Lopsided loss to Yankees slows down White Sox good vibes

By any objective measure, the White Sox just completed their most impressive homestand of the season -- and maybe their most impressive homestand in several years.

They won both games of a rain-shortened series against the NL East-leading Atlanta Braves, and they took two out of three from the two-time defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.

That's a 4-1 record against perhaps the two best teams in baseball. The Sox are 20-4 in their last 24 home games. They've beaten good teams, bad teams and mediocre teams during that stretch. The vibes are good at Rate Field.

Too bad the good vibes aren't traveling with the Sox, who had a rough start to a six-game road trip Tuesday night. The New York Yankees, who have the best record in the American League, stomped the Sox, 12-2 in the Bronx.

The Sox are 24-12 at home, which pencils out to an outstanding .667 winning percentage. But after this latest loss, they are 14-21 on the road -- a .400 winning percentage. Not great. 

What's the difference? Run prevention.

At home, the Sox have a team ERA of 3.41. On the road, they entered Tuesday's play with a 5.30 ERA. After this debacle with the Yankees, that figure is up to 5.49, if my math is correct.

The defense isn't helping. Tuesday's third inning was a case in point. The game was tied at 1 through two innings, and there were no signs that the Sox were in any sort of trouble. But it spiraled very quickly after back-to-back misplays.

It all started when New York catcher J.C. Escarra beat a shifted defense with a check-swing roller into left field. Escarra stretched the single into a double, but he should have been out at second base. Sox left fielder Sam Antonacci got the ball to second base in time, but Chase Meidroth missed the tag.

Anthony Volpe followed with what looked like a routine grounder to Meidroth, but for some reason, Sox first baseman Jacob Gonzalez forgot to the cover the bag. It was ruled an "infield single."

There should have been two outs and nobody on. Instead, the Yankees had runners on first and third with nobody out. By the time that inning was over, Sox pitcher Davis Martin (9-3) had thrown 40 pitches, and the Yankees led 5-1.

New York tacked on six more runs in the fourth inning against a tiring and flustered Martin and reliever Chris Murphy, and the rout was on.

By no means is Martin without blame in this situation. He had given up three home runs in 13 starts and 78.1 innings prior to Tuesday's game. In this start, he gave up three homers in 3.1 innings. His ERA swelled from 2.41 to 3.31. It was brutal, and a poor outing on the big stage in the Bronx (perhaps wrongfully) weakens his case to make the All-Star team.

But it all started with bad defense. On the road, against good offenses, in tough environments, you can't afford to give an opponent five outs in an inning. The Sox have done that a fair amount away from home this season, and it's contributing to the bad road record.

That said, the Sox are 38-33, and they remain percentage points ahead of the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central race. They are weathering this difficult stretch of schedule against elite teams nicely. You just hope to see a crisper performance Wednesday night. 

Braden Montgomery provides White Sox with latest signature moment

I wrote on May 5 that it might be good for the White Sox if outfield prospect Braden Montgomery made it to Chicago quickly.

Montgomery did just that, making his major league debut Tuesday night against the Atlanta Braves at Rate Field.

The early returns have been excellent. Montgomery is 4 for 9 with two doubles, a home run, two runs scored and three RBIs in his first two games -- both Sox wins over the best-in-baseball Braves (45-23).

Montgomery was the reason the Sox won Tuesday night. With two outs in the bottom of the 10th inning and the Sox trailing 5-4, he rescued the team with a two-run, walkoff homer against Atlanta closer Raisel Iglesias. The Sox prevailed, 6-5.

It's worth noting that even after that homer, Iglesias has a 1.21 ERA. He hadn't allowed a home run all season until Montgomery took him deep, and that one swing doubled his runs allowed in 2026 from two to four.

So, yes, Montgomery got it done against a quality relief pitcher.

What would he do for an encore? Well, he went 2-for-4 with doubles from both sides of the plate in a 2-1 win over the Braves on Wednesday. His first double, against future Hall of Famer Chris Sale, started a two-run rally in the fourth inning that provided the Sox all the runs they would need.

Davis Martin tossed six shutout innings to improve his record to 9-2. 

The Sox have now won 18 for their last 21 games at Rate Field to improve their season home record to 22-11. The road record still kinda stinks at 14-20, but overall the Sox are 36-31.

After Thursday night's rainout, they maintain a half-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central Division. This marks the first time the Sox have been in first place since the end of the 2021 season.

Also, the Sox have been providing the home fans with some signature moments in extra innings recently.

Three times within the past month, they've trailed by a run in the bottom of the 10th inning and ended up winning because somebody hit a two-run homer: Edgar Quero on May 17 against the Chicago Cubs, Miguel Vargas on May 29 against the Detroit Tigers, and now Montgomery on June 9 against the Braves.

I'm not sure the past three years combined produced three endings like those. 

White Sox win 3 of 4 in series with Twins

The White Sox came tantalizingly close to sweeping their four-game series with the Minnesota Twins this week at Rate Field.

Better execution in the bottom of the 10th inning Tuesday night would have gotten the ghost runner home. Alas, it was not to be, and the Sox dropped that one.

However, I don't think we're in any position to complain about taking three of four from the Twins, and the Sox accomplished exactly that with a 6-2 win on Thursday afternoon.

Davis Martin (8-1) continued his mastery with six innings of one-run ball. He allowed only two hits, while striking out five and walking two.

Sox hitters tagged Minnesota starter Simeon Woods Richardson (0-7) for five earned runs over 2.2 innings. A four-run third inning proved decisive, highlighted by a two-out, three-run double by Randal Grichuk.

Some other notes after Thursday's victory:

• The Sox are now 10-1 in the 11 games Martin has started. His season ERA is 2.00. Nine of his 11 starts are quality starts, and he's given either no runs or just one run in eight of his starts.
• Grichuk has appeared in 18 games since signing with the Sox on May 4. He's batting .333 with four homers and 13 RBIs. He's slugging .694 with a 1.063 OPS in 38 plate appearances.
• The Sox have won nine of their past 10 games against the Twins, dating back to last season. They have outscored Minnesota 75-32 over that same span. Not bad considering the Sox went 1-12 against the Twins as recently as 2024. 

The Sox are 29-27, three games back of the Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central. They host the Detroit Tigers for a three-game series over the weekend. We'll talk about that series here on Monday. 

5 White Sox players off to decent-to-good starts

Even after beating the Athletics two games out of three over the weekend in Sacramento, the White Sox are 8-14.

I don't think the organization is pleased with this start, although it shouldn't be surprising given the subpar nature of the roster. There are, however, some glimmers of hope.

In a rare moment of positivity, I present five Sox players who are off to decent-to-good starts in 2026:

1. Davis Martin. The right-hander has 37.5% of the Sox wins, having gone 3-1 with a 2.16 ERA in his first four starts. Even in his one loss, Martin tossed seven innings of two-run ball -- he just didn't get any run support in that game. In his most recent start, Martin again went seven innings, allowing only one run in a 9-2 win Friday over the Athletics. He leads the team in innings pitched (25), strikeouts (19) and bWAR (1.1).

2. Munetaka Murakami. The comparisons to Kyle Schwarber have started. Perhaps that's a little premature, as the rookie from Japan only has 22 games under his belt. But much like Schwarber, Murakami has been a productive three-true-outcome hitter to this point. He homered in all three games of the series against the Athletics, increasing his team-best total to eight. Murakami is batting only .208, but he leads the Sox in walks (20), RBIs (16), on-base percentage (.376) and ranks second in slugging percentage (.542). Sure, he's struck out 31 times in 93 plate appearances, but his .918 OPS and 161 OPS+ are exactly what the Sox were hoping to see. 

3. Noah Schultz. The rookie posted three dominant starts at Triple-A Charlotte to force his way into the majors. The left-hander's first MLB start was shaky -- more specifically, his first inning was shaky as he gave up three runs in an 8-5 loss to Tampa Bay. But Schultz has allowed only two runs in the 8.1 innings since, and he picked up his first career victory Sunday, when he limited the Athletics to just one hit over five innings in a 7-4 win. Schultz is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA since joining the Sox, with 10 strikeouts and five walks in 9.1 innings pitched. 

4. Everson Pereira. The 25-year-old outfielder is the one reclamation project on this roster who has shown us something in the early going. Pereira has dealt with injuries this season, including an ankle problem that kept him on the shelf for the first two weeks of April. But since rejoining the lineup on April 14, Pereira has gone 7 for 21 with three doubles, two home runs and four RBIs. He has struck out 12 times in only 37 plate appearances, so there's plenty of swing-and-miss in his game. But the contact has been loud, as evidenced by his .297/.366/.649 slash line. It's a small sample, but that slugging percentage leads the team.  

5. Colson Montgomery. Despite the weird-looking offensive profile, Montgomery leads Sox position players in bWAR at 0.7. Some of that has to do with his defense at shortstop, where he has not yet committed an error this season. Give Montgomery credit for his glove. Throughout his pro career, he's faced questions about whether he can stick at shortstop. He may not win a Gold Glove anytime soon, but his defense has been more than serviceable. His slash line is at .200/.318/.453, with five homers, four doubles and 13 RBIs. He still strikes out a lot, 28 times in 88 plate appearances. But if Montgomery continues to post a 120 OPS+ with above-average defense at short, can we really complain? I would say no.

Up next for the Sox: three games at Arizona, starting Tuesday night at 8:40 Central. 

White Sox vs. Blue Jays pitching matchups

Here are your pitching matchups for the first series of the season at Rate Field, as the White Sox prepare to face the defending American League champion Toronto Blue Jays:

(Sox starter listed first) 

Friday, 1:10 p.m.

Sean Burke (0-1, 6.75 ERA) vs. Dylan Cease (0-0, 1.69 ERA)

Saturday, 1:10 p.m.

Anthony Kay (0-0, 3.86 ERA) vs. Eric Lauer (1-0, 3.38 ERA)

Sunday, 1:10 p.m.

Davis Martin (1-0, 5.40 ERA) vs. TBD 

Erick Fedde returns to White Sox on 1-year deal

Veteran right-handed pitcher Erick Fedde has agreed to a one-year contract with the White Sox, sources say.

This will be Fedde's second stint with the Sox, as he made 21 starts with the team in 2024 before being traded in July of that season.

The 33-year-old has spent parts of eight seasons in the majors, going a combined 34-55 with a 4.94 ERA with the Washington Nationals, White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers.

Fedde enjoyed his best success with the 2024 Sox. Here's a breakdown of that season:

• 2024 with White Sox: 7-4, 3.11 ERA, 1.142 WHIP in 121.2 innings pitched
• 2024 with Cardinals: 2-5, 3.72 ERA, 1.204 WHIP in 55.2 innings pitched
• 2024 totals: 9-9, 3.30 ERA, 1.162 WHIP in 177.1 innings pitched

Those are very respectable totals, and Fedde actually started the 2025 season well in St. Louis. He had a 3.54 ERA over his first 13 starts, but then the wheels completely fell off. Fedde pitched with three different teams before the season was over, and he ended the year in Milwaukee's bullpen. Here's a breakdown of that season:

• 2025 with Cardinals: 3-10, 5.22 ERA, 1.505 WHIP in 101.2 innings pitched
• 2025 with Braves: 1-2, 8.10 ERA, 1.843 WHIP in 23.1 innings pitched
• 2025 with Brewers: 0-1, 3.38 ERA, 1.125 WHIP in 16 innings pitched
• 2025 totals: 4-13, 5.49 ERA, 1.518 WHIP in 141 innings pitched

Fedde seemed to regain his form a bit in the small sample size of relief work with the Brewers, but that season was pretty brutal overall for him.

The Sox are apparently hoping he'll regain his 2024 form in a city where he's comfortable, and where he had his best MLB production.

The best guess here is Fedde slots into the No. 4 spot in the Sox rotation, behind Shane Smith, Davis Martin and Anthony Kay. As camp opens, expect the No. 5 spot to be an open competition among Sean Burke, Jonathan Cannon, Tanner McDougal and David Sandlin.

As is our custom when players return for a second tour in Chicago, let's welcome Fedde back with the traditional video:

 

 

SoxFest boycott to continue in 2026

When the last weekend in January comes, I'll once again have the feeling that I ought to be doing something. Alas, we will once again be boycotting SoxFest on the grounds that team management is giving us a cheapened experience.

In years past, we were regulars at SoxFest. It used to be a three-day event at a downtown Chicago hotel. It was at the Hyatt. Then it was at the Palmer House. Then it was at the Hilton. In 2020, it was at McCormick Place, and we stayed at one of the adjacent hotels.

Somewhere along the line, it got reduced from three days to two, because "people want to watch the NFL." I'd rather poke my eyes out than watch an NFL game, but SoxFest was still a fun event even when it was two days.

Even if the team was expected to suck (which most of the time it did), you got to spend a weekend in January in the city, mingling with other baseball people and talking baseball with your friends. It was good for the soul.

And I'll be honest: Even though I'm no longer a season ticket holder, and even though I think the 2026 White Sox are going to be bad, if they had an old-school SoxFest like back in the day, I'd buy a weekend pass in a second.

But that's not what they're doing, and they haven't done it for a while. From 2021-23, the Sox canceled the event, hiding behind the COVID-19 excuse for two years longer than they should have.

In 2024, the Sox conducted a lame meet-and-greet for season ticket holders at the Chicago Field Museum. I mean, who wouldn't want to rub elbows with Pedro Grifol and the members of a team that was destined to go 41-121? I wasn't welcome because I had canceled my tickets, and frankly, I didn't want to go anyway.

Then last year, they gave fans a "reimagined SoxFest Live" at the "historic Ramova Theatre" in Bridgeport. That's the format this year, too, with the event scheduled for Jan. 30-31. Only season ticket holders are welcome on Friday, and apparently, the program is the exact same thing on both days.

I heard that last year, fans weren't allowed to ask their own questions of the GM and manager. Only "preapproved" questions were allowed, and broadcaster Len Kasper did all the asking.

No thanks, if I'm going to pay money for this, I want to ask my own questions -- not listen to Kasper ask Will Venable how he uses analytics. That's the equivalent of an interview you can hear on the pregame show every day during the season. This is supposed to be a fan event, so let the fans speak.

Right now, the list of players scheduled to appear is unimpressive. For what it's worth, quite a few of the guys who matter on the 2026 roster will be there: Davis Martin, Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, Luis Robert Jr., Shane Smith, Grant Taylor, Kyle Teel and Miguel Vargas. Also on the list are prospects Tanner McDougal and Sam Antonacci.

But no former players? Forgive me, but us older guys like it when the players of the past come back. They have the best stories, and no longer being in the league, they tend to be more candid and less guarded than the athletes of today. 

Honestly, what's the appeal here? You want me to spend money to hang out for three hours in a small, renovated theater with no parking to hear guys respond to canned questions and recite cliches about how they hope to improve upon last year's 60-102 record?

I'll pass. Bring back the old SoxFest, and I'll come back. I promise. 

How does White Sox pitching staff look at start of 2026?

When people say the White Sox could get back to .500 in 2026, my standard response has been, "With what pitching?"

I think the Sox are lacking in both the starting rotation and the bullpen. Granted, the offseason is far from over, and there is still time to make additions before spring training begins in February. But as the calendar turns to 2026, let's take a look at where the pitching staff stands.

Starting rotation

If the season were to begin today -- and of course it does not -- here are the pitchers who would be most likely to land in the five-man rotation:

1. Shane Smith. The Rule 5 draftee made the All-Star Game in his rookie season, going 7-8 with a 3.81 ERA in 29 starts. On most teams, Smith would slot in as a No. 3 or No. 4 starting pitcher. However, on this Sox team, he looks like a reasonable bet to start on Opening Day. 

2. Davis Martin. The 28-year-old was mostly healthy for the first time since 2022 last year. He went 7-10 with a 4.10 ERA in 26 games (25 starts). Given that Martin was drafted in the 14th round in 2018, it's a development win for the Sox that he looks like a league-average pitcher when he's out there.

3. Anthony Kay. The 30-year-old lefty was added on a two-year, $12 million contract earlier this offseason. He hasn't pitched in the majors in two years, but he had a great year in Japan in 2025 -- 9-6 with a 1.74 ERA in 24 games. The Sox are hoping he's a sequel to Erick Fedde.

4. Sean Burke. The Opening Day starter in 2025 had an uneven year, going 4-11 with a 4.22 ERA in 28 games (22 starts). In fact, Burke was demoted to Charlotte for a time in 2025 before finishing the season in Chicago. That 1.444 WHIP is going to have to come down. Burke is not guaranteed a spot.  

5. Jonathan Cannon. Speaking of not being guaranteed a spot, if the Sox make another addition, Burke and Cannon might be fighting for the No. 5 spot in the rotation in spring. Cannon had a disastrous 2025. He went 4-10 in 22 games, and his ERA ballooned to 5.82. But he thinks he can bounce back.  

Other names to know include prospects Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith, both of whom remain in top-100 lists. Right-hander Tanner McDougal was added to the 40-man roster during the offseason. Righty Drew Thorpe and lefty Ky Bush are expected back sometime this season after Tommy John surgery.

Bullpen 

There should be heavy competition for the eight bullpen spots, but let's take a best guess:  

1. Grant Taylor. The hard-throwing 23-year-old appeared in 36 games as a rookie. He was impressive at times, recording six saves, and erratic and unlucky at other times. It all added up to a 4.91 ERA and 1.418 WHIP. The Sox say he will receive "multi-inning" opportunities in 2026.

2. Mike Vasil. The Rule 5 pick was one of the surprises of the 2025 campaign, totaling 101 innings in 47 appearances. He went 5-3 with a 2.50 ERA and totaled four saves while pitching in every role imaginable -- from starter to closer. Being versatile is one way to stick on a roster.

3. Sean Newcomb. The lefty signed a one-year, $4.5 million contract with the Sox earlier this offseason. There's been talk of letting him compete for a starting rotation spot. Sure, why not? But it's worth noting that Newcomb hasn't been a full-time starter since 2018. Of his 223 career appearances, 158 have been in relief.

4. Jordan Leasure. Somebody had to lead the 2025 Sox bullpen in saves, and it was Leasure with seven. He appeared in 68 games and went 5-6 with a 3.92 ERA. Notably, his WHIP in the second half of last season was 0.791, a drastic reduction from 1.618 in the first half. The Sox are hoping he pitches like he did late in the season. 

5. Brandon Eisert. Congratulations if you selected Eisert to lead the Sox in appearances in 2025. The lefty pitched 72 times, which I did not see coming. The results were mediocre, 3-8 with a 4.39 ERA. There's nothing remarkable about Eisert's platoon splits. He wasn't that great at getting lefties out. But availability is a skill, and Eisert was available.

6. Chris Murphy. This 27-year-old lefty has options left, but I figure the Sox didn't trade for him to bury him in the minors. He was 3-0 with a 3.12 ERA in 23 relief appearances with Boston last season. He was equally effective against both lefties (.597 OPS against) and righties (.598 OPS against).

7. Wikelman Gonzalez. The "fourth piece" of the four-player return from Boston in the Garrett Crochet trade pitched in 16 games with the Sox last season, going 1-0 with a 2.66 ERA. He totaled 20.1 innings in those games and seems suitable as a multi-inning reliever.  

8. Duncan Davitt. The Sox acquired Davitt from Tampa Bay in the Adrian Houser deal last summer, and then added him to the 40-man roster to protect him from Rule 5 last month. He started 28 games in the minors last year, but I don't think that's his role long term. Somebody has to be the long man, right?

It's worth noting that left-handers Tyler Gilbert and Bryan Hudson remain on the 40-man roster. Both are out of options, but how many lefties do you need? I see a competition brewing among Eisert, Murphy, Gilbert and Hudson for perhaps two roster spots. Prelander Berroa is working his way back from Tommy John surgery. Rule 5 draft selections Jedixson Paez and Alexander Alberto will also get a look in camp.

So, basically, I'm naming 13 guys for eight bullpen spots. I'd like to see another veteran added in both the rotation and the bullpen before spring training begins. If you listen to Sox podcasts, there's a lot of talk that more signings are coming. 

Let's hope so.

White Sox trade Andrew Vaughn, acquire Aaron Civale

The White Sox on Friday made a surprise trade, sending first baseman Andrew Vaughn to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for pitcher Aaron Civale.

The thing that's surprising about the deal is that the Sox got anything of value for Vaughn. The 27-year-old was selected third overall in the 2019 MLB Draft, but he never lived up to that pedigree with the Sox. 

In five seasons with the team, Vaughn finished with a .248/.303/.407 slash line. His OPS+ was 97, which means he was 3% below average with the bat during his time on the South Side of Chicago. That makes it tough to roster someone like Vaughn, who is a poor fielder and a slow runner.

In fact, Vaughn accumulated -0.4 bWAR in his Sox career, including an ugly -1.6 bWAR in the 2025 season. Vaughn bottomed out this year, batting .189/.218/.314 with five homers and 19 RBIs in 48 games.

That performance earned Vaughn a trip to Triple-A Charlotte. Now with the Brewers organization, he'll be playing for Triple-A Nashville.

Civale, a 30-year-old veteran right-hander with 123 career starts under his belt, asked out of Milwaukee after a demotion to the bullpen.

He missed the start of the season with a hamstring strain, and then went 1-2 with a 4.91 ERA across five starts with the Brewers.

Civale made his Sox debut on Sunday and pitched OK, giving up two runs in five innings. He was the losing pitcher as the Sox took a 2-1 loss against the Texas Rangers.

This is a good trade for the Sox because Civale will bring value to the team by covering innings at the major league level. Vaughn brings no value of any sort.

It's no secret the Sox have a thin starting rotation. Veteran Martin Perez is on the shelf with a forearm injury. Drew Thorpe, Ky Bush and Mason Adams are all out for the season after undergoing elbow surgery.

That has left the Sox to rely on a lot of inexperienced pitchers in their rotation. Shane Smith has been their best starter, but at 68.1 innings pitched, he only 26 innings short of a career high. It's only June 16.

Sean Burke is in a similar situation. His career high in innings is 108. He's at 70.2. 

What about Davis Martin? He once threw 144 innings at Single-A Kannapolis, but that was in 2019. Martin had Tommy John surgery in 2023. He's thrown 80.2 innings this season.

That's where Civale comes in. He threw 161 innings last year. With Perez being absent, Civale and Adrian Houser are the guys who can munch innings when any of the aforementioned three starters need to skip a start. It will happen.

Unfortunately, the Sox have lost five in a row after Sunday's loss. They are now 7-31 on the road after getting swept in Texas. They are 23-49 this season. 

White Sox take 2 of 3 from Royals

Coming into this weekend's series at Rate Field, the White Sox had lost 10 in a row and 18 out of 19 against the Kansas City Royals. 

Doesn't it seem like the Sox have a lot of these terrible losing streaks left over from the Pedro Grifol era? 

The good news is the Sox put an end to that foolishness by taking two out of three from the Royals over the weekend. The South Siders completed a 4-3 homestand against the first-place Detroit Tigers and Kansas City.

Frankly, I was expecting a 2-5 record this week, so I have no complaints, despite a Sox loss on Sunday. Here's a look back at the weekend that was:

Friday, June 6

White Sox 7, Royals 2: The Sox used a five-run bottom of the eighth inning to break open a 2-2 tie. Luis Robert Jr.'s two-run bloop single with the bases loaded put the Sox ahead to stay at 4-2.

Kansas City then gifted the Sox three more runs with a wild pitch and two errors. Robert Jr. finished the game 2 for 3 with three RBIs, although both hits were soft singles. The Sox broadcast booth tried to convince fans that Robert Jr. is "back" after that performance. Alas, he was 0 for 8 with four strikeouts in the final two games of the series.

Davis Martin got a no-decision, but pitched well. He gave up two runs on five hits over six innings. He struck out seven and walked nobody. Catcher Kyle Teel went 1 for 2 with two walks and a run scored in his MLB debut.

Saturday, June 7

White Sox 4, Royals 1: A pair of home runs made the difference for the Sox. Tim Elko's fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the second inning, put the Sox ahead 2-1. Chase Meidroth's second home run of the year made it 3-1 in the third.

There the score stayed until the bottom of the eighth. Singles by Miguel Vargas and Teel and a sacrifice fly by Edgar Quero produced the fourth Sox run.

Adrian Houser (2-1) tossed six innings of one-run ball to get the win. He struck out six and walked one. Relievers Cam Booser, Steven Wilson and Dan Altavilla each worked a scoreless inning, with Altavilla earning his first save with the Sox. 

Sunday, June 8

Royals 7, White Sox 5: Kansas City's offense broke out with 16 hits, and the Sox were fortunate to limit the damage by turning five double plays.

Nevertheless, the Royals broke up a 2-2 tie with two runs in the seventh inning and three more in the ninth. The Sox trailed 7-2 heading into their last at-bat, but they came up with three runs and had the bases loaded with two outs. Alas, Elko struck out swinging against Kansas City closer Carlos Estevez to end the game.

Vargas totaled three RBIs for the Sox. He hit his team-leading ninth homer, a two-run shot in the first, and drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth. The South Siders were limited to four hits and struck out 11 times.

The Sox are 22-44. 

White Sox have first 3-game winning streak of 2025

If you have any Cincinnati baseball fans on your friends list, you might want to call for a well-being check on them.

That's because the Reds have lost two games in a row at home to the lowly White Sox, who were previously 3-17 on the road.

The South Siders beat Cincinnati, 4-2, on Wednesday night to earn their third consecutive win. This is the first such winning streak for the Sox in 2025. 

This also means the Sox have secured their fourth series win of the season, having previously won home series against Boston, Houston and Miami. By way of comparison, the 2024 Sox only won four series the entire season.

Let's not get it confused: The Sox are 14-29, and they still stink. But at this stage, you take the positives wherever you can get them.

Davis Martin (2-4) pitched 6.2 innings of one-run ball to pick up the win Wednesday. He allowed seven hits, struck out five and walked nobody.

Lenyn Sosa hit his third home run of the season as part of a 2-for-4 night. Michael A. Taylor also homered, his second of the year, for the Sox. Luis Robert Jr. went 2 for 3 with two singles, a walk, an RBI and a run scored.

Mike Vasil got three outs in the ninth for his first career save.

The Sox will look for a rare sweep on Thursday afternoon.

White Sox opener strategy works ... sort of

Give White Sox manager Will Venable credit for trying something new. 

The Athletics have a left-handed-dominant top of the batting order, and the Sox have nothing but right-handers in their starting rotation. 

It's a matchup made in hell, so Venable used a left-handed reliever to pitch the first inning of all three games in Sacramento this weekend, and then he went to his regularly scheduled right-handed starter in the second inning.

Even though the Sox lost two of three games, it mostly worked. Tyler Gilbert pitched a scoreless first inning Friday night and Saturday afternoon. Brandon Eisert allowed one run in the first inning Sunday. 

The right-handers who followed them pitched well. On Sunday, Davis Martin tossed six shutout innings. Jonathan Cannon got his first win of the season Saturday when he allowed three runs over 7.2 innings. Sean Burke on Friday allowed three earned runs over 5.1 innings, which wasn't great, but it was an improvement over his previous outings.

Here's a look back at the weekend that was:

Friday, April 25

Athletics 6, White Sox 5: The Sox took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the sixth, but Burke got in trouble. With two on and two outs, Jacob Wilson singled to center, and Luis Robert Jr. booted the ball, allowing both runners to score and tie the game at 3.

The A's tacked on two in the seventh and one in the eighth to take a 6-3 into the ninth. The Sox rallied against closer Mason Miller. Lenyn Sosa singled and scored on a two-run homer by Brooks Baldwin. Miguel Vargas lined out to center, and Edgar Quero just missed tying the game on a fly ball to right that was caught at the wall.

Four good ABs in a row, and then Robert Jr. struck out on three pitches, the last of which was nowhere near a strike. It was a tough game for Robert Jr. overall: 1 for 4 with three strikeouts and the crucial error that flipped the game in the Athletics' favor.

Saturday, April 26 

White Sox 10, Athletics 3: Robert Jr. redeemed himself with a solo home run in the top of the first that started a four-run rally. Quero walked, and then there were three straight RBI doubles by Sosa, Michael A. Taylor and Baldwin.

The Sox added two more in the second inning and jumped out to an early 6-0. Cannon (1-3) made it work from there with his best outing of the season. He struck out five and walked two, while allowing six hits over his 7.2 innings.

Taylor finished 3 for 5 with three doubles. Quero and Vargas also had two-hit games.

Sunday, April 27

Athletics 3, White Sox 2 (10 inn.): The Sox had 14 men reach base in this game -- nine hits, four walks and a hit batsman. You would think that would be a recipe for more than two runs, but you'd be wrong.

Joshua Palacios hit a solo home run to start the game, but the Sox didn't score again until the top of the 10th when Robert Jr. plated the ghost runner with an RBI single to put the South Siders ahead 2-1.

Quero then singled, advancing Robert Jr. to third with only one out. It looked like the Sox might break the game open. Alas, Andrew Vaughn grounded into a double play to drop his average down to .157 and kill the inning.

That proved really costly because the Sox needed another run. Jordan Leasure (0-2) gave up a homer to Luis Urias in the bottom of the 10th with the ghost runner aboard, and that provided the winning margin for the Athletics.

The Sox stranded 10 runners, went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position and hit into two double plays. Woof.

The 10-game road trip is over. The Sox went 3-7 and are now 7-21 for the season. They start a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night at Rate Field.

Sean Burke will start Opening Day for White Sox

When spring training began, it was a question mark whether Sean Burke would make the White Sox roster. I had him at No. 6 on my list of 10 candidates for the starting rotation.

Turns out, Burke is not only on the team, but he'll also start Opening Day on March 27 against the Los Angeles Angels, according to manager Will Venable.

Burke, 25, was a third-round pick out of the University of Maryland in 2021, and he did not make his MLB debut until last season.

In fact, Burke has only three starts and 19 innings in the majors to his credit, but hey, he was effective in a small sample size. He went 2-0 on a team that only won 41 games all season, and he struck out 22 in those 19 innings.

It's just a surprise the Sox are going this direction, with more experienced options such as Martin Perez and Davis Martin on the roster.

That said, of all the candidates for the Opening Day start, Burke perhaps has the best stuff. He's got the 95 mph fastball. He's added a sinker to his power slider, and he showed a good changeup last season that helped keep opposing batters off his higher-velocity pitches.

Ultimately, what is there to lose if Burke fails? Expectations for the season are super low. The ceiling for Burke is higher than someone like the journeyman Perez, so I see no real drawback to giving this a shot.

First impressions of White Sox: Terrible

If you're looking for a reason to believe the White Sox will be more watchable or more tolerable in 2025, I don't think we've seen one yet.

The Sox are 0-4 in their first four spring training games, and they've been outscored 36-12 thus far. On Tuesday, they endured a vicious 14-3 pounding at the hands of the not-so-mighty Colorado Rockies. That loss came on the heels of defeats against the Cubs on Saturday (7-3), the Kansas City Royals on Sunday (4-3) and the Texas Rangers on Monday (11-3).

I guess you can give the Sox credit for being consistent: They score three runs every day.

However, looking over these losses, we see a lot of the same patterns we saw during the record-setting 121-loss season of 2024.

Against the Cubs, the Sox played a sloppy defensive inning in the second, surrendering five runs and basically taking themselves out of the game early. A two-run homer by 22-year-old shortstop Colson Montgomery provided the biggest highlight for the South Siders, but I fear that might have fooled some fans into thinking the former first-round pick is ready for the majors.

Montgomery is 1 for 7 with four strikeouts so far this spring, and after he hit just .214/.329/.381 last season at Triple-A Charlotte, I think he would be best served to repeat the level in 2025. Even if Montgomery bats .500 in spring ball, I'm likely not going to change my assessment that he needs more work in the minors.

The Sox probably should have won Sunday. They took a 3-1 lead into the eighth inning, but the Royals rallied with three runs off lefty reliever Trey McGough. It seems unlikely that McGough, a 26-year-old career minor leaguer, will make the team. However, the Sox tend to blow leads in the seventh and eighth innings of games regardless of who is on the mound, regardless of the circumstances. Even if spring ball is meaningless, around here you're not even allowed one win to feel better about this team.

The first Chicago Sports Network broadcast of the season came Monday, and the Sox greeted fans by giving up nine runs in the top of the first inning against the Rangers. Texas collected only four hits during the rally, as two Sox pitchers -- including Rule 5 pick Shane Smith -- combined to gift the Rangers four walks and a hit batsman. The less said about that game, the better.

Perhaps it's for the best that Tuesday's loss to the Rockies wasn't on TV anywhere. Reports indicated that starting pitcher Davis Martin was sharp, needing just 18 pitches to record six outs in his two scoreless innings. However, two relievers who are expected to make the team -- Gus Varland and Justin Anderson -- were charged with 10 runs. Anderson allowed eight runs (seven earned) without recording an out in the eighth inning. Woof.

Really, Sox fans are looking for some reason -- any reason -- to believe this team isn't going down the same path it did in 2024. So far, sad to say, they are picking up right where they left off.

10 candidates for White Sox starting rotation

When I heard the White Sox were signing veteran left-handed pitcher Martin Perez to a one-year contract, my reaction was, "Ha! He's going to be the Opening Day starter!"

Perez, 33, is getting a guaranteed $5 million, according to reports. His salary for 2025 will be $3.5 million. The contract includes a $10 million mutual option for 2026, with a $1.5 million buyout.

What does the Sox rotation look like now that former ace Garrett Crochet has been traded to the Boston Red Sox for futures? Well, here are 10 pitchers we might see:

1. Perez. As ridiculous as it sounds, Perez is going to be the most accomplished starter on this team, which puts him in line for a potential Opening Day nod. His career record is 90-87 with a 4.44 ERA over 314 games, including 269 starts. He struggled the first half of 2024 with Pittsburgh, going 2-5 with a 5.20 ERA. But after a midseason trade to the San Diego Padres, Perez discovered new life over 10 starts. He went 3-1 with a 3.46 ERA. The lefty has a long track record of being a league-average starter, which makes him the top option on this Sox team.

2. Jonathan Cannon. The 24-year-old, former third-round draft pick was an afterthought coming into 2024, but he ended up making 23 appearances (21 starts) with the Sox and put up a 1.9 WAR season as a rookie. He went 5-10 with a 4.49 ERA. Among the younger pitchers who are candidates for the rotation, Cannon starts 2025 on the firmest ground.

3. Drew Thorpe. The 24-year-old righty was the centerpiece of the return in the Dylan Cease trade. After tearing up Double-A Birmingham, he was promoted to Chicago last season and made nine starts. Results were mixed, as he went 3-3 with a 5.48 ERA before elbow trouble sidelined him for the last two months of the season. If Thorpe is healthy, it's hard to envision him not being in the rotation.

4. Bryse Wilson. This 27-year-old veteran made 34 appearances with the Milwaukee Brewers last season, mostly in relief. But he did make nine starts in 2024, and I think he signed with Chicago believing he would get an opportunity to crack the rotation. I like his odds, just because it's hard to see the Sox going with Perez and four kids. There probably has to be one other veteran in there, and Wilson is probably that guy.

5. Davis Martin. The former 14th-round pick surprised everyone by giving the Sox about 60 respectable innings across 14 games (9 starts) in 2022, but then Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the entire 2023 season. He returned to mixed results in the second half of 2024. He made 11 appearances (10 starts) and tossed 50 innings with 47 strikeouts, going 0-5 with a 4.32 ERA. He just turned 28 years old, so there's not much upside left, but he probably enters spring with an inside track for a rotation spot.

6. Sean Burke. Another former third-round pick, the 25-year-old was another guy who was off the grid coming into 2024. He's been injured for a good chunk of his professional career, but he pitched himself back into the picture by making the most of his September call-up last season. He appeared in four games, three of them starts, and went 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA. He struck out 22 guys in only 19 innings. This is a staff that needs strikeouts. We'll see how Burke looks in spring.

7. Ky Bush. The 25-year-old lefty, acquired in 2023 in the trade that sent Lucas Giolito to the Los Angeles Angels, had a strong showing in Double-A Birmingham and earned an August look with the Sox. Alas, he struggled with his control, walking 16 guys in just 17.2 innings in the majors. He finished 0-3 with a 5.60 ERA. I would expect Bush to start the season in Charlotte, but it's not unreasonable to think he'll get another chance sometime in 2025.

8. Nick Nastrini. Speaking of control problems, Nastrini made eight starts and one relief appearance for the 2024 Sox. He walked 36 guys in 35.2 innings. That was enough to give him an 0-7 record with a 7.07 ERA. Ouch. The 24-year-old will probably get one more kick at the can to make the rotation this spring. It isn't as if the Sox are bursting at the seams with proven options, so there's still a chance for Nastrini to move up this list. But right now, I'm thinking whatever future he has might be in the bullpen.

9. Jairo Iriarte. Another pitcher who came to the Sox in the Cease trade, Iriarte got a late-season look in 2024 with six relief appearances. There's nothing wrong with his 1.50 ERA, but he walked eight guys and struck out six in six innings. Iriarte has a power arm, and he's never going to have great control. But he can't be *that* wild and expect to hold down a rotation spot. He's probably destined for Triple-A Charlotte to start the season, but a pitcher on the 40-man who has had a look in the majors can't be completely discounted.

10. Shane Smith. How about a Rule 5 pick? Smith made 32 appearances and 16 starts across two levels in the Milwaukee Brewers organization last year. He was 6-3 with a 3.05 ERA in those outings. He has to make the club out of spring training, or be offered back to the Brewers. So, that helps his odds, but the most likely scenario is he grabs a spot in the bullpen.

We'll leave top pitching prospects Noah Schultz and Hagen Smith off this list for now. They will start the season in the minor leagues, but I'll mention them here just to acknowledge that a 2025 debut isn't out of the question for either of them. I just don't expect it to occur in March or April.

Will Lance Lynn get DFA'd by White Sox?

Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani combined to hit 1,345 feet of home runs off White Sox right-hander Lance Lynn on Wednesday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Trout hit a 461-foot cannon shot in the first inning on a pitch that I would hesitate to call a slider -- it did absolutely nothing. Ohtani's home runs -- one in the third inning and another in the fourth -- traveled 425 feet and 459 feet, respectively.

Yes, it was a rough day for Lynn (4-6), as the Los Angeles Angels routed the Sox, 12-5.

The final line for Lynn: He pitched four innings, allowing eight runs (all earned) on eight hits. He struck out four, walked two, hit two batters and surrendered three titanic home runs. He gave the Sox no chance to win.

His ERA ballooned to 6.55 in 12 starts. His WHIP was an ugly 1.453 coming into Wednesday, and that's about to get worse. His velocity is down -- bad news for a fastball pitcher -- and at age 36, it's fair to wonder if Lynn's best days are past.

In the wake of this terrible game, I've seen Sox fans on social media calling for Lynn to be designated for assignment.

It is true that a roster move is due -- Mike Clevinger is ready to come off the injured list and rejoin the starting rotation. That will probably happen this weekend against the Detroit Tigers.

However, I expect Jesse Scholtens to be optioned to Triple-A Charlotte, even though Scholtens did a reasonable job in relief Wednesday. He worked four innings, gave up only two runs and generally went about the business of getting this terrible game over with as quickly as possible.

Here's the problem with getting rid of Lynn: Scholtens, a 29-year-old who just made his big league debut earlier this season, is the only pitcher in the Sox system who looks credible enough to provide depth in the rotation. 

Say you let Lynn go and install Scholtens in the rotation, and then you have another injury (a very likely possibility with this fragile team). Then what? Cover your eyes when you look at the pitching statistics for Triple-A Charlotte. With Davis Martin out for the season after elbow surgery, there isn't anyone else who can help.

There are 104 games left in the season. That means there are somewhere between 900 and 950 innings left to cover. The Sox are 23-35. They are out of race, but they still have to play these games and somebody has to take the mound and wear it. Might as well be Lynn.

Then, when the season ends, you decline Lynn's option for 2024 and regroup.

Sources: Mike Clevinger agrees to 1-year deal with White Sox

Mike Clevinger

Injuries played a major part in derailing the 2022 White Sox, so you would think adding players with a track record of good health would be a priority this offseason.

That's what makes the signing of injury-plagued pitcher Mike Clevinger so baffling. According to reports, the Sox and the 31-year-old veteran right-hander are in agreement on a one-year, $12 million contract.

Like so many guys the Sox have signed through the years, Clevinger was good once upon a time. In 101 games (88 starts) with the Cleveland Indians from 2016 to 2020, Clevinger went 42-22 with a 3.20 ERA, while striking out 10 batters per nine innings.

The Sox tried to acquire Clevinger at the 2020 trade deadline, but instead he went to the San Diego Padres in a nine-player deal -- a move that ultimately allowed Cleveland to acquire four players who contributed to its 2022 AL Central Division championship.

Once in San Diego, Clevinger suffered an elbow injury late in 2020, and he missed the entire 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery for the second time in his career. 

Credit to Clevinger for overcoming that -- he's one of only 47 pitchers in the history of baseball to return to major league competition after undergoing that particular surgery twice.

However, his 2022 season in San Diego was also injury-plagued. A right knee sprain, a right triceps injury and a bout with COVID-19 conspired to limit Clevinger to 22 starts and 114.1 innings. He went 7-7 with a 4.33 ERA. These days, he's striking out 7.2 batters per nine innings. His average fastball velocity sat at 93.2 mph, down from its 95.5-mph peak in 2019.

Clevinger figures to occupy the No. 4 spot in the Sox rotation, behind Dylan Cease, Lance Lynn and Lucas Giolito, and ahead of Michael Kopech.

However, there are two reasons I don't like this signing. First, Clevinger can't be counted on to be healthy, and the Sox really need people to be healthy. According to pitching coach Ethan Katz, Kopech is behind schedule in his rehab after having right-knee surgery last fall. The hope is Kopech will be able to throw 85 pitches and go five innings by the time spring training ends in 2023.

In other words, you already have one injury concern going into the season with Kopech, and now you have two with Clevinger. The Sox have very little starting pitching depth in their organization, with only Davis Martin capable of coming up from Triple-A Charlotte and giving you a few credible starts in a pinch.

So that means Clevinger doesn't really solve the rotation hole. You're going to need at least one more guy as an insurance policy, but the Sox are on a tight budget, and they've already blown $12 million of whatever resources are being put toward free agency with this signing.

My other issue is that Clevinger is basically a five-inning pitcher at this point. The times-through-the-order penalty hits him hard. Here's a look at his 2022 numbers:

First time through the batting order: .588 OPS against

Second time through the batting order: .692 OPS against

Third time through the batting order: 1.032 OPS against 

When the opposition comes to the plate to start its third time through, bullpen get ready!

Here's another way to look at it, by pitch count:

Pitches 1-25: .605 OPS against

Pitches 26-50: .642 OPS against

Pitches: 51-75: .810 OPS against

Pitches 76+: .921 OPS against

Yeah, you're not getting any seven-innings outings out of Clevinger. If you get more than 20 starts, be happy. If you get 120 or more innings, be happy.

Now ask yourself: Should the Sox be making a guy who will be fortunate to make 20 starts and throw 120 innings their first major signing of the offseason? 

This player was a priority? I'm not impressed. The Sox need a workhorse for their rotation, not another question mark.

Yoan Moncada (finally) contributes to White Sox offense

Yoan Moncada

There's nothing like a series against the sad-sack Detroit Tigers to cure what ails you, right? 

The White Sox completed a three-game sweep in Detroit with a 13-0 victory on Wednesday afternoon. Their 22-hit attack was powered by ... Yoan Moncada?

Yes, Yoan Moncada. It's about time.

Moncada entered Wednesday's game with a .141/.198/.222 slash line. He had only two home runs, two doubles and seven RBIs in 106 plate appearances. Since May 22, he had just two extra-base hits, and one of them was a "bunt double" down the left-field line against a shifted infield.

Well, Moncada had two extra-base hits on Wednesday alone. He went 5 for 6 with a home run, a double, two runs scored and five RBIs. He nearly doubled his season RBI total, going from seven to 12. His batting average improved 40 points to .181. His OPS went from .420 to .527.

And, Moncada had the biggest hit of the game. He came to the plate with two on and two out in the first inning, and roped a fastball from Detroit starter Alex Faedo into the right-field seats for a 3-run homer.

That staked the Sox to an early multi-run lead, and they cruised from there.

Sure, the Tigers used position players to pitch the last three innings, and Moncada piled on with two of his five hits against those guys. But it's worth noting that Leury Garcia also had two at-bats against Detroit position players, and he made three outs.

Amusingly, or not amusingly, depending on your perspective, Garcia struck out against Harold Castro and grounded into a double play against Tucker Barnhart.

Garcia was 0 for 2 off the bench. He gave center fielder Luis Robert a few innings off after the game got out of hand. But enough about Garcia and his inept nonsense. The nine Sox players who started the game all had at least one hit.

Jose Abreu went 4 for 5 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Andrew Vaughn totaled three hits, and AJ Pollock now has seven straight multi-hit games after a 2-for-4 day. Pollock reached base four times and scored twice.

Danny Mendick and Seby Zavala homered for the Sox.

Rookie right-hander Davis Martin picked up his first career victory with 5.1 innings of scoreless relief. Vince Velasquez was activated off the injured list to start Wednesday's game. He worked 2.2 scoreless innings before being removed. Perhaps he was on a pitch count.

Reliever Kyle Crick was placed on the injured list with right elbow inflammation to make room for Velasquez on the roster.

The Sox are 30-31, still five games behind the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central.

The next six games are a little tougher. The South Siders play three games at Houston over the weekend, before coming home for three games against Toronto.

Not that anyone needs a reminder, but the Sox were 0-6 in Houston last season -- regular season and playoffs combined -- so we'll see if they can compete a little better in this next series.