Tag Archives: Chicago White Sox

Game 51: white Sox @ Twins

So. This team can put it in the seats , sure. But can they grind out nine innings of stringing together a bit every other inning, scoring a single run while pitching to contact and losing by six? Because I think I speak for everyone when I say that is the kind of baseball we've become accustomed to in Minnesota.

Until these guys know what it means to consistently load the bases with infield singles, then run themselves out of the inning by getting picked off each one of the bases, are these guys even Minnesota Twins? I submit that they are not.

But I suppose they'll do.

Game 125 — Twins at White Sox

Twins play the White Sox at "The Rate" tonight as they head into the last 6 weeks of the season. Last month I was at Guaranteed Rate Ballpark to see a Sox-Royals game and was pleasantly surprised at the ballpark. It was intimate with many "modern" facilities, open concourses, etc. A much more blue collar crowd than what you would find at Target Field, plus a lot of young, rowdy people. It was a fun Saturday afternoon. Interesting in that it feels like a suburban location. Ample parking, virtually no restaurants or bars in the neighborhood, view of the Interstate.

Jose Berrios up against Michael Kopech tonight. This will be the Major League debut for Kopech and Sox fans are excited. He was the key piece in the Chris Sales trade a couple of years ago and he is a 23-year old flame thrower, touching 100 mph with his fast ball (duh) relatively consistently. Apparently there is video of him hitting 110 mph on a radar gun, but some stories are that was rigged. He walks a ton too, which must be terrifying for a batter. Should be interesting to watch, the White Sox sure hope his debut is better than Gonsalves was last night.

Game at 7:10p Look for HJ in the crowd.

Game 75 — Twins at White Sox

Twins embark on the great Upper Midwest Baseball Tour(TM) with a three game stint against the Southside Pale Hosers. At 25 games under .500, the Sox are as bad as advertised so it would be nice to take all three games this week before heading into the friendly confines of Wrigley over the weekend.

Lance Lynn on the mound for the Twins. He's as excruciating slow as ever, but at least he's been productive with a 4-1 record and 1.73 ERA in his last 5 starts. Reynaldo Lopez on the mound for the White Sox, coming off a pretty bad outing against Cleveland (or was it Toronto?). Game may take 3.5 hours but I like the Twins chances.

First pitch at The Rate. Potential for rain is receding in Chicago, so hopefully the tour can start off with a win.

2018 Game 59 – White Sox at Twins

What a goofy club. Win series' against the teams ahead of you in the standings: took 2/3 against Detroit and 3/4 against Cleveland, but lose to those chasing you: only 1/3 against KC and in danger of losing 3/4 against Chicago.

In an attempt to salvage a split with the South Siders, the Twins give Jose Berríos the ball whose lone loss in the past four starts was a no-show by the Twins offense in Seattle - 1 run on 4 hits. Jose scattered 8 hits over 7 1/3 innings, allowing only 2 earned runs (the 2nd the result of walking his last batter faced and Duke & Reed combining to untie the 8th inning tie ... in Seattle's favor) while striking out 8 and walking 1.

White Sox counter with 36-year-old RHP James Shields, owner of a 1-6 record on the year with a 91 ERA+, 4.27 FIP & 1.258 WHIP. In his last outing against Minnesota (May 6), Shields left in the 7th with one out, a one-run Chicago lead and runners at the corners. His replacement, Luis Avilan, promptly gave up a 2-run double to Logan Morrison.

Let's see what these two mediocre teams have to offer today.

Game Log Games 56 and 57 — White Sox and Twins

We have a doubleheader today and it's one of those old fashioned doubleheaders where they don't clear out the stadium between games. In celebration, we'll have a doubleheader game log too. No need to find a new game log for game two. All its all right here.

Twins against White Sox and again, if the they want to be competitive in the AL Central, sweeping the double against the Whities is imperative for the Twins.

Twins putting up a couple of rookies against Chicago. Fernando Romero in game 1, and Zack Little in game 2. According to the Strib, Zack Little was "acquired from the Yankees for Jaime Garcia last July, was 0-3 with a 5.87 ERA at Class AA Chattanooga before being promoted to Class AAA Rochester. He’s 1-1 with a 2.57 ERA in five outings for the Red Wings, including four starts. In 28 innings, Littell, 22, has given up eight earned runs on 20 hits and 10 walks with 30 strikeouts." he's only up for the doubleheader so hopefully he takes the opportunity to impress Molitor and the gang, while also enjoying some sweet big league perks.

White Sox are putting up someone called Reynaldo Lopez and Lucas Giolito who have records and stats you would associate with a team 20 games under .500 on June 5th. Both are young however. Not sure if they fit in the Sox overall plan.

First game at 3:10. Looks like a gorgeous day for baseball. Let's play two!

2018 Game 27: Minnesota Twins at Chicago White Sox

The Twins are playing .500 baseball in May!

Holding down third place in the AL Central - 4.5 games behind the first place Clevelanders (16-13), despite managing a 2-8 in their past 10 games (3-12 in their past 15), they trail 2nd-place Detroit by 1.5 games and lead the Sox by 3 games. I don't see any snow in the Chicago forecast for this series, so that's nice.

Pitching

Today, off-season acquisition Jake Odorizzi (2-2, 3.94, 109 ERA+, 5.81 FIP, 1.375 WHIP) hopes to pick up where rookie (and #2 Twins prospect) Fernando Romero left off yesterday*. In his last start against Cincinnati, Odorizzi went 6 innings, scattering 5 hits and 2 walks while allowing only 1 ER. He has averaged slightly more than 1 homerun per start this year, but is also pacing himself with 2 ER's per start as well. A good long start today would be pleasing.

On the mound for the White Sox is Reynaldo López, a 24-year-old who came over with another Chicago starter (Giolito) in the Adam Eaton trade. 0-2 on the year, López has been good in 5 starts this year with a 1.78 ERA,  236 ERA+, 4.47 FIP and 1.22 WHIP.  He features a mid-to-high 90's fastball, good curve and a change. This year, he's averaged 6+ innings, 5 K and 3 BB per start with only 6 ER (and 3 HR) total. Also saw this on his Repository page - which further improved my opinion of him - explaining why his signing bonus from the Nationals was relatively low:

The lower signing bonus may have been because Lopez took several years off of baseball to finish his highschool degree, and signed at age 18.

Batting

With Dozier scuffling, and three other 'regulars' in yesterday's lineup with sub-Mendoza BA's, not to mention four with sub-.300 OBP, the Twins have been hitting ...intermittently, though not necessarily effectively. For the year, they're .198/.279/.297 with RISP - 70 SO's and .262 BABIP. Hope they can pick each other up a bit more as they try to climb out of the hole they've dug.

Editorial

Though admitting this may cement my place as local baseball history ignoramus, a quick search for the featured image of Comisky U.S. Cellular guaranteedRate Field, I (re)learned something that I may have known at one time, but seem to have forgotten. The Chicago White Sox began life as the St. Paul Saints! I will be looking for the foundation over lunch in the near future. I have an idea that I have seen it before, but need to be sure.

*that was a fun game to see... hope Romero continues his advance on securing a role in the starting rotation.