So, Carlos Correa is actually going to the Mets

Carlos Correa

This is a new one for me. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite like this before. All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa agreed to a 13-year, $350 million contract with the San Francisco Giants earlier this month.

But on Tuesday, the Giants canceled a press conference during which Correa was scheduled to be formally introduced. Apparently, something came up in Correa's physical that held up the deal.

So, Correa reopened his free agency late Tuesday, and by Wednesday morning, he had a 12-year, $315 million deal with the New York Mets. He'll no longer be a shortstop, because the Mets already have Francisco Lindor. Instead, he'll play third base.

On Wednesday, I saw an estimate that said the Mets' payroll would be an estimated $384 million, with luxury tax penalties totaling $111 million. Add it all up, and that equals $495 million.

According to reports late Wednesday, the Mets are trading struggling catcher James McCann to the Baltimore Orioles, so that sheds some payroll. Still, this is one expensive baseball team.

Here are the contracts the Mets have doled out this offseason:

• Correa, 12 years, $315 million
• Brandon Nimmo, eight years, $162 million
• Edwin Diaz, five years, $102 million
• Justin Verlander, two years, $86 million
• Kodai Senga, five years, $75 million
• Jose Quintana, two years, $26 million
• Omar Narvaez, two years, $15 million
• Adam Ottavino, two years, $14.5 million
• David Robertson, one year, $10 million 

That's a total of $806.1 million. 

We've talked about the White Sox giving $75 million to Andrew Benintendi, and how that's the richest deal in team history. For the Mets, $75 million would only be the fifth-highest deal they've handed out this offseason. Forget team history.

No wonder Jerry Reinsdorf voted against allowing Steve Cohen to buy the Mets.

James McCann headed to New York Mets on four-year deal

James McCann

A previous post this week talked a lot about White Sox general manager Rick Hahn's horrible free agent signings, so let's bring up one of his better ones: James McCann.

After two productive seasons in Chicago, McCann is heading to the New York Mets on a four-year, $40 million contract.

This is a really good turn of events for McCann, who was non-tendered by the 98-loss Detroit Tigers after the 2018 season. The Sox picked him up on a one-year, $2.5 million scrap-heap deal, and McCann responded by making the All-Star team in 2019.

In his first season with the Sox, McCann batted .273/.328/.460 with 18 home runs and 60 RBIs in 118 games. McCann didn't have the greatest framing statistics in the world as the Sox's primary catcher, but the offensive production was good.

Still, the Sox were understandably unconvinced that McCann was the long-term answer behind the plate. What if 2019 was just a career year for McCann? So, Hahn jumped at the opportunity to sign Yasmani Grandal to a four-year, $73 million contract last November.

McCann was brought back on another one-year deal, and he and Grandal formed an effective one-two punch behind the plate for the Sox in 2020.

Even with limited playing time, McCann produced. He batted .289/.360/.536 with seven home runs and 15 RBIs in 31 games. He did not complain about his diminished role and often was praised for his leadership. And he became the personal catcher for Sox ace Lucas Giolito, who provided a 2020 season highlight by throwing a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Aug. 25.

But with Grandal in the fold for the long haul, the writing was on the wall for McCann. He sees himself as a starting catcher, and he's proven over the past two years with the Sox that he deserves a shot to be the No. 1 guy. He was not going to get that in Chicago.

He'll get that opportunity in New York. As Sox fans, we wish we could have the Grandal-McCann tandem behind the plate for another few years, but realistically, that was never going to be cost-effective.

You're not going to pay McCann $10 million a year to catch twice a week, and you can't blame the Sox for not being interested in matching an offer like that. You simply thank McCann for a job well done and wish him well with the Mets.

In the meantime, the Sox need a second catcher. The internal options are suspect: Zack Collins, Yermin Mercedes and Seby Zavala. We talked about these guys before: Collins and Mercedes have hit at the Triple-A level, but both are subpar defensively. Zavala is a good receiver, and a good catch-and-throw guy, but it's unlikely he'll ever hit well enough to stick in the major leagues.

So, do the Sox go outside the organization? If the answer is yes, here are your options in free agency: Jason Castro, Robinson Chirinos, Tyler Flowers, Sandy Leon, Yadier Molina, Kurt Suzuki and Mike Zunino.

Do we like anybody on that list? 

In the only vote that matters Tuesday night, Luis Robert wins Gold Glove

Luis Robert

Presidential election? Whoop dee doo, I'm not paying attention. Here at The Baseball Kid, we're focused on the votes for Gold Glove. And our congratulations go out to center fielder Luis Robert, who became the first White Sox rookie to win the honor.

Robert, who beat out Minnesota's Byron Buxton and Oakland's Ramon Laureano for the award, racked up eight defensive runs saved and tied for the lead among all MLB center fielders in Statcast's Outs Above Average metric at +7 this season.

The good news about this is Robert still has room for improvement, despite playing excellent defense during the 2020 season. He needs to get better on plays close to the wall, and needs to improve his timing when he jumps to try to make catches at the fence. He has the athleticism to makes plays like that, and there's reason to believe he'll get better with experience.

The Sox had four other finalists: second baseman Danny Mendick, third baseman Yoan Moncada and catchers James McCann and Yasmani Grandal. None of those four were expected to win, and none did.

Here is the complete list of 2020 Gold Glove winners:

American League 

P: Griffin Canning, L.A. Angels

C: Roberto Perez, Cleveland

1B: Evan White, Seattle

2B: Cesar Hernandez, Cleveland

3B: Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Texas

SS: J.P. Crawford, Seattle

LF: Alex Gordon, Kansas City

CF: Robert, White Sox

RF: Joey Gallo, Texas

National League

P: Max Fried, Atlanta

C: Tucker Barnhart, Cincinnati

1B: Anthony Rizzo, Cubs

2B: Kolten Wong, St. Louis

3B: Nolan Arenado, Colorado

SS: Javier Baez, Cubs

LF: Tyler O'Neill, St. Louis

CF: Trent Grisham, San Diego

RF: Mookie Betts, L.A. Dodgers

5(!) White Sox players among finalists for Gold Glove

Luis Robert

The finalists for the 2020 Gold Glove awards were announced Thursday, and much to my surprise, there are five White Sox players on the list.

Five!?

I can't remember another year when this many Sox players were considered candidates for this honor. Here are the players on the list:

C: James McCann

C: Yasmani Grandal

2B: Danny Mendick

3B: Yoan Moncada

CF: Luis Robert

Of the five, I'd rank Robert as the most likely to win, even though he's up against some tough competition in Minnesota's Byron Buxton and Oakland's Ramon Laureano. 

Buxton won the Gold Glove in 2017 and is widely known as a great defensive outfielder, but he did miss time because of injury this season. Also in Robert's favor: He led all center fielders in MLB in Outs Above Average at +7.

McCann and Grandal are finalists at catcher, along with Cleveland's Roberto Perez. But can either McCann or Grandal really claim the award when they shared the position throughout the season?

Mendick, to me, also didn't play enough to merit serious consideration. He played only 226 innings in 33 games at second base. That's fewer than the other finalists -- Cleveland's Cesar Hernandez, Detroit's Jonathan Schoop and Kansas City's Nicky Lopez.

Over at third base, Oakland's Matt Chapman is usually a slam dunk for the award. But he got hurt this year, so Moncada has a shot, along with New York's Gio Urshela and Texas' Isiah Kiner-Falefa.

Sorry, White Sox fans, I think we'll have to live without James McCann

James McCann

It seems as though many White Sox fans want catcher James McCann, who is a free agent this offseason, to re-sign with the team for the 2021 season.

You can't blame those fans, because McCann has done his job both seasons he has been a member of the Sox. His partnership with ace pitcher Lucas Giolito is well documented -- we reached a point this year where we knew it would be McCann, not Yasmani Grandal, catching Giolito's starts.

And McCann was plenty solid with the bat, posting a .289/.360/.536 slash line with seven home runs and 15 RBIs in 31 games.

However, I'm afraid those fans are going to be disappointed, because McCann is going to sign elsewhere. The Sox have other holes to address in the starting rotation, in right field, at designated hitter and possibly the bullpen, and I don't think they are going to be able to afford the luxury of two starting-caliber catchers.

Furthermore, McCann has earned the right to be a full-time catcher somewhere, and that opportunity will not exist for him in Chicago as long as Grandal is on the roster and is making $18.25 million a year.

McCann will be the second-best catcher on the free agent market behind J.T. Realmuto. It just so happens that both New York teams might be looking to upgrade their catching situation this offseason. Realmuto could very well get paid by the Yankees, and if he does leave Philadelphia, we could see McCann as a member of the Phillies in 2021. 

It would make good sense for both parties. 

I read something online today where a Sox fan proposed "getting what you can" for Grandal, then re-signing McCann.

Umm, sorry, no chance that happens. 

I realize Grandal's .230/.351/.422 slash line did not impress some fans, but in a "down year," he still managed a 117 wRC+. A switch-hitting catcher whose offense is 17 percent above league average -- and whose framing is above average -- is not getting traded. If anything, the Sox need to get more left-handed offensively, so it makes no sense for them to part with anyone who can be productive from the left side of the plate.

I've also heard the idea of bringing back McCann as a primary catcher and kicking Grandal over to DH more days than not. 

There were seven games in 2020 where the Sox had McCann behind the plate and Grandal at DH. It seems like a good lineup choice, right? After all, Edwin Encarnacion had a dismal year, and Sox fans were justified in being tired of seeing him bat fourth or fifth in the lineup.

Unfortunately, Grandal just wasn't any damn good as a DH. He batted .087/.214/.130 with no homers and only one RBI, adding to the Sox's woes at that position. 

It's too bad if McCann has played his last game in a Sox uniform. He's been productive, and he's been a good leader. But the fit isn't there anymore, and it's almost certain he'll be moving on.

Jordan Luplow (who else?) sends the White Sox into second place

Add caption

The White Sox and Cleveland Indians were tied, 2-2, in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday.

There was one out, nobody on base, and Sox left-hander Gio Gonzalez was behind in the count, 3-0, to noted Sox killer and lefty masher Jordan Luplow.

I said to my girlfriend, "He better not lay one in here, because he's going to be swinging." Half a heartbeat after the words left my mouth, the Indians were 3-2 winners, and the Sox are in second place after their fourth consecutive loss.

Gonzalez tossed a 90.7 mph fastball over the heart of home plate. Luplow hit a no-doubter to left field. 

Why I knew he was swinging and the Sox did not, I'm not sure. Cleveland manager Terry Francona is not with the team because of health problems, but his influence remains -- Francona has always been a proponent of swinging at 3-0 pitches, dating back to his days in Boston. You have to be aware of that as an opponent.

And Gonzalez is just the sort of pitcher who keeps Luplow in the majors. Take a look at Luplow's career splits:

vs. LHP: .278/.384/.601

vs. RHP: .193/.278/.313

So, you're talking about nearly 400 points of OPS, .985 against lefties and .591 against righties. Eighteen of Luplow's 23 career homers have come against left-handed pitchers. That's a dangerous situation for Gonzalez, and being the veteran he is, he should have known better than to give in.

And, oh yeah, seven of those 23 home runs have come against the Sox. Both of Luplow's homers this year have come against Chicago. Enough of this guy, already.

It's too bad the Sox lost this one, because Lucas Giolito had a good outing. He worked six innings with 11 strikeouts and limited Cleveland to two runs. He came pretty close to matching Indians ace Shane Bieber, who gave up one run over five innings.

Garrett Crochet pitched on back-to-back days for the first time in his career, and he worked a spotless seventh inning with two strikeouts. Codi Heuer delivered a scoreless eighth, pitching around a Nick Madrigal error. I was impressed that Heuer was effective after pitching two innings in Tuesday's game.

These two rookie relievers have earned the right to pitch in high-leverage spots in the playoffs next week. That's the one positive we can pull from this stretch of bad ball that has seen the Sox drop five out of six and fall a half-game behind the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central.

Sox hitters were limited to four hits Wednesday. One was a triple by Yoan Moncada, who scored on a sacrifice fly by Jose Abreu to tie the game at 2 in the eighth inning. But even with that triple, Moncada has two hits in his last 33 at-bats.

And Luis Robert is now 0-for-his-last-28 with 15 strikeouts. James McCann was 0 for 4 with four strikeouts in this game. He is 6 for 37 with 15 strikeouts in September.

Cold bats all around.

Cleveland's offense is considered bad, but the White Sox couldn't stop them

Jose Ramirez

There's been a lot of discussion this season about how bad the Cleveland Indians' batting order is. And it's true that they've been held to three runs or less in 25 of their 54 games.

However, the White Sox couldn't slow them down Monday in a 7-4 loss. My take on Cleveland's lineup? They've got three guys who are dangerous, and those three guys combined to hurt the Sox in this game.

Jose Ramirez is one of those three guys, and he hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the first inning on a 3-1 fastball from Dane Dunning to give the Indians a 3-0 lead. Earlier in the inning, Francisco Lindor (another one of the three guys you worry about) and Cesar Hernandez had singled.

Hernandez added an RBI single in the second to make it 4-0.

The Sox fought back to tie it at 4 with four two-out runs in the top of the fifth. Jose Abreu's two-run single made it 4-2. Abreu now has 55 RBIs in 54 games. Eloy Jimenez followed with a two-run homer to even the score.

Jace Fry relieved Dunning in the bottom of the inning, but he could not provide the shutdown inning the Sox were looking for. He walked Ramirez with one out, then gave up a two-run homer to Carlos Santana -- the third dangerous guy in the Cleveland order.

Santana is only batting .194 this year, but he's hit some big home runs against the Sox in the past, and I've learned to never sleep on him. On Monday, he gave the Indians a 6-4 lead, and that advantage stuck for the rest of the game. The Indians tacked on a run in the seventh to go up three.

The Sox got two runners on in the top of the ninth, so they got the tying run to the plate. And they didn't have bad hitters up there with a chance to tie. However, both James McCann and Abreu struck out looking to end the game against Cleveland closer Brad Hand.

The good vibes from last Thursday when the Sox clinched a postseason bid have faded a bit, as the club has lost three out of four and looked bad doing it. Their three-game lead in the division has been reduced to 1.5 games over the Minnesota Twins, who were idle Monday. Third-place Cleveland trails by four games.

Destiny remains in the Sox's hands. There are six games left, and a 4-2 record would win the division. It's very doable, but you gotta win one before you can win four.

The White Sox are 4-0 when Dane Dunning starts

Dane Dunning

The White Sox have won all four games Dane Dunning has started this season, and the rookie right-hander got his first major league win Wednesday, as the Sox bounced back from Tuesday's debacle with an 8-1 win over the last-place Pittsburgh Pirates.

Dunning had an efficient outing. He needed only 76 pitches to get through six innings. He gave up a leadoff double two pitches into the seventh, and that ended his night. Gio Gonzalez stranded the inherited runner to keep Dunning's outing scoreless. 

His final line: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 Ks, 1 BB and 51 strikes on 78 pitches. 

Anytime a pitcher throws 65% of his pitches for strikes, we'll take it. And Dunning's outing saved the bullpen, too. Gonzalez allowed one run over two innings, and Steve Cishek mopped up in the ninth.

It was nice to see the Sox win a game without having to use Jimmy Cordero, Evan Marshall or Alex Colome.

James McCann had his first career multihomer game and totaled four RBIs. Yoan Moncada also had two hits for the second straight game. Nick Madrigal's two-out, two-run single with the bases loaded in the top of the fourth was the key hit, taking a 3-0 Sox lead to 5-0.

The Sox stand at 27-16, one game ahead of both the Cleveland Indians and Minnesota Twins heading into Thursday's off day.

I'm not sold on this Sox team as a legitimate contender, because I don't think their run prevention is good enough. But here's where the clear progress has occurred: They continue to kick the crap out of bad teams. 

The Sox are a combined 18-3 against the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates. There are still three more games with the Tigers; those will be this weekend at Guaranteed Rate Field.

After that, the Twins come to Chicago, and we'll see if the Sox are able to win a series against one of their chief division rivals for the first time this year.

Going back to Dunning, his next start figures to be against Minnesota. I'm interested to see how he fares. He's proven he can slay the bums, just like the team as a whole. The biggest tests are still ahead.

White Sox left-hander Dallas Keuchel: 'You win or lose with catchers'

Dallas Keuchel

The White Sox on Monday formally announced their agreement with veteran left-handed pitcher Dallas Keuchel on a three-year, $55 million contract.

This signing surprised many of us, because Keuchel is a Scott Boras client, and the Sox don't have a history of doing business with Boras clients. Hopefully, this move is a sign that times are changing, and naturally, Keuchel was asked why he chose to come to the South Side.

You can listen to his full remarks on that topic here.

Keuchel cited the opportunity to win in the AL Central over the next three to five years and the leadership that already exists in the Sox's clubhouse. But most notably, Keuchel mentioned that the catching situation on the South Side is "rock solid," adding that "you win or lose with catchers."

He said the previous free agent signing of Yasmani Grandal was critical in his decision to join the Sox, and it's also true that Keuchel played college baseball with James McCann at Arkansas.

The pundits in Chicago tend to define the Sox in terms of the Cubs, which is irritating but a fact of life around here. And some talking heads have asked, "Is Dallas Keuchel the Sox's version of Jon Lester?" When Lester signed with the Cubs before the start of the 2015 season, that signaled that the Cubs were done rebuilding and ready to contend.

While it is true that Lester and Keuchel are both accomplished veteran lefties, I actually think the Grandal signing is the one that signaled the end of the Sox's rebuild. Based on Keuchel's comments Monday, it's my belief that he isn't here without the earlier addition of Grandal.

Some have said the Sox should trade McCann because they don't need him anymore. I disagree. I like the combination of Grandal and McCann behind the plate.

Why?

Well, Keuchel said it in the linked audio clip: "You win or lose with catchers." Isn't it about time the Sox had depth and strength behind the plate? It's been a long time since we've been able to say that was the case.

White Sox announce players and prospects scheduled to attend SoxFest 2020

The White Sox on Thursday announced a preliminary list of players and prospects who will attend SoxFest 2020.

The event is scheduled for Jan. 24-25 at McCormick Place West.

The list of current players includes pretty much everyone fans would want to see: Jose Abreu, Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, Lucas Giolito, Yasmani Grandal, James McCann, Tim Anderson, Michael Kopech, Dylan Cease, Aaron Bummer, Zack Collins, Leury Garcia, Evan Marshall and Danny Mendick.

The list of prospects includes the two big draws, Luis Robert and Nick Madrigal, both of whom will probably be in the big leagues before the All-Star break, if not before May 1.

Other prospects scheduled to attend include Andrew Vaughn, Steele Walker, Dane Dunning, Blake Rutherford, Luis Gonzalez, Tyler Johnson and Micker Adolfo.

You have to give Adolfo some credit. He's played only 379 games in the six years he's been in the organization, yet he still seems to be considered a good enough prospect to earn an invite to SoxFest every year.

Robert, Madrigal and Rutherford have been at SoxFest in years past, but it will be a first-time experience for Vaughn, Walker, Dunning, Gonzalez and Johnson.

There will be more "special guests" coming to this event, and more information will be announced in early January, according to a news release from the Sox.

White Sox sign James McCann to one-year deal, clear more roster space

James McCann

The White Sox on Monday agreed to terms with catcher James McCann on a one-year, $5.4 million contract.

McCann, 29, had the best season of his career with the Sox in 2019. He batted .273/.328/.460 with 26 doubles, 18 home runs, 60 RBIs and 62 runs scored in 118 games. McCann made the All-Star Game for the first time in his career, and Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito credited McCann's leadership and game preparation in helping him have a breakout season on the mound.

While McCann played well, that didn't stop Sox management from signing Yasmani Grandal to a four-year, $73 million contract last month. With the addition of Grandal, the Sox are guarding against any regression that McCann may have in 2020 -- McCann is a lifetime .247/.328/.460 batter.

With this move, you figure the Sox are set at catcher. For the first time in a long time, they have two competent players ready to man the position.

McCann will become a free agent when the 2020 season ends.

Here are the tender/non-tender decisions

The Sox on Monday also tendered contracts to utility player Leury Garcia and pitchers Carlos Rodon, Alex Colome and Evan Marshall.

Second baseman Yolmer Sanchez and pitchers Caleb Frare and Ryan Burr were non-tendered. Pitcher Thyago Vieira was granted his release, so that he can pursue an opportunity to play in Japan.

These moves reduce the Sox's roster from 40 to 36, and hopefully, a couple of those spots will be used on free agent starting pitchers in the weeks to come.

Thoughts on Yasmani Grandal, Jose Abreu and Yolmer Sanchez

Yasmani Grandal

Of all the free agent position players this offseason, I believed Yasmani Grandal would be the best fit for the White Sox. Several of his strengths are weaknesses for the Sox. Consider this:

1. The Sox needed to add more power to their lineup. Grandal hit a career-high 28 home runs last season for the Milwaukee Brewers, and he has hit 22 or more home runs in each of the past four seasons.

2. The Sox needed left-handed hitting to balance out their lineup. Grandal is a switch-hitter who posted an .813 OPS from the left side of the plate in 2019.

3. The Sox need to take more walks. Grandal took a career-high 109 of them last season, and he posted a career-best .380 on-base percentage.

4. The Sox need to be better defensively. Grandal is considered one of top-five defensive catchers in the game. He's strong in the framing department. According to Statcast's metrics, Grandal saved 13 runs with his framing in 2019. By way of comparison, James McCann cost the Sox 16 runs with subpar framing, and Welington Castillo was minus-8 in the same metric.

So, I was happy last week when the Sox gave Grandal a four-year, $73 million contract to be their starting catcher. If he continues to perform at his current level, that's exactly what the Sox need behind the plate.

The only reservation I have: Grandal is 31 years old. And like most Sox fans, I'm always wary of their free agent signings forgetting how to play baseball the moment they put on a Sox uniform. I've been burned before.

However, that line of thinking is irrational fan negativity. This signing should be taken as a sign of hope, so let's try to look at it that way. Grandal checks boxes the Sox needed to check.

Abreu signs 3-year contract extension

The Sox also agreed to a three-year, $50 million deal with first baseman Jose Abreu. Again, the only real concern here is Abreu's age. He'll be 33 when the 2020 season opens, and who knows whether he can continue to perform at a high level?

Obviously, Abreu is the type of player who has to hit to be effective. He's a slow, subpar base runner, and his defense at first base is mediocre at best. However, he's hit 30 or more home runs and driven in 100 or more runs in five of his six seasons with the Sox. And he's coming off a career-high 123 RBIs in 2019.

I would say the Sox need more offense even with Abreu producing at that level, so they really couldn't afford to not bring him back as a middle-of-the-order presence.

Is it a bit of an overpay? Perhaps, but the Sox probably don't look at it that way, considering that Abreu is a beloved player in the clubhouse and the team leader and whatnot, in addition to his offensive productivity.

Sanchez on outright waivers

Yolmer Sanchez won a Gold Glove at second base in 2019, but don't expect him back with the Sox in 2020. Reports indicate Sanchez was placed on outright waivers Monday.

Like Abreu, Sanchez is good in the clubhouse, but that goodwill only goes so far. Sanchez was due a big raise in arbitration, a projected $6.2 million according to MLB Trade Rumors.

No matter how good his defense is, you can't pay that kind of money to a player with a .318 on-base percentage and a .321 slugging percentage. That isn't a small sample size, either. Sanchez played in 149 games in 2019.

He just doesn't hit enough to be an everyday player, and the Sox have a logical replacement in the pipeline with Nick Madrigal poised to take over at second base sometime in 2020.

I have no doubt that Sanchez is a good guy, but he's not the type of player who should be starting for a team that is serious about winning.

White Sox take three out of four from Texas Rangers

Yoan Moncada

The White Sox need two victories this week to clinch a winning month, as they improved to 14-11 in August by taking three games out of four from the Texas Rangers over the weekend at Guaranteed Rate Field.

The series featured Yoan Moncada's return to the Sox lineup -- and effective starting pitching from Sox hurlers not named Lucas Giolito, whose turn in the rotation did not come up.

The Sox (60-70) will have an off day Monday before continuing the homestand Tuesday, when they open a three-game series against the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins. But here's a look back at the Texas series:

Thursday, Aug. 22
White Sox 6, Rangers 1: Moncada rejoined the Sox and went 2 for 4 with a two-run homer and a double. The home run highlighted a four-run third inning, which also featured a solo shot by James McCann and a RBI single by Tim Anderson.

Left-hander Ross Detwiler (2-3) had his best outing as a member of the Sox, if not the best outing of his career. He struck out a career-high eight over six innings, allowing only one run on three hits. He did not walk a batter. Sox relievers Jimmy Cordero and Kelvin Herrera combined for three innings of hitless, scoreless relief.

It was a weird night for Texas starter Ariel Jurado (6-10), who tossed a complete game but also got knocked around for six runs on 10 hits.

Friday, Aug. 23
White Sox 8, Rangers 3: Will we look back on this as the night when Dylan Cease turned the corner? We can only hope. Cease (3-6) got off to a terrible start, giving up a 3-run homer to Willie Calhoun in the first inning. But the Sox rookie gave up nothing after that. He pitched six innings, striking out nine and walking only one.

The Sox got to Lance Lynn (14-9), who has been one of the better pitchers in the league -- just not on this night. Lynn surrendered seven runs on 11 hits over 5.2 innings. He did strike out 10, but he took the loss.

Moncada once again was 2 for 4 with a two-run homer and a double. Anderson, Leury Garcia and Jon Jay also had multi-hit games. Eight of the nine players in the Sox lineup had at least one hit.

The Sox bullpen, again, was spotless over three innings. Evan Marshall, Aaron Bummer and Alex Colome combined for four strikeouts and no hits or walks allowed.

Saturday, Aug. 24
Rangers 4, White Sox 0: This is the Sox, so there has got to be one clunker in every bunch, right?

Sox starter Ivan Nova (9-10) cruised through five innings, but Anderson booted a grounder off the bat of Elvis Andrus with one out in the sixth, and moments later, Calhoun homered into the right-field stands to put the Rangers up 2-0. Danny Santana added a two-run homer off Cordero in the seventh, and that was that.

The Sox managed eight hits off Kolby Allard (2-0) and two Texas relievers, but seven of them were singles. Ryan Goins doubled with two outs in the ninth for the Sox's lone extra-base hit of the game.

Sox batters finished 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

Sunday, Aug. 25
White Sox 2, Rangers 0: It's too bad Reynaldo Lopez (8-11) had to leave this game after five innings with dehydration and flu-like symptoms. He allowed no hits and struck out six while tossing 80 pitches during his outing.

Fortunately, the Sox bullpen covered four innings and finished off a one-hitter. Bummer, Marshall, Jace Fry and Colome each worked a scoreless inning, with Colome earning his 25th save in 26 chances.

Jose Abreu reached 100 RBIs for the fifth time in his six seasons with the Sox. He knocked in both Chicago runs, one with an RBI single in the third, and the other on a fielder's choice in the seventh.

Sox batters couldn't do much with Texas rookie left-hander Brock Burke (0-1), who allowed only one run over six innings. But much like Nova on Saturday night, Burke forgot to throw a shutout and ended up getting beat.

James McCann's grand slam gives White Sox series win over Houston Astros

James McCann

James McCann hit a two-out, two-strike grand slam in the bottom of the eighth inning Wednesday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field, lifting the White Sox to a 13-9 win in a wild slugfest against the Houston Astros.

With the victory, the Sox took two out of three in the series and won the season series from the American League West-leading Astros, 4 games to 3.

So much for my concern about the Sox pitching staff needing to cover 27 innings in about 24 hours against a powerful Houston offense.

The Sox caught a break in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader, when Houston pitcher and Cy Young candidate Gerrit Cole could not make his start after straining his hamstring warming up in the bullpen.

To the Sox's credit, they took advantage and won that game, with their own starting pitcher (Ivan Nova) tossing a complete game. It is always a boost for a team when a pitcher steps up and throws all nine innings of a game on a day where you're playing a doubleheader. Bullpen saved.

Here's a look back at the Sox's surprising and satisfying series win:

Tuesday, Aug. 13
Astros 6, White Sox 2 (Game 1): It was a mixed bag for Sox starter Dylan Cease, who threw a quality start. He worked six innings, allowing four runs (only two earned) against a good team, and when he left the mound after facing one hitter in the seventh inning, the Sox were only down 3-2. He absolutely gave his team a chance to win.

And the third and fourth (unearned) runs on his tab were both the fault of catcher Welington Castillo, who had three passed balls, two of which allowed runs to score.

On the down side, Cease (2-5) walked five and struck out two, and you can only pitch around walks for so long until the opposition scores runs. I don't think Cease had the fairest strike zone from the home plate umpire, and he got no help from his catcher, but he can pitch better.

The Sox managed only two runs off Houston's Zack Greinke (12-4), who pitched six innings to earn the win.

Tuesday, Aug. 13
White Sox 4, Astros 1 (Game 2): Nova was the story. He needed only 104 pitches to complete the game. He allowed four hits, all singles, and did not walk a batter. He retired 17 of the last 18 men he faced in a game that took two hours, 21 minutes to play.

Over his past four starts, Nova (8-9) is 4-0 with a 0.49 ERA. Obviously, regression is coming, but in the meantime, I'll enjoy this Nova hot streak while it lasts and pray management doesn't reward him with a multiyear contract extension. This was his best start in a Sox uniform, bar none.

As mentioned, Cole was unable to make his start, and the Sox victimized emergency Houston starter Chris Devenski (1-2) for three runs in the bottom of the second inning. All the runs came with two outs, one on a single by Adam Engel and two more on a single by Ryan Goins.

The Sox added a fourth run in the fourth on a two-out RBI double by Ryan Cordell. Nova took it from there, and it was nice to see the Sox come through with some two-out hitting.

Wednesday, Aug. 14
White Sox 13, Astros 9: Speaking of two-out hitting, McCann was down 0-2 in the count when he drove a slider from Ryan Pressly into the right-field bullpen for a grand slam that broke a 9-9 tie in the eighth inning.

Pressly (2-3) is one of the Astros' better relievers. He entered the day with a 1.94 ERA, but he gave up singles to Yolmer Sanchez and Tim Anderson, and walked Jose Abreu, ahead of the big hit by McCann.

It is good to see the Sox catcher using right field again, something he wasn't doing throughout a monthlong slump in July.

This was a wild, back-and-forth game. Houston was up 2-0. The Sox went ahead 4-2. Houston tied it at 4. The Sox went ahead 7-4, and then 8-5. The Astros made it 8-7. Then Eloy Jimenez homered for the Sox to make it 9-7. Jose Altuve answered with a two-run blast to tie it for the Astros.

But the last big hit of the day went to McCann. For a change, the Sox hitters picked up the relief pitchers, who struggled in this game. Jimmy Cordero, Aaron Bummer and Evan Marshall combined to give up five runs over 2.2 innings.

But Alex Colome (4-2) got five outs for the win. He extricated the Sox from a bases-loaded situation in the eighth, and then worked a 1-2-3 ninth with two strikeouts to close it out.

White Sox representatives help American League win All-Star Game

White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito entered Tuesday's All-Star Game in the fourth inning and immediately walked Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman on four pitches.

None of the four pitches were anywhere close to being a strike, and Giolito's 3-0 pitch was so high it almost sailed over catcher Gary Sanchez's head.

I nervously shifted a little bit in my seat as I watched on TV. The American League was clinging to a 1-0 lead at the time, and as a fan, I never want a Sox pitcher to be the reason the AL loses the game.

Fortunately, Giolito made a nice recovery. He struck out Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Cody Bellinger, who is the best player in the National League this season, on a 2-2 changeup for the first out. Four pitches later, Giolito was out of the inning.

He induced a grounder to third base off the bat of Colorado's Nolan Arenado for the second out. Pittsburgh first baseman Josh Bell then grounded out to second, stranding Freeman at second base.

Giolito threw only 13 pitches. He preserved the 1-0 lead, and the AL went on to beat the National League, 4-3, for its seventh straight victory in the midsummer classic. The AL has won 19 of the past 23 games -- a string of dominance reminiscent of what the NL did when I was a kid.

Sox catcher James McCann also contributed to the victory, singling in his only at-bat in the seventh inning. The hit to right-center moved Oakland third baseman Matt Chapman, who had walked, from first to third with nobody out. Chapman eventually scored when Xander Bogaerts grounded into a double play. That was part of a two-run inning that gave the AL a 4-1 edge.

The NL got two in the eighth on a two-out, two-run single by the New York Mets' Pete Alonso, but New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the ninth to wrap up the AL win.

What about Jose Abreu, you ask? Well, he grounded into a double play in his only at-bat in the bottom of the eighth, but at least he hit it hard (103 mph exit velocity) -- right at NL shortstop Paul DeJong.

So, it wasn't a perfect night for Sox representatives, but it was a good night. Giolito and McCann contributed, and the AL won. I'll take it.