Another close ballgame for the White Sox, but thankfully, another victory to move the winning streak to six games.
On the offense, the White Sox put up three early runs in this one, courtesy of an RBI infield single by Leury Garcia and 2-RBI double from Jose Abreu taking care of the offense on the day. The lineup managed just one walk (Yasmani Grandal) and struck out 10 times, so even despite the winning streak, it’s hard to say this offense is “back” – that being said, the at-bats have started to look a bit better, and the pitching staff has been helping to keep the White Sox stable while the bats take some time to figure it out.
Dallas Keuchel took the hill for the White Sox and turned in his best performance of the season, starting the game with five scoreless innings before the Red Sox got to him the third time through in the sixth inning. He exited having given up just two runs and striking out five in his day of work, quieting the calls to have him DFA’d for at least another five days.
The White Sox had to contend with a depleted bullpen, and did so on the backs of Ryan Burr, Matt Foster, Jose Ruiz, and Bennett Sousa in this one. Ruiz and Sousa combined to take care of the Red Sox in the ninth inning, even after Ruiz gave up a leadoff double to J.D. Martinez. Sousa came in and faced pinch hitter Kevin Plawecki, getting him to fly out to end the game and send the White Sox back home with a sweep of the Boston Red Sox.
With the win, the White Sox improve to 14-13 with an opportunity to really get themselves back on track at home this week.
W: Dallas Keuchel (2-3) | L: Tanner Houck (2-3) | S: Bennett Sousa (1)
StatCast Breakdown
Box Score
Offensive Recap:
Pitching Recap:
White Sox Scoring Recap:
Top 3rd: Leury Garcia singles to 3B. Reese McGuire scores. 1-0 White Sox
Top 3rd: Jose Abreu doubles to LF. Josh Harrison, Luis Robert score. 3-0 White Sox
Notable Performances
Dallas Keuchel: 6 IP, 8 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
As mentioned previously, Dallas Keuchel absolutely turned in his best performance of the season, arguably at a time when he needed it the most. The left-hander was able to carve through a struggling Red Sox lineup and navigate through a tough sixth inning before handing the game over to the bullpen. With Lance Lynn returning soon and Johnny Cueto likely to get a chance in the majors within the next week, a decision on how the White Sox will manage Keuchel and the rest of the staff is going is inevitable, and the hope is that Keuchel will continue to turn in performances like today.
Yasmani Grandal: 2-for-3, BB, SB
It hasn’t been the perfect start for Yasmani Grandal this season, but he is certainly getting closer to his best form. The left-handed catcher hit three balls to LF today – getting hits on two of them – and worked a walk and a stolen base on the day. The walks and hits to LF (instead of rolling over on the ball) are positive signs that usually start to come when Grandal is about to break out. The hope is that the breakout is coming in the next few days during this upcoming homestand for the White Sox.
Matt Foster: 1 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
As the White Sox get Joe Kelly back from the IL on Monday, but also place Aaron Bummer on the same IL with a sore knee, the White Sox will likely continue to lean on Matt Foster to give some big outs for the club. Today, and for most of the season, Foster has looked brilliant, adding life on his fastball and movement on his slider to help his return to his 202 form. Look for Foster to continue to contribute to the White Sox bullpen if games continue to remain so close.
The Next Matchup
The White Sox will head back home this afternoon/evening, where they will start a series against the Cleveland Guardians. Zach Plesac and Michael Kopech will do battle
The game will start at 7:10 PM CT and can be viewed on NBC Sports Chicago.
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Featured Image: Brandon Anderson / Twitter
