not how the Thompsons roll. This summer has kicked the family's remarkable sports success to another level. Klay, the middle son, added an NBA championship with the Golden State Warriors to add to the two their old man won (with the Lakers in 1987 and '88). Mychel, at 27 and the oldest, just signed a contract to play this season in Italy after a two- month stay with Cleveland in 2011-12 and four seasons in the NBA D-League (11.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg).
Now Trayce, whose career dipped into the relative shadows soon after he was drafted out of high school in the second round in 2009, was getting his time to shine again. All it took was 734 minor league games and 3,140 plate appearances spread across seven seasons, five levels from instructional ball to the high minors, eight different uniforms, five states and two countries (including 2013 winter ball in Caracas, Venezuela).
He was hiting .260 with 23 doubles, four triples, 13 home runs, 53 runs, 23 walks and 11 stolen bases with Charlotte and had been named an International League midseason All-Star. But there had been all sorts of ups, downs, turnarounds and setbacks before this week's big call-up.
"It's special because Trayce has been there so often for us," Mychal said early in the game, his knees seeking relief even in the pricey seats. "Through the Lakers success when I've been broadcasting games. Klay getting drafted and his journey with the Warriors. Trayce was battling in the minor leagues sort of anonymously, and now we have a chance to support him on the big stage. We had to be here."
Father's Day -- Klay and Mychal Thompson
2-time NBA Champion Mychal Thompson enjoys watching his son, Klay, win a title of his own. That's what Trayce thinks too -- he had to be here. As humbling as baseball can be, he claims he never has wavered in his conviction that he would reach the major leagues.
Neither did his family, long odds or not.
"He's a five-tool player," Mychal said. "And he has a level head. I always tell him, 'No matter what kind of slump you're in or how well you're going, always keep a level mind and keep the confidence up.' I always use Kobe Bryant as an example. No matter what kind of game Kobe's having or what kind of week, he never loses confidence in himself."
Mychal's pep talks via phone calls to Kannapolis, N.C., or Birmingham, Ala., was vital to keeping Trayce's confidence high. But beyond that, neither he nor Julie poked or prodded, staying true to the tactics they deployed with Mychel and Klay as basketball prodigies.
"They never forced sports on us. That's why I'm playing baseball," Trayce said in the White Sox clubhouse Tuesday afternoon. "My dad never once forced basketball on me and my mom, she just wanted us to be happy. You'll never see my mom on camera or cheering -- she's cheering but she'll sit as far away as possible and just watch us and let us be happy. She doesn't want any of the spotlight, but we couldn't be here without her.
"My dad, he's just more on camera because people know who he is. It's pretty easy to spot a tall, bald, 6-foot-9 guy."
Julie played volleyball at the University of San Francisco before she met and married Mychal in 1987. The three boys came fast, in a span of 33 months from June 1988 to March 1991. A month later, Mychal retired as an NBA player.
The two oldest boys -- Mychel's 6-foot-6, Klay 6-foot-7 -- gravitated to basketball but their father recalls Trayce, now 6- foot-3, walking around at age 4 with a toy bat in his grasp. They all had to be careful at home, lest one of them turn a corner just as Trayce was working on his swing.
The dream of what he's doing now took hold in tee ball. Before the family's move to California, they lived in Oregon.
"Growing up in the Northwest, Ken Griffey Jr. was always my guy," Trayce said. "And watching the Mariners, that whole team of the 90s, with Edgar Martinez, Griffey, Jay Buhner, Randy Johnson, all those guys. A-Rod. It was definitely inspiring. You can ask my brothers -- I mean, I still have Griffey posters up in my room."
Said Mychal, who grew up in the Bahamas with only sketchy basketball opportunities: "I've got to admit, the only time I kind of advised them not to play a certain sport, it was football. I was concerned about neck and head injuries, concussions, like we see today. ... I told them, 'Don't play high school football if you don't want to be a college football player. Because your body will just get beat up.' "
Besides some encouragement -- and the talking he does as Lakers broadcast analyst and an ESPN radio host in L.A. -- the father's advice doesn't get any more assertive now, particularly with his youngest.
"The mechanics and stuff, it's almost nice he doesn't know a lot of the fine details because he keeps it simple," Trayce said. "This game is so hard, you've got to keep it as simple as you can. But it's always refreshing to talk to him."
The family input is evident, White Sox manager Robin Ventura said, in how the young outfielder carries himself. "His work ethic ... how he represents himself and walks around, I think that's not always the case for everybody who comes up here," Ventura said. "He is not intimidated by this. At all."
Why sweat, when his father already is handling that. Mychal was a man in motion during The Finals, pacing the hallways at Oracle Arena as Golden State and Klay were closing in on the franchise's first NBA title in 40 years. "Any time you're dealing with LeBron James, you just cannot relax," he said. "That was the most miserable two weeks of my life. And yet, glorious."
Pulling for his three sons and their exploits now, he said, makes him more nervous than anything he ever felt as a player. The satisfaction? Way better. "It's like the difference between the Arctic and the equator," Mychal said. "What I did was great, I appreciate it and I treasure it. But seeing your kids succeed, that's 'infinity better.' I get more joy out of their success than anything I've ever done in my life."
Even if it means squirming in hard plastic seats. "I'm hoping these seats become very familiar to us," Mychal said, "over the next 16 years."
Levine: White Sox Have No Plans To Rest Struggling Chris Sale Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago | August 5, 2015
CHICAGO (CBS) — Will the real Chris Sale please move into the spotlight and stand up. The Sale we saw before the All- Star break was the most dominant in baseball this side of Zack Greinke, as he tied an MLB record for consecutive double- digit strikeout performances. In his past four starts for the White Sox, Sale has been struggled mightily, going 1-3 with a 7.61 ERA
What has changed? Sale insists he’s OK.
“I feel good, my arm and body are fine,” Sale said. “I am supposed to keep our streaks going. I had a chance to help us get to .500 (last week at Boston) and did not get it done. I just have to do better.”
Sale talking about his lack of getting the job done is interesting. He insists his arm is fine, but his fastball seems to have less steam on them as of late.
“His stuff is still very nasty,” an NL scout who has seen Sale six times in person during the 2015 campaign said. “The fastball command has not been the same. He does not usually get beat on the fastball like he has been as of late. Tired arm? I am not sure of that, because his breaking stuff is excellent.”
Sale’s last two starts have been a mystery to many, as the 26-year-old left-hander began to get hit around. Sale has surrendered a combined 14 earned runs in his last two starts, lasting only 10 1/3 innings. Knowing Sale’s history of arm issues, I asked Chicago manager Robin Ventura if there was a chance the White Sox may skip a turn for their ace to get a breather.
Sale is 9-7 with a 3.52 ERA and 1.08 WHIP this season.
“I don’t see skipping him,” Ventura said. “In the past, we have done that. The time we did, his velocity had been in the low 90s, almost 80s. That is not what it is. You take your chances with a guy like that. If it was something physical, we would (rest him). We error on the side of doing that, but he doesn’t feel that way. We don’t feel that way.”
The White Sox were cautious with Sale coming out of the break. He didn’t pitch in the All-Star Game and was backed up to the last rotation start as the second half opened.
“The command might not have been there,” Ventura said about Sale surrendering seven earned runs in the loss to Tampa on Tuesday. “The fastballs he threw were hit pretty far. For him, he has other pitches, and I think they were sitting on his fastball. They got him early by hitting some homers. He adjusted and went with some off-speed stuff. When he has his really good fastball he can locate, he is even tougher.”
The consensus is that teams are sitting on Sa;e’s fastballs early in the count over the past four outings. With an off-day coming Thursday, Sale will have the extra day of rest before his next start.
“We are always looking for that day,” Ventura said. “Right now an extra day means a lot. All of the starters are going to get it. It will help (Chris), just like it will help everyone else.”
Although Sale started the season briefly on the DL with a foot injury sustained in the early part of spring training, he’s on pace to have 32 starts in 2015. Sale has never had more than 30 starts in a season, due to injury occurrences in prior campaigns.