White Sox get much-needed three-game sweep in Kansas City

Nick Madrigal

Games against the Kansas City Royals have been a painful experience for White Sox fans over the past decade. Sure, the Royals were good in 2014 and 2015, but in a lot of other seasons, you felt as though the Sox were the better team, but it did not play out that way in head-to-head matchups.

Take 2019, for example. The Royals were 59-103, but they still managed to go 10-9 against the Sox. That probably should not have happened, but it did.

Given that history, it was really nice to see the Sox win all three games in Kansas City this weekend, by a combined score of 23-9.

In roster moves of note, Nick Madrigal received his overdue call-up and started all three games at second base. He went hitless the first two games, before breaking out with a 4-for-5 performance that included two runs scored and an RBI in the series finale.

Relief pitcher Kelvin Herrera was thankfully designated for assignment. Since joining the Sox before the start of the 2019 season, he appeared in 59 games and posted a 6.54 ERA. In two appearances this season, he allowed four earned runs -- including two homers -- over 2.1 innings. His fastball velocity was sitting in the low 90s -- it was in the upper 90s in Herrera's prime -- and the right-hander would have automatically had his contract option picked up for 2021 if he made 21 appearances during this shortened season.

The Sox simply could not allow that to happen. It was time for Herrera to go, and he is gone.

In less happy news, shortstop Tim Anderson strained his groin in Friday's game against the Royals, and he's on the 10-day injured list. The Sox will need to survive with Leury Garcia and Danny Mendick playing that position for the time being.

Catcher Yermin Mercedes was recalled to take Anderson's spot on the 30-man roster.

Here are some other thoughts on each of the weekend games:

Friday, July 31
White Sox 3, Royals 2: The key sequence of this game came in the top of the second inning. Eloy Jimenez reached on an error, right before Luis Robert beat out what should have been a sure double-play ball. It should have been two outs with nobody on base. Instead, Robert was on first with one out. James McCann was hit by a pitch, and Adam Engel hit a three-run homer off Kansas City lefty Kris Bubic to put the Sox ahead, 3-0.

Dallas Keuchel (2-0) allowed two runs over 5.2 innings to pick up his second win with the Sox, and three relievers combined to make a one-run lead stick the rest of the way. Alex Colome pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save of the season.

Saturday Aug. 1
White Sox 11, Royals 5: After Anderson got injured Friday night, Robert moved into the leadoff spot and turned in a dominant performance. The rookie center fielder went 4 for 6 with a homer, two doubles, two runs scored and two RBIs.

Jimenez also finished a triple short of the cycle. He went 4 for 6 with four RBIs, including a three-run homer that capped off a four-run top of the first.

The Sox finished with 21 hits as a team. Garcia also had a four-hit night in place of Anderson at shortstop. Yasmani Grandal's two-out, two-run double in the top of the ninth took the score from 7-4 to 9-4, and the Sox piled on from there.

Rookie reliever Matt Foster got the win in his first major league appearance, and rookie Codi Heuer got his first career save, because he entered in the eighth when the score was 7-4. The Sox needed seven pitchers to get through the game, but the offense was good enough to carry the day.

Sunday, Aug. 2
White Sox 9, Royals 2: This game was tied at 2 through six innings, but the Sox erupted for seven runs in the top of the seventh to put the game away. The rally was started and finished by Madrigal, who led off the inning with a single and capped it with an RBI single.

The inning also featured a two-out, two-run single by the erstwhile Nicky Delmonico, who has been struggling mightily to get anything done at the plate. Credit Delmonico for capitalizing on a hanging slider from Greg Holland, but you know, he's still only batting .150 for the season.

The rally made a winner of Dylan Cease (1-1), who bounced back from a crummy outing against the Indians with six innings of two-run ball. Cease struck out four and walked only one.

The Sox are now 5-4 heading into a four-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers. The first two will be played in Wisconsin. The second two will be played on the South Side. Here are your pitching probables:

Monday, 7:10 p.m.: Carlos Rodon (0-1, 12.27 ERA) vs. Brett Anderson
Tuesday, 7:10 p.m.: Lucas Giolito (0-1, 6.52 ERA) vs. Brandon Woodruff (1-1, 1.59 ERA)
Wednesday, 7:10 p.m.: Keuchel (2-0, 3.38 ERA) vs. Adrian Houser (0-0, 1.80 ERA)
Thursday, 7:10 p.m.: Gio Gonzalez (0-0, 7.36 ERA vs. TBA

Pitching depth continues to erode for White Sox

Remember before the season when fans and media thought the White Sox could use a six-man starting rotation?

That was fun while it lasted, right?

I guess it wasn't completely ridiculous at the time. Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo Lopez and Dylan Cease are holdovers from last year. Dallas Keuchel and Gio Gonzalez were brought in as free agents. And with the pandemic pause, that bought time for Carlos Rodon, Michael Kopech, Jimmy Lambert and Dane Dunning to recover from Tommy John surgery.

That's nine pitchers, and at least seven of them are legitimate options. But then Kopech opted out of the season. Lopez got hurt in the first inning of his first start. And now Lambert is headed to the injured list with a strained forearm.

It's too bad, too, because Lambert surprisingly made the 30-man roster and was unscored upon in two relief appearances so far this season. While others have looked suspect, he has pitched well.

That list of nine starting options is now down to six. It's Giolito, Keuchel, Gonzalez, Cease and Rodon, with Dunning serving as backup at the Sox's alternate training site in Schaumburg.

The Sox (2-4) will start a three-game series in Kansas City against the Royals (3-4) on Friday night. Here are your pitching probables:

Friday, 7:05 p.m.: Keuchel (1-0, 3.38 ERA) vs. Kris Bubic
Saturday, 6:05 p.m.: Gonzalez (0-0, 14.73 ERA) vs. TBA
Sunday, 1:05 p.m.: Cease (0-1, 15.43 ERA) vs. TBA

I guess that wasn't real helpful, was it? Well, at least we know the plan for the Sox.

2019 version of Lucas Giolito shows up for White Sox

Lucas Giolito

Through the first five games of the season, White Sox starting pitchers had a collective ERA of 12.64. That's a good way to lose four out of five.

But Lucas Giolito put a stop to the madness Wednesday. The right-hander didn't get the win, but he tossed six innings of shutout ball, allowing only four hits. He struck out six, walked two and held the Sox in the game in an eventual 4-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

Giolito continued his mastery vs. Cleveland. In his past three starts against the Indians, he's 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 23 strikeouts over 20.2 innings pitched. He's the guy the Sox wanted on the mound to snap a three-game losing streak.

The biggest test for Giolito came in the bottom of the fourth, when the Indians placed runners at first and third with nobody out. But the Sox pitcher rallied to strike out Francisco Lindor on a high fastball. Carlos Santana then grounded into a 3-6-3 double play to end the threat.

Cleveland also loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth, but Giolito got Santana to fly out on his final pitch of the night to keep the game scoreless.

It's a good thing Giolito was on, too, because Cleveland starter Zach Plesac was even better. The right-hander went eight shutout innings with 11 strikeouts and no walks. He allowed only three hits.

Fortunately, the Sox touched up Indians closer Brad Hand and right-hander Adam Cimber for four runs in the top of the ninth. The inning featured a leadoff double from Tim Anderson, sacrifice flies from Yasmani Grandal and Eloy Jimenez, and a clutch, two-out, two-run single from rookie center fielder Luis Robert.

Those extra two runs made the bottom of the ninth inning a little more tolerable, as Sox closer Alex Colome loaded the bases before finishing off the shutout. Aaron Bummer picked up the win in relief for the Sox.

Thursday will be an off day. The Sox will start a three-game series in Kansas City on Friday night.

White Sox continue to waste everyone's time with lousy performances

Dylan Cease

Change the game? More like change the channel.

The White Sox continue to make their fans wish this 2020 season had never gotten off the ground. The South Siders fell to 1-4 Tuesday with two lousy performances in a doubleheader at Cleveland.

The Indians took the opener, 4-3, and won the nightcap, 5-3.

Both games were characterized by horrendous starting pitching by the Sox. The Indians scored two in the first inning in Game 1, and three in the first inning in Game 2. For those wondering, the Sox have now been outscored 13-1 in the first inning through five games.

That is not a recipe for success.

Game 1 starter Dylan Cease didn't make it through the third inning. He gave up as many hits (seven) as he got outs. He allowed four runs, including homers to Francisco Lindor and Bradley Zimmer.

And, oh yeah, the Sox offense stinks too. They left 11 runners on base in the one-run loss and twice failed to score when they had bases loaded with one out. Cleveland starter Aaron Civale totaled a career-high nine strikeouts, and Indians pitching racked up 14 strikeouts overall.

This reminds me of 2018, not the competitive Sox team we were told to expect in 2020.

You know what else reminds me of 2018? Nicky Delmonico hitting in the cleanup spot in Game 2. Yep, that happened. You start to wonder whether manager Rick Renteria is trolling fans with these lineups.

It doesn't help that two starting outfielders, Eloy Jimenez (concussion protocol) and Nomar Mazara (COVID-19, I presume) are currrently unavailable. But Delmonico hitting fourth is not good lineup optimization.

Of course, the starting pitching was again horrendous in Game 2. Carlos Rodon put the team in a 3-0 hole in the first inning. He lasted 3.2 innings and allowed five runs on four hits.

The first time through the rotation, Dallas Keuchel was the only Sox starter to last five innings. That's also the only time the Sox have won a game.

My preseason prediction of 27-33 is looking pretty optimistic right now. Of course, the Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers -- two teams that lost more than 100 games last season -- appear on the Sox's schedule 10 times each. You'd like to believe the Sox could go 12-8 or 13-7 against those two clubs.

If that happens, they'd only need to go 14-26 against all other teams to reach my lofty prediction. So far, they are 1-4.

It's still doable, right? What a mess.

White Sox at Cleveland postponed; Rick Renteria tests negative for COVID-19

Progressive Field in Cleveland

The series opener between the White Sox and Cleveland Indians was postponed Monday because of rain.

The game will be made up Tuesday as part of a straight doubleheader, starting at 2:30 p.m. The regularly scheduled game will begin about 45 minutes after the conclusion of the opener.

The pitching matchups will remain the same, with Dylan Cease and Carlos Rodon scheduled to pitch for the Sox (1-2). The Indians (2-1) will go with Aaron Civale and Adam Plutko.

Renteria reportedly OK after COVID-19 scare

If the game had been played Monday night, Sox manager Rick Renteria would not have been at the ballpark.

Renteria woke up Monday with "a slight cough and nasal congestion," and he opted to undergo tests at a Cleveland hospital before going back to the team hotel. Reports later in the evening indicated Renteria tested negative for COVID-19.

Perhaps the skipper was just suffering because of the high mold count in the area after the recent rains. While we may object to Renteria's usage of Nicky Delmonico in the everyday lineup, we certainly want him to remain healthy.

Health is especially a concern for all with postponements Monday of games between the Baltimore Orioles and Miami Marlins, and the Philadelphia Phillies and New York Yankees.

A substantial COVID-19 outbreak has occurred within the Marlins, and the MLB season is teetering on the brink. The Phillies are testing all their personnel and quarantining themselves for the time being, as well, because they just hosted Miami in a three-game series over the weekend.

I've been watching a lot of games over the weekend, not just the Sox, and I've noticed plenty of spitting, high fives and hugging after home runs. Mask wearing and social distancing in dugouts seems to be mixed, much as it is in society at large. It makes me wonder whether players are truly taking protocols seriously, and hopefully, the wake-up call has sounded. If not, the 2020 season might not last long.

As far as Renteria has been concerned, I haven't seen him without a mask since baseball resumed. It does seem as though the Sox manager takes the health crisis seriously, and I don't foresee him being the cause of things falling apart.

Lopez to injured list; other roster moves

White Sox pitcher Reynaldo Lopez has been placed on the 10-day injured list after an MRI showed right shoulder inflammation. Lopez pitched only two-thirds of an inning and gave up four earned runs Sunday in a 14-2 loss to the Minnesota Twins.

Right-handed relief pitcher Ian Hamilton was recalled from the Sox's alternate training site to take Lopez's place on the roster. It is expected that Gio Gonzalez will move from a long relief role into the starting rotation.

In another roster move, the Sox designated third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert for assignment and purchased the contract of infielder Ryan Goins.

Kopech files for divorce

White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech filed for divorce from Riverdale star Vanessa Morgan. The couple were only married for six months before parting ways. Morgan is pregnant, so there is a lot going on in Kopech's life right now.

The right-hander opted out of playing this season earlier in July.

White Sox lose two out of three to Minnesota Twins in opening series

Nelson Cruz

They say starting pitching sets the tone, right?

Well, Lucas Giolito was terrible in the season opener Friday night, and the White Sox lost to the Minnesota Twins, 10-5. And Reynaldo Lopez was a combination of bad and injured Sunday, and that led to a 14-2 loss to Minnesota.

Fortunately, Dallas Keuchel had a good outing in the second game of the three-game series, and the Sox won that one going away, 10-3.

We also learned in this opening series that Minnesota slugger Nelson Cruz still owns the Sox. He went a combined 7 for 13 with three home runs and 10 RBIs in these three games. Plenty of players don't produce that in a month.

And, we also learned that the baseball gods hate service time manipulation, as Leury Garcia's poor defense at second base played a key role in Giolito's demise Friday. Garcia botched two plays in the top of the first inning that helped the Twins score four runs.

Sure, Garcia redeemed himself in Game 2 with a home run from each side of the plate, but Garcia's presence in the lineup isn't the problem -- he's playing the wrong position. He should be in right field during Nomar Mazara's absence, and prospect Nick Madrigal should be playing second base. You have to believe Madrigal makes those plays Friday night, but the Sox sent him to Schaumburg to make sure they save a year of service time.

Typical, cheap, rebuilding sort of move from a team that claims to be a contender now.

The team that is "playing to win" has the shaky Garcia playing in the infield, and Nicky Delmonico is playing right field.

Delmonico, a career .223 hitter who cannot field, went 0 for 9 with a walk in the series and missed two cutoff men in the same inning. But hey! By Sunday, he had moved up to second in the lineup!

Go figure.

Here's some other thoughts on each game:

Friday, July 24
Twins 10, White Sox 5: First the good news. Yoan Moncada went 3 for 5 with a three-run homer in the second inning that tied the game at 5, after the Sox had fallen behind 5-1. And Luis Robert singled in his first MLB at-bat and finished 2 for 4 with a double. The prized rookie looked like he belonged from the very start.

Giolito, unfortunately, was terrible. He wasn't helped by Garcia's defense, but his fastball command was nowhere to be found. He gave up two home runs to Max Kepler, including one on the first pitch of the season. He lasted only 3.2 innings, allowing seven earned runs on six hits. He struck out three and walked three.

The short outing caused manager Rick Renteria to run through his bullpen trying to keep the game close. Eight Sox pitchers were used. Seven relievers combined to give up three runs, and the Sox did not score again after Moncada's homer in the second. It was an ugly season opener.

Saturday, July 25
White Sox 10, Twins 3: The South Siders beat the Twins at their own game in this one, homering five times. Sure, Cruz got his for Minnesota -- he hit a three-run shot off Steve Cishek in the sixth.

However, the rest of this game was all Sox. Garcia's two homers produced four runs. Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run homer in the fifth, and Eloy Jimenez backed him up with a solo shot. James McCann also homered in the sixth.

That made a winner out of Keuchel, who was very good. He limited the Twins to only one hit through five. Minnesota got a couple of singles off him in the sixth, and he ended up being charged with two runs when Cishek allowed his inherited runners to score.

Nevertheless, it was an encouraging outing for the veteran lefty, who has looked good every time he's gone to the mound this month.

Sunday, July 26
Twins 14, White Sox 2: This game can be summed up on one play in the top of the first inning. Jake Cave hit a grand slam off Lopez with two outs, and Jimenez crashed into the wall and hurt himself trying to make a play on the ball, which cleared the fence quite easily, frankly.

Two batters later, Lopez still was not out of the inning and he left trailing 4-0 with right shoulder tightness. Jimenez continued for one more inning, before leaving with lightheadedness.

Gio Gonzalez provided little relief, as he was touched up for five runs in the top of the second inning. So, it was 9-0 Twins after an inning and a half.

Nobody would have blamed you if you turned off your TV, although you would have missed Robert's first career homer, a two-run shot in the fifth.

And, you know, Cruz went 4 for 5 with two doubles, two homers and seven RBIs. Get that guy out of our sight already.

Next up for the Sox is a three-game series in Cleveland against the Indians. Here are your pitching probables:

Monday, 6:10 p.m.: Dylan Cease vs. Aaron Civale
Tuesday, 6:10 p.m.: Carlos Rodon vs. Zach Plesac
Wednesday, 5:10 p.m: Giolito (0-1, 17.18 ERA) vs. Shane Bieber (1-0, 0.00 ERA(

White Sox announce 30-man Opening Day roster

Nick Madrigal

Here are the 30 players who will be in uniform Friday when the White Sox open the season against the Minnesota Twins:

Starting pitchers (5): Lucas Giolito, Dallas Keuchel, Reynaldo Lopez, Dylan Cease, Carlos Rodon

Relief pitchers (11): Alex Colome, Aaron Bummer, Steve Cishek, Evan Marshall, Jace Fry, Kelvin Herrera, Gio Gonzalez, Jimmy Lambert, Codi Heuer, Jimmy Cordero, Ross Detwiler

Catchers (3): Yasmani Grandal, James McCann, Zack Collins

Infielders (7): Jose Abreu, Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, Leury Garcia, Danny Mendick, Edwin Encarnacion, Cheslor Cuthbert

Outfielders (4): Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Adam Engel, Nicky Delmonico

Notable omissions: INF Nick Madrigal, RHP Carson Fulmer, C Yermin Mercedes

So, even though the Sox have shifted into win-now mode, they are still playing the service time manipulation game. Madrigal probably deserves to be the second baseman, but he'll start the year playing intrasquad games in Schaumburg.

I disagree with that decision, as I always disagree whenever a club manipulates the service time of a good prospect. How much do you want to bet Madrigal will be added to the active roster next week after the cutoff to collect a year of service time passes?

The Sox had 39 men on the 40-man roster, and they needed to add Cuthbert and Detwiler, so that meant that somebody had to go.

That somebody was Fulmer. The former top-10 draft pick was designated for assignment after his latest brutal display of control, when he walked the bases loaded with a 7-2 lead in the eighth inning Sunday against the Cubs. If you can't throw strikes in that situation, when can you throw strikes? Fulmer cannot be counted on to move lopsided games along, and that being the case, he needs to not be on the team. So long, happy trails.

It was expected that the Sox would keep three catchers, and they chose Collins over Mercedes. In this case, you figure Collins' left-handedness helped him. With outfielder Nomar Mazara on the 10-day injured list, the Sox are a little short on left-handed thump. Also, Collins is a former first-round draft pick, and much more has been invested in him than in Mercedes, who is 27 years old and is on his third professional organization.

In other news, infielder Andrew Romine was given his release, and the Sox signed infielder Ryan Goins to a contract and assigned him to Schaumburg. Romine and Goins are similar players. Not sure what made them prefer one Quad-A veteran over another, but let's hope that move doesn't matter in the big picture.

We also were wondering if manager Rick Renteria would announce a starting pitcher for Sunday's third game of the season. No word on that yet. Here are your pitching probables for the weekend series with the Twins:

Friday, 7:10 p.m.: Giolito vs. Jose Berrios
Saturday, 1:10 p.m.: Keuchel vs. Rich Hill
Sunday, 1:10 p.m.: TBD vs. Kenta Maeda