The White Sox got the job done tonight in Kansas City, beating the Royals 11-5 and improving to 4-4 on the season. The offense once again struck early, this time with a quick four-run first inning that featured a home run from Eloy Jimenez. The bats also attacked the Kansas City pitching late, as they hit through the order and scored an additional four runs in the top of the 9th. In total, the team finished the game with a whopping 21 hits.
On the rubber, Gio Gonzalez lasted just 3.2 innings, giving up no runs, five hits, three walks, with six strikeouts. Matt Foster would later make his MLB debut and was credited with the win.
W: Matt Foster (1-0)* | L: Ronald Bolanos (0-1)
*first career win
Notable Performances
Eloy Jimenez: 4-for-6, HR, 4 RBI, 2B
Not even a week after a nasty collision with the left-field wall at Guaranteed Rate Field, Eloy Jimenez has been on an absolute tear since rejoining the lineup. Tonight he added four hits to his name and fell just a triple shy of the cycle. Good players play exceptionally well against poor pitching, which is what Eloy and most of the White Sox offense did.
Luis Robert: 4-for-6, HR, 2 2B, 2 RBI
A big night in the young career of Luis Robert helped fuel this offense all game. He was tremendous in all facets, even those that do not show up on the box score. La Pantera was hustling around the bases and made some phenomenal plays in the field. Not to mention, he THOUGHT about going for a triple to complete the cycle while on the base paths during his seventh-inning double.
Yoan Moncada: 3-for-5, BB, 2 runs
Yoan Moncada, like much of the offense, had a quietly solid night. With three hits, all singles, Yo continued the trend of being the Sox’s most reliable and consistent hitter. He’s now batting .345 after tonight’s game.
Leury Garcia: 4-for-5, BB, RBI, run
The rough Opening Day performance has become a thing of the past for Leury Garcia. His bounce-back has been incredible. Reaching base six times tonight, Garcia played a big role in keeping the line moving, and continuing the big innings for Ricky’s boys.
Moment of the Game
Tonight’s “Moment of the Game” came early on as it was Eloy Jimenez’s three-run, first-inning blast that jump-started a memorable evening for the Sox offense. Eloy’s homer was estimated at 425 feet, with an exit velocity of 100.3 MPH. He even got a little help from Bubba Starling!
Player of the Game
Luis Robert was outstanding. Tonight we got a true look at what he can do and how high his ceiling really is. Despite being a triple short of the cycle, he went 4-for-6 for the first four-hit performance of his career. We’re just scratching the surface for who Robert is and will become as a player. The combination of his size and speed will be deadly to opposing pitchers and he will, no doubt, terrorize the league in the coming years.
Looking Ahead
The White Sox will look to complete the three-game sweep tomorrow with Dylan Cease (0-1, 15.43 ERA) taking the bump against the Royals’ Jakob Junis (0-0, -.– ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM CT.
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