Dylan Covey's fan murdering overshadows Eloy Jimenez's return to White Sox lineup

Guaranteed Rate Field on Saturday night

Fourteen pitches. That's all it took for White Sox starting pitcher Dylan Covey to give up five runs to the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.

Covey got knocked out without recording a single out, and the Twins went on to beat the Sox, 11-1. With the loss, the South Siders dropped three out of four in the series. They fell to 2-5 on the current 10-game homestand and are now 4-13 since the All-Star break.

If you were a fan at this game, God bless you, because you deserve a refund. It was bad enough for me watching on TV.

Here's how those first five Minnesota batters fared:

Max Kepler doubled to right field.
Jorge Polanco homered to center field.
Nelson Cruz singled to left field.
Luis Arraez singled to left field.
Miguel Sano homered to right field.

All five players hit the ball hard.

Thankfully, Covey was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte after the game. His season record is 1-7 with a 6.99 ERA, and his removal from the rotation is long overdue. It isn't just his poor performance this season. Covey has had three years to get it right, and he's arguably just as bad as ever:

2017: 0-7, 7.71 ERA, 18 games (12 starts)
2018: 5-14, 5.18 ERA, 27 games (21 starts)
2019: 1-7, 6.99 ERA, 14 games (10 starts)
Career: 6-28, 6.28 ERA, 59 games (43 starts)

That's enough opportunities to conclude Covey is not a starting pitcher, don't you think? This guy is the poster child for the Sox being slow to react to problems. It's time to move on, and hopefully, the embarrassment on Sunday is enough for the team to finally throw in the towel on this idea that Covey is a rotation piece.

Covey's terrible performance overshadowed Eloy Jimenez's return to the lineup. Jimenez, who bruised his elbow July 16 in Kansas City, came back sooner than the predicted two-week absence. He did not go on a minor league rehab assignment, so some rust is expected.

Despite going 0 for 3, I thought Jimenez looked good at the plate. He lined out to Kepler in deep right field in his first plate appearance. Jonathan Schoop made a good play on him on a hard grounder up the middle his second time up. In his third at-bat with the bases loaded and the Sox trailing, 9-1, he saw eight pitches and worked the count full.

Pitch nine was low and inside and should have been called ball four. Alas, Angel Hernandez is one of the worst umpires in the game, and he called Jimenez out. It should have been a bases-loaded walk, an RBI and a 9-2 game. Instead, Sox manager Rick Renteria got ejected for arguing balls and strikes.

Hernandez is not the reason the Sox lost -- Covey is -- but that was still a frustrating turn of events.

With Jimenez's return, the Sox designated utility infielder Jose Rondon for assignment before Sunday's game. Rondon is another guy who hung around longer than he probably should have. This season, he hit .197/.265/.282 with three home runs and nine RBIs in 55 games.

Sooner or later, the Sox needed to pare down the number of utility players they have on the 25-man roster. Rondon has been outplayed by both Leury Garcia and Yolmer Sanchez throughout the season, and he didn't merit more opportunities.

Tim Anderson is hurt, but at least Jose Abreu came up with a big home run

Tim Anderson

Just when it looked as though the White Sox were going to get swept in Boston and limp home (literally) with a 2-6 record on their eight-game road trip, Jose Abreu flipped the script.

The Sox's first baseman capped a three-hit, four-RBI performance Wednesday with a two-run homer with one out in the ninth off Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes. The blast turned a 7-6 Sox deficit into an 8-7 victory and put an end to an afternoon of frustration that saw the South Siders blow the 6-3 lead they had going into the bottom of the seventh inning.

It was a long, tough trip, with two games against the Cubs, three against the Texas Rangers and three against the Red Sox. My hope was that the Sox would manage a win in each stadium, and that's exactly what they did. A 3-5 record is hardly brilliant, but given the lack of starting pitching and a taxed bullpen, cobbling together a few victories against three hard-hitting teams is good enough for now.

The worst news for the Sox? Shortstop Tim Anderson, who is in the midst of a breakout year, left Tuesday night's game in Boston (a 6-3 loss) with a high ankle sprain. Anderson's X-rays were negative, and he was scheduled for a MRI on Wednesday. When I saw the play, I feared a season-ending torn Achilles, so if it's not that, I feel lucky.

Nevertheless, Anderson is going to miss some time. How much time is unclear, but I would expect him to be placed on the injured list during Thursday's off day, before the Sox open a three-game weekend series at home against the Minnesota Twins.

Former Kansas City Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar has been playing at Triple-A Charlotte this season, and some think he'll get the call-up as a result of Anderson's misfortune.

I'm not so sure. The Sox have three players on the 25-man roster -- Leury Garcia, Jose Rondon and Yolmer Sanchez -- who have played shortstop in their careers. They also have only three starting pitchers on the roster, and no starting pitcher has been named for Friday's series opener against the Twins.

Both Ivan Nova and Lucas Giolito are receiving an extra day of rest in between starts. They will pitch Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Does that make Friday night another bullpen day? The Sox just did that Tuesday. Or will they call up another starter?

Either way, I think a pitcher replaces Anderson on the roster. It's either another starter to pitch Friday night, or it's a bullpen arm to help get through Friday's game.

Fans hoping to see either Escobar or Danny Mendick may have to wait. Even if the already-present options at shortstop aren't great, they are still better than the options among starting pitchers.

A 'good weekend' for the White Sox rebuild in series win vs. Royals

Yoan Moncada

The Kansas City Royals have won only two series all season. They swept a three-game series against the Cleveland Indians from April 12-14, but they haven't won one since.

So, it would have been disappointing for the White Sox to not take at least two out of three over the weekend in Kansas City. The Sox did, in fact, take two out of three games, rallying to win the series after losing Friday night.

You might say it was a "good weekend" for the rebuild, as Yoan Moncada recorded seven hits in the series, Eloy Jimenez homered twice, and Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez both captured wins on the mound. The victories were accomplished with key contributions from players who project to be a part of the long-term picture.

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

Friday, June 7
Royals 6, White Sox 4: This loss was characterized by sloppy play and questionable managing by Rick Renteria. The Sox scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to tie the score at 4, capped by a two-out RBI double by Moncada, and you would have thought momentum was with the South Siders.

Nah. Renteria brought in the struggling Jace Fry (1-2) to pitch in the high-leverage bottom of the seventh, and Fry walked Billy Hamilton on four pitches. This is the same Hamilton with a .282 slugging percentage -- he is not a particularly dangerous hitter in the No. 9 spot in the Kansas City batting order.

Of course, that walk started the wheels in motion for a two-run inning for the Royals. Fry threw 13 pitches, only five for strikes, was charged with two runs and took the loss. At one point in time this season, Fry and Kelvin Herrera were the top choices for high-leverage relief in the seventh and eighth innings. But now, Sox fans would prefer to see those guys only in mop-up duty.

Moncada went 2 for 5 in the loss. James McCann had two hits, including a two-run double.

Saturday, June 8
White Sox 2, Royals 0: Giolito (9-1) served as the stopper, ending the Sox's three-game losing streak with 7.2 innings of three-hit, shutout ball. He set a career high with 11 strikeouts and walked only two batters.

In his previous start against the Royals on May 29, Giolito prominently featured his changeup. Kansas City batters might have been looking for it this time, so Giolito didn't throw a single change the first time through the batting order. He was strictly fastball/slider early, and the Royals couldn't touch him.

In his past seven starts, Giolito is 7-0 with a 0.88 ERA. I don't have to think to hard to wonder which Sox player is the top candidate to be chosen for the All-Star Game this season.

The two runs? Jimenez hit his seventh home run of the season after Jose Rondon had singled in the second. That was about the only mistake Kansas City starter Brad Keller (3-8) made, but against Giolito, it cost him the game.

Alex Colome converted his 13th save in as many tries with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

Sunday, June 9
White Sox 5, Royals 2: Jimenez added his eighth home run of the season in the finale, again in the second inning, and this time a solo shot off Glenn Sparkman (1-2). This blast will be on all the highlight reels, as the Sox's left fielder hit a hanging breaking ball 471 feet to dead center field. Jimenez later doubled and scored to complete a productive day.

Finally, Reynaldo Lopez (4-6) looked like a big-league pitcher. He threw all three of his pitches for strikes, and he worked six innings of one-run ball with eight strikeouts and only one walk. He allowed four hits, including a home run by Jorge Soler, but we can live with one solo homer during a six-inning outing. It was a step forward for Lopez, albeit against one of the worst clubs in the league.

Moncada went 4 for 5 with a two-out RBI single, and Tim Anderson had a two-out RBI double that scored Jimenez as part of his two-hit day. Again, a good weekend for the younger members of the Sox roster.

The Sox (31-33) are about to hit a much rougher patch of schedule. They come home for a six-game homestand -- two against the Washington Nationals and four against the New York Yankees. After that, they embark on a eight-game road trip -- two against the Cubs, three against the Texas Rangers and three against the Boston Red Sox. When they come off that road trip, the last weekend of the month will feature a home series against the first-place Minnesota Twins.

Indeed, tougher tests than the Royals await during the second half of June.

White Sox sweep snow-abbreviated series vs. Detroit Tigers

Tim Anderson

Tim Anderson apparently isn't listening to the Kansas City Royals.

The White Sox shortstop hit a game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday night, and he punctuated the moment with a bat flip similar to the one that provoked a benches-clearing incident with the Royals on April 17.

Nope, he isn't changing his ways.

The home run capped a 12-11 victory over the Detroit Tigers, and the Sox went on to sweep a snow-abbreviated, two-game series. Here's a look back at the weekend that was:

Friday, April 26
White Sox 12, Tigers 11: Coming into the game, you figured the recipe for a Sox victory would include a quality start by Carlos Rodon. You would be wrong. Rodon pitched terrible, giving up eight earned runs, including three homers, in three-plus innings.

After the top of the fifth inning, the Sox trailed, 9-2. But they stormed back with two runs in the fifth inning, five in the sixth inning and two more in the seventh.

It should have been three in the seventh. Jose Abreu hit what should have been a three-run homer, but he passed Anderson on the bases rounding first. He was called out and credited with a two-run single.

That was a dumb play, but nevertheless, Abreu had a great night -- 4 for 5 with five RBIs, including a home run that actually counted during the five-run sixth. Yonder Alonso and Jose Rondon also homered for the Sox, and Anderson totaled four hits.

Anderson connected on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the ninth, a hanging slider from reliever Joe Jimenez (1-1), and sent it into the left-field seats to break an 11-11 tie.

That made a winner of reliever Alex Colome (1-0), who worked a scoreless ninth.

All that said, we might have buried the lead here. Rookie left fielder Eloy Jimenez was injured in the third inning when he crashed into the wall chasing a home run hit by Detroit catcher Grayson Greiner. The future of the rebuild hung in the balance as Jimenez writhed about on the warning track in pain.

Diagnosis: high ankle sprain. Jimenez will be re-evaluated in two weeks. That means he'll likely be out at least a month. He's lucky he didn't break his leg, and this is why I recently called for him to receive more DH at-bats.

Saturday, April 27
Tigers at White Sox, ppd. snow: I was holding tickets to this game, and I'm glad it didn't happen. We had a freak late-April snowstorm in Chicago. It was that heavy, wet snow that leaves slush on the road.

The 6:10 p.m. game was postponed by 10:30 a.m. Good decision. You can't play baseball when there's a winter storm warning.

Sunday, April 28
White Sox 4, Tigers 1: Reynaldo Lopez tossed the most dominating six innings of his career, totaling 14 strikeouts against three walks. He allowed only one unearned run on two hits.

The right-hander's fastball overpowered Detroit hitters. Thirteen of the 14 strikeouts came on the four-seamer, and they were evenly distributed. Lopez (2-3) struck out the side in the second and sixth innings, and he had two strikeouts in each of the other four innings he pitched.

Instead of having to play from behind, the Sox took the lead in the first inning for a change. Welington Castillo's two-out, two-strike double with the bases loaded gave the South Siders a 2-0 lead.

Detroit nicked Lopez for an unearned run in the second, and the game remained 2-1 until the seventh. Matthew Boyd pitched well for the Tigers through six, but the Sox scored one in the seventh and one in the eighth against the Detroit bullpen.

A squeeze bunt from Leury Garcia plated the run in the seventh. Yolmer Sanchez added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Jace Fry, Kelvin Herrera and Colome each worked a scoreless inning of relief. Colome picked up his fifth save.

Each reliever struck out two, so Sox pitchers totaled 20 strikeouts for the game. Yeah, that's a team record for a nine-inning game.

Next up for the Sox (11-14): a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles, starting Monday night.

First homestand going poorly for White Sox

The view from my seat on Opening Day at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Steve Stone normally is a good TV analyst, but I was scratching my head Sunday when he was talking about Monday's pitching matchup between the White Sox's Carlos Rodon and the Rays' Blake Snell.

Stone said something to the effect of Rodon and Snell being the type of left-handers who "could win a Cy Young in any year."

Uhhh, no, not quite.

Snell went 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA in 2018 and actually did win the Cy Young Award. Rodon's career record is 27-30 with a 3.95 ERA -- respectable given the horrible Sox teams he has played on -- but let's not kid ourselves here: Snell is a cut above Rodon, and he showed it Monday in a 5-1 Tampa Bay victory.

Snell went six innings, allowing one run on six hits. He struck out 11 and walked nobody. Jose Rondon's solo home run was all the Sox could muster offensively.

Meanwhile, Rodon gave up two runs in the first inning and two more in the second inning. By the end of the fifth inning, he was gone, having allowed 13 base runners (eight hits, five walks) through 4.2 innings. He did strike out nine. If not for that, Tampa could have scored more runs -- the Rays stranded 14 for the game.

The loss drops the Sox to 3-6 on the season and 1-3 on the opening homestand. They won the home opener Friday (with me in attendance) as Yoan Moncada's four RBIs lifted them to a 10-8 victory over the Seattle Mariners. The Sox overcame a poor start by Reynaldo Lopez.

However, they could not overcome a poor start by Lucas Giolito on Saturday, as the Mariners rolled to a 9-2 win. Nor could the Sox overcome a poor start by Ivan Nova on Sunday, as Seattle took the series with a 12-5 victory.

The Sox have been outscored 34-18 so far on the homestand. This is not good run prevention. Seattle was 9-2 entering Monday's play, so the Mariners have been hot. The Rays also are hot. They are 8-3 after beating the Sox on Monday.

The South Siders have two more games against Tampa, before going on the road to New York to face the Yankees.

This is shaping up to be an ugly week. When I walked out of Guaranteed Rate Field on Friday, the Sox were a respectable 3-3. Unfortunately, with the way they are playing, and with the quality of the opposition, they are in jeopardy of losing touch with .500 this week. The losing record likely will be permanent for the rest of the 2019 season.

Eloy Jimenez is on White Sox Opening Day roster (and so is Ryan Cordell)

As expected, top prospect Eloy Jimenez will be on the White Sox's Opening Day roster. He is scheduled to start in left field Thursday when the team begins the season against the Kansas City Royals.

Because Jimenez previously had been optioned to Triple-A Charlotte before signing a six-year, $43 million contract extension, someone had to be placed on the injured list for Jimenez to be recalled.

That someone is Jon Jay, who is sidelined by a hip injury.

As we noted in our previous blog, the Sox are carrying 12 pitchers to start the season -- four starters and eight relievers. Fifth starter Ervin Santana is on a minor-league deal. He isn't needed until April 10, so he won't be added to the 40-man roster, let alone the 25-man roster, until then.

That means the Sox are carrying 13 position players. Daniel Palka and Jose Rondon are safely on the team (for now), and surprisingly, Ryan Cordell is coming north with the Sox.

Cordell is likely to be optioned back to Triple-A Charlotte the moment Santana is needed. When Jay comes back, Palka, Rondon and possibly Adam Engel could be in danger of losing their roster spot.

Here are the 13 position players:

Catchers: Welington Castillo, James McCann
Infielders: Jose Abreu, Yonder Alonso, Yolmer Sanchez, Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, Rondon
Outfielders: Jimenez, Engel, Palka, Cordell, Leury Garcia

The thing I'll be watching on Opening Day: pitcher Carlos Rodon's performance. Rodon is "finally healthy," so they say, but I don't know if his velocity has ever come back since he had shoulder surgery late in 2017.

Rodon averaged only 6.7 strikeouts per nine innings in 20 starts last season. In previous seasons, he had never been below 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings. In 2018, he didn't have his best fastball, and his slider was spotty at best.

What kind of stuff will he feature this year? We get our first look Thursday.

Reports: White Sox working on long-term deal with Eloy Jimenez

Eloy Jimenez

So, there's hope that all that nonsense about Eloy Jimenez's service time will become a moot point.

Reports say the top prospect and the White Sox are close to agreeing on a contract that would put Jimenez under team control for the next eight seasons. Jimenez would get $43 million guaranteed over six years, and he could earn up to $77.5 million over eight years if two club options are triggered.

In other words, if this contract is signed, there is no need for the Sox to bury Jimenez in the minors for the first three weeks of the regular season in order to get a seventh year of team control -- now they've got him for eight.

As we've said all along, Jimenez appears to be the best starting option at a corner outfield spot, so that means he should be there on Opening Day.

Fingers crossed that it all works out, because the Sox are a team desperately lacking in buzz. They haven't even sold out their home opener yet.

If Jimenez is going to be on the team, that has ramifications for position battles in the final week of Cactus League play, too.

For the sake of argument, let's say the Sox are going to carry 13 pitchers. Personally, I think 12 is enough, but let's be honest, the Sox disagree with that. They've been carrying 13 pitchers for the past several seasons, and I fully expect them to break camp that way this spring.

That leaves room for 12 position players. Here's how it would look with Jimenez in the fold:

C: Welington Castillo
1B: Jose Abreu
2B: Yolmer Sanchez
SS: Tim Anderson
3B: Yoan Moncada
LF: Jimenez
CF: Adam Engel
RF: Jon Jay
DH: Yonder Alonso
Bench: James McCann
Bench: Leury Garcia
Bench: ????????

Daniel Palka, Jose Rondon and Nicky Delmonico are on the bubble. Before this Jimenez news, you'd have three men battling for two spots. Now, you've got three men for one spot.

I'm thinking Delmonico is an odd man out. Palka vs. Rondon is a much tougher call. Palka has that one big skill that nobody else on the team has -- left-handed power -- but that's all he does. Meanwhile, Rondon is right-handed hitter who hits lefties and can handle all infield positions competently.

Not an easy decision, but it's a decision I'd be happy to see the Sox have to make if Jimenez is coming north with the team.

Latest guess at White Sox's Opening Day roster

Tim Anderson

The White Sox are 6-10-2 in Cactus League play, and both of their split-squad games were rained out Tuesday. So with nothing meaningful to comment on, and with spring training about half over, let's take a guess at who makes the Opening Day roster as it stands right now.

Starting pitchers (5): Carlos Rodon, Reynaldo Lopez, Lucas Giolito, Ivan Nova, Ervin Santana.
Comment: Of course, Santana's presence is dependent on his health, and so far, there's nothing that's been said that leads me to believe he's off track. The only real question is who starts the season opener. The smart money is on Rodon, because he is the most experienced and most accomplished of the younger guys. And I don't think they are going to give the nod to the journeyman Nova.

Relief pitchers (8): Alex Colome, Kelvin Herrera, Nate Jones, Jace Fry, Juan Minaya, Dylan Covey, Ryan Burr, Manny Banuelos.
Comment: None of the left-handed relief candidates have distinguished themselves. Fry was the Sox's best reliever last season, so he's on the club despite his struggling spring. But Aaron Bummer and Caleb Frare need to pick it up to make the team, and I can see Banuelos getting the nod as a second lefty ahead of both of them -- if for no other reason than Banuelos is out of options. Minaya has had a terrible spring, too, but he'll probably hang on because he had a 2.70 ERA the second half of last season. Covey has pitched himself back into the picture with a strong spring. Burr has been strong, as well, after struggling in his call-up to the majors last season. I'm thinking Burr gets a spot over Ian Hamilton, who is dealing with shoulder stiffness after he was in a car crash.

Catchers (2): Welington Castillo, James McCann
Comment: Same as it ever was. Will either Zack Collins or Seby Zavala be ready to come up from Triple-A Charlotte this year?

Infielders (6): Jose Abreu, Yonder Alonso, Yolmer Sanchez, Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada, Jose Rondon
Comment: The Sox decided to rearrange the deck chairs after whiffing in their attempt to sign Manny Machado. Moncada now is the third baseman, probably for the long term, while Sanchez switches back to his natural position at second base. Is he keeping the seat warm for Nick Madrigal? Maybe. Anderson is having a great spring -- 12 for 27 with five extra-base hits and only four strikeouts. Please let that be real. Rondon makes the club because he's out of options and can play competent defense at any position on the infield. He also hits lefties, which is a skill this club needs.

Outfielders (4): Adam Engel, Daniel Palka, Jon Jay, Leury Garcia
Comment: Yuck, yuck, yuck, yuck. At least Engel is a good defender, so he's your everyday center fielder. Garcia being a switch-hitter, I assume we'll see him quite a bit against left-handed pitching, since neither Palka nor Jay are particularly good at hitting lefties. Somebody on the roster is keeping a seat warm for Eloy Jimenez. The guess here is Palka, Rondon and whoever the eighth reliever is will be in a battle to stay on the team past mid-April.

White Sox non-tender Avisail Garcia, Matt Davidson; sign Leury Garcia

Avisail Garcia

The White Sox must be confident that they can sign a corner outfielder as a free agent this offseason.

How else to explain their decision Friday to non-tender right fielder Avisail Garcia? Infielder Matt Davidson also was non-tendered, and utility player Leury Garcia was signed to a one-year, $1.55 million contract.

First, Avisail Garcia: In principle, I agree with the decision to move on from him. Yes, he was a 2017 All-Star, but that .330 batting average and full season of health from that year was the exception in his career, not the norm.

Avisail Garcia in 2018 reverted back to what we've seen him be throughout most of his Sox career -- injury-plagued and inconsistent. While he hit a career-high 19 home runs, injuries limited him to 93 games, and his .236/.281/.438 slash line was not up to par. In particular, the batting average and on-base percentage were poor, well below his career norms.

But let's take a longer term view of Avisail Garcia's career. He's been with the Sox for five years, so we have a good sample size:

2014: .244/.305/.413
2015: .257/.309/.365
2016: .245/.307.385
2017: .330./380/.506
2018: .236/.281/.438

I think it's time to cue up our friend, Cookie Monster:

That's right, Cookie. One of these things is not like the other things. And, in this case, that thing is Avisail Garcia's 2017 season. We can wish for him to be that guy all we want, but I think he's much closer to the player we saw from 2014-16 and again in 2018.

It's OK to move on from Avisail for just that reason: Four years of mediocrity or worse trumps one career year. The key is, you have to replace him. So, Rick Hahn, spend some money and replace him, please.

We know Eloy Jimenez is going to get his chance in left field for the Sox in 2019. He hit a grand slam in his first game in the Dominican Winter League this week. That's one corner outfielder. Who is the other one? It won't be Avisail Garcia, and I'm hear to tell you it isn't going to be Daniel Palka (he's a DH) or Nicky Delmonico, either.

As for Davidson, he's had two full years with the Sox and hit 20 home runs or more in both, but he's also a career .226 hitter. Sure, he improved his on-base percentage from .260 to .319 in 2018. He's to be commended for that, but that's still not good enough from a bat-only player. Davidson came up as a third baseman, but he rarely plays there anymore. He's been mostly a designated hitter and a first baseman, and guys who do that either need to bat higher than .230, or hit 30-plus homers. I don't think Davidson is that guy. Let's move on.

Leury Garcia, hey, his ability to play center field might be saving him. Jose Rondon, 24, is a younger, cheaper and possibly more effective option than the 27-year-old Leury Garcia as a backup infielder. However, we've not seen Rondon play outfield, and we have seen Leury Garcia fill in at all three outfield spots -- including center field.

That sort of utility, the ability to play six positions, keeps guys around in this era when teams are carrying 13 pitchers and only 12 position players. Now, I would argue that Leury Garcia plays none of those six positions particularly well, but the Sox don't seem to care about that. They want roster flexibility, and this is a player who provides it.

I'm assuming a prospect eventually will come up from the minors and unseat the Adam Engel-Leury Garcia combination in center field, and I'm not expecting that position to be addressed in free agency this offseason.

White Sox take three out of four from Detroit Tigers

Kevan Smith (left) catching during a game in 2017.

The White Sox have won three in a row and nine out of 12 after they took three games out of four in a weekend series against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.

This sets the Sox (51-79) up to possibly have their first winning month of the season. They are 14-10 in August with five days before the calendar turns, so they only need to win one game between now and Friday to clinch a winning August.

Granted, that will not be easy. The next three games are in New York against the Yankees (83-47). Then the Sox come home Thursday to face the American League-best Boston Red Sox (90-42). With this schedule, a six- or seven-game losing streak could be lurking just around the corner, but for now, we can say the Sox are playing their best baseball of the season.

Aside from August, their best month this season has been June, when they went 12-17. That's not very good, so recent games have been more watchable and a welcome change.

Here's a look back at the Detroit series:

Thursday, Aug. 23
Tigers 7, White Sox 2: It's been baffling to hear James Shields mentioned as a possible waiver trade candidate. Is there a contending team out there that would see Shields as an upgrade for the back end of their starting rotation?

Not in my estimation.

Shields (5-15) still has a chance to reach 20 losses after he got hit hard in the opener in Detroit. He allowed seven runs on 10 hits -- including three home runs in the sixth inning -- to a light-hitting Tigers team in this loss.

At least Shields pitched 6.2 innings. That meant only Ryan Burr had to pitch in relief. The rookie right-hander retired all four men he faced to mercifully bring the game to a quick end.

Jose Rondon's fourth home run of the season accounted for the two Sox runs.

Friday, Aug. 24
White Sox 6, Tigers 3: This was a dead performance for the Sox through seven innings. They trailed, 3-0, going into the eighth, and then they scored six runs off Detroit's two best relievers, Joe Jimenez and Shane Greene.

Greene has 27 saves this season, but this was his fourth blown save as he did not retire a Sox batter when he was summoned with one out in the eighth inning.

Yoan Moncada's two-run double with the bases loaded put the Sox on the board and knocked Jimenez out of the game. Avisail Garcia's game-tying single greeted Greene. Daniel Palka doubled to put the Sox ahead, 4-3, and Tim Anderson capped the rally with a two-run double.

Thyago Vieira pitched to one batter in the bottom of the seventh inning. He retired him and picked up his first major-league win in easy fashion.

Saturday, Aug. 25
White Sox 6, Tigers 1: This might have been Lucas Giolito's best game of the season. The right-hander had both his good velocity (94-95 mph) and command of his fastball, and his curve and changeup both were effective, as well.

That resulted in a third straight win for Giolito (10-9), who tossed seven innings, allowing only one run on three hits. He struck out six and walked one. He allowed a solo home run to Mikie Mahtook in the second inning, but he was never in trouble at any other point.

The Sox scored five runs in the first three innings off Detroit starter Ryan Carpenter. The highlight was Kevan Smith's two-run homer in the second inning, his first of the season.

It was an emotional moment for Smith, who was wearing former teammate Daniel Webb's nickname on his back for MLB's Players' Weekend. Webb, you may recall, is the Sox relief pitcher who tragically died in an ATV accident Oct. 14.

You can watch a video about Smith and Webb's friendship here. And here is a video featuring Smith's postgame comments after Saturday's win. Cool stuff.

Sunday, Aug. 26
White Sox 7, Tigers 2: Oh yeah, Michael Kopech pitched and earned his first major league victory.

The rookie right-hander didn't have his best stuff in his second start, but he got through six innings, allowing only one run on seven hits. He struck out four and, most importantly, walked nobody.

Kopech has not issued a walk in his first eight major league innings. That is a recipe for success. He worked out of two bases-loaded jams, one in the fourth and one in the sixth.

The Tigers did score their lone run in the sixth, but they threatened for more with the bags full, one out and a 3-0 count on shortstop Ronny Rodriguez. Kopech grabbed strike one, and then induced an inning-ending, 6-4-3 double play on the 3-1 pitch to escape the inning.

A combination of four relievers closed out the win, with Jace Fry retiring two batters with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to earn his third save.

A four-run third inning keyed the Sox offense. Palka's 19th home run of the season highlighted an 11-hit attack. Anderson, Garcia, Omar Narvaez and Adam Engel all had two-hit games in what was a solid overall game for the Sox.

Now it's on to New York, where the Sox will face a superior team. We'll see if they can hold their own.

A very White Sox-like Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field (Michael Kopech's debut)

It figures, doesn't it?

With Michael Kopech making his major league debut, the White Sox had an extra 9,000 fans walk up to the ticket booth, and the crowd at Guaranteed Rate Field was fully engaged in the game for perhaps the first time since Opening Day.

The buzz died quickly, but not because Kopech did anything disappointing. He kept the Minnesota Twins off the board for two innings, striking out four men and pitching out of a first-inning jam.

But then the rains came, and after a 52-minute delay, Sox brass decided it was best not to send Kopech back to the mound.

Wise decision, in my opinion, but it sure stinks for the fans who bought tickets for that game. The Sox ended up losing, 5-2, after the Twins scored three runs with two outs in the top of the ninth inning.

The other big Sox news from Tuesday? Jose Abreu had unexpected, outpatient surgery on his lower abdominal/groin area, and he will not be able to resume baseball activities for at least 10 days.

So, the best player on the club is headed to the disabled list, and the top pitching prospect had his highly anticipated debut cut short by circumstances beyond anyone's control.

Does this kind of stuff happen to other teams besides the Sox? Sometimes it sure feels as though we're the only fan base that has to tolerate this sort of thing, and it sure does stink.

But we'll keep watching, hoping for a speedy recovery for Abreu and an opportunity to see more of Kopech in his next start, likely Sunday afternoon at Detroit.

Roster moves

As mentioned, Abreu is on the disabled list, and infielder Jose Rondon has been recalled from Triple-A Charlotte to take his place.

Rondon appeared in 22 games earlier this season with the Sox, hitting .245/.288./.490 with three doubles, three home runs and six RBIs in 52 plate appearances. He's been having a decent season at shortstop in Charlotte, where he was hitting .250/.290/.497 with 18 home runs, 15 doubles and 38 RBIs in 80 games.

The Sox on Tuesday also traded left-handed reliever Luis Avilan to the Philadelphia Phillies for right-handed pitcher Felix Paulino. Paulino will be assigned to Double-A Birmingham.

Right-handed reliever Ryan Burr has been called up from Charlotte to take Avilan's place on the 25-man roster.

Burr, 24, has a 4-3 record with a 2.45 ERA, two saves, a .190 opponent batting average and 51 strikeouts in 51.1 innings over 37 combined appearances this season between Birmingham and Charlotte.

In his past 21 appearances -- 14 in Birmingham, seven in Charlotte -- Burr allowed only one run in 28.2 innings.

White Sox activate Avisail Garcia, Leury Garcia from disabled list

Avisail Garcia

The White Sox on Friday activated outfielder Avisail Garcia and utility player Leury Garcia from the 10-day disabled list.

To make room on the roster, outfielder Trayce Thompson was designated for assignment and infielder Jose Rondon was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte.

Avisail Garcia, who was placed on the disabled list April 24 with a strained right hamstring, was hitting .360 with three doubles, three home runs and nine RBIs in seven games during his rehab assignment with Charlotte.

With wet conditions expected in Chicago for Friday's doubleheader with the Oakland A's, it wouldn't be surprising to see Avisail Garcia in the DH spot. He'll likely return to right field once the weather -- and the outfield grass -- dry out.

Leury Garcia, who was placed on the disabled list May 24 with a sprained left knee, was 6 for 14 with three doubles and an RBI in four games on his rehab assignment.

It's possible Leury Garcia will see a little more time in the infield. With Rondon optioned, he's the fifth infielder, in addition to being the fourth outfielder. Leury Garcia was 9 for 9 in stolen bases before getting injured, so if his legs are healthy, he should provide a good pinch-running option late in games.

These roster moves likely end Thompson's tenure with the Sox, and if so, it will be merciful. The outfielder is 3 for 60 in day games this season, and in 130 plate appearances with the Sox, he posted a slash line of .116/.163/.215.

Thompson cannot say he did not get a fair opportunity -- he has started 13 of the Sox's 21 games in June. He's gotten fairly regular at-bats, but he ended up setting team records for lowest batting average and on-base percentage for a non-pitcher who received more than 100 at-bats in a season.

Yes, indeed, it was time to designate Thompson for assignment. His performance at the plate was making Adam Dunn's 2011 season seem competent by comparison.