- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 433,364
- Reaction score
- 44
MINNEAPOLIS — The conditions weren’t ideal, but the results were for Chicago White Sox starter Shane Smith.
The right-hander earned his first major-league win, pitching five scoreless innings as the Sox blanked the Twins 3-0 on Thursday in a game called after seven innings because of rain.
“Really cool to get the first win,” Smith, 25, said.
Lenyn Sosa and Miguel Vargas hit solo home runs for the Sox, who snapped a 14-game losing streak at Target Field that dated to April 11, 2023.
“Always feels good (to see results), especially after a win today,” said Vargas, who followed up a two-hit game Wednesday with the home run Thursday. “I think I’ve been having better at-bats and I’ve been consistent a little bit more at the plate, too.”
The Sox (6-19) salvaged the finale of the three-game series in front of 12,414.
“There’s some games where we didn’t get the result we wanted to, but we kept fighting,” manager Will Venable said. “And then today we continue to play well and it paid off.”
Here are three takeaways from the three days at Target Field.
Smith didn’t feel like he had his sharpest stuff of the season.
“But the numbers are good,” he said.
Smith struck out a career-high seven during Thursday’s five-inning outing. He allowed four hits and walked just one batter.
“He’s been in attack mode,” Venable said. “There’s counts that he loses leverage on but then he gets right back into the count and he’s able to put guys away when he gets ahead.”
Venable said Smith has been “trusting his stuff.”
Smith has a 2.30 ERA in five starts during his first big-league season.
“I think I can be as aggressive as I want to be,” Smith said. “Whether it’s soft stuff in the zone, hard in the zone. I think I can command it well enough that I’m not going to get hurt a lot of the time. I know I’m probably going to get hurt after saying that, but I just have a lot of confidence in what I’m doing.”
Quero waited on Bailey Ober’s changeup and lofted it to left field for a single in the second inning Tuesday.
The catcher hit another low-and-away changeup to left again for a single in the fourth.
Ober went back to the changeup in the sixth and this time Quero pulled it to right field for his third single.
Quero went 3-for-4 in Tuesday’s 4-2 loss. At 22 years, 16 days, Quero became the youngest Sox player to record three hits in a game since Dayan Viciedo (21 years, 142 days) had three hits on July 30, 2010, against the Oakland A’s.
Quero continued finding ways to get on base as the designated hitter Wednesday, walking twice and driving in a run while reaching on a fielding error.
He went 1-for-3 with a walk Thursday. Quero is 8-for-24 (.333) in eight games since being called up from Triple-A Charlotte on April 17.
“He looks like he belongs,” Venable said before Thursday’s game. “He’s really confident and the game isn’t fast for him. He just really looks like a big-leaguer that’s been playing for a while and is in control and knows what he’s doing out there.
“He’s continuing to develop, continuing to learn, but obviously off to a really good start.”
Wilson ducked when Carlos Correa hit a liner with a 104.9-mph exit velocity back up the middle in the first inning Wednesday.
Second baseman Brooks Baldwin, placed perfectly, snagged the hard-hit ball and then stepped on second for an inning-ending double play.
The Twins loaded the bases again in the second. Wilson struck out Byron Buxton to escape without allowing a run.
“I think that’s part of the bullpen experience that kind of comes back to help me a little bit,” Wilson said after the game. “Just bases loaded, one out, let’s try to turn a double play or get a strikeout and then get the guy out. But it’s just staying calm, not letting it speed up too much on you.”
Wilson allowed one run on five hits with two strikeouts and three walks in 2 2/3 innings during his first start of the season. He filled in after the Sox placed Martín Pérez on the injured list over the weekend with a left flexor strain.
Wilson had nine relief outings this season before Wednesday’s start. He was one of seven pitchers the Sox used in the 6-3 loss.
“I kind of put (the bullpen) in a tough spot,” Wilson said. “I was on a pitch count, but I was still hoping to get through at least into the fourth inning, if not through the fourth inning. But for them to step up the way they did was awesome.”
Jordan Leasure and Brandon Eisert stepped up to cover the final two innings of Thursday’s victory. Eisert collected his first career save.
“Our bullpen did a good job in the (final) two innings to keep that secure,” Smith said.
Continue reading...
The right-hander earned his first major-league win, pitching five scoreless innings as the Sox blanked the Twins 3-0 on Thursday in a game called after seven innings because of rain.
“Really cool to get the first win,” Smith, 25, said.
Lenyn Sosa and Miguel Vargas hit solo home runs for the Sox, who snapped a 14-game losing streak at Target Field that dated to April 11, 2023.
“Always feels good (to see results), especially after a win today,” said Vargas, who followed up a two-hit game Wednesday with the home run Thursday. “I think I’ve been having better at-bats and I’ve been consistent a little bit more at the plate, too.”
The Sox (6-19) salvaged the finale of the three-game series in front of 12,414.
“There’s some games where we didn’t get the result we wanted to, but we kept fighting,” manager Will Venable said. “And then today we continue to play well and it paid off.”
Here are three takeaways from the three days at Target Field.
1. Smith was in “attack mode.”
Smith didn’t feel like he had his sharpest stuff of the season.
“But the numbers are good,” he said.
Smith struck out a career-high seven during Thursday’s five-inning outing. He allowed four hits and walked just one batter.
“He’s been in attack mode,” Venable said. “There’s counts that he loses leverage on but then he gets right back into the count and he’s able to put guys away when he gets ahead.”
Venable said Smith has been “trusting his stuff.”
Smith has a 2.30 ERA in five starts during his first big-league season.
“I think I can be as aggressive as I want to be,” Smith said. “Whether it’s soft stuff in the zone, hard in the zone. I think I can command it well enough that I’m not going to get hurt a lot of the time. I know I’m probably going to get hurt after saying that, but I just have a lot of confidence in what I’m doing.”
2. Catcher Edgar Quero continued his strong start too.
Quero waited on Bailey Ober’s changeup and lofted it to left field for a single in the second inning Tuesday.
The catcher hit another low-and-away changeup to left again for a single in the fourth.
Ober went back to the changeup in the sixth and this time Quero pulled it to right field for his third single.
Quero went 3-for-4 in Tuesday’s 4-2 loss. At 22 years, 16 days, Quero became the youngest Sox player to record three hits in a game since Dayan Viciedo (21 years, 142 days) had three hits on July 30, 2010, against the Oakland A’s.
Quero continued finding ways to get on base as the designated hitter Wednesday, walking twice and driving in a run while reaching on a fielding error.
He went 1-for-3 with a walk Thursday. Quero is 8-for-24 (.333) in eight games since being called up from Triple-A Charlotte on April 17.
“He looks like he belongs,” Venable said before Thursday’s game. “He’s really confident and the game isn’t fast for him. He just really looks like a big-leaguer that’s been playing for a while and is in control and knows what he’s doing out there.
“He’s continuing to develop, continuing to learn, but obviously off to a really good start.”
3. Bullpen experience came in handy for Bryse Wilson in 1st start of the season.
Wilson ducked when Carlos Correa hit a liner with a 104.9-mph exit velocity back up the middle in the first inning Wednesday.
Second baseman Brooks Baldwin, placed perfectly, snagged the hard-hit ball and then stepped on second for an inning-ending double play.
Related Articles
- Chicago baseball report: What Drew Pomeranz brings to Cubs — and Andrew Vaughn’s slow start for White Sox
- Infielder Bobby Dalbec looks for opportunity with the Chicago White Sox: ‘He’s got power to all fields’
- Chicago White Sox fall to the Minnesota Twins as Byron Buxton robs Andrew Benintendi of an extra-base hit
- Bryse Wilson among the Chicago White Sox options to provide bulk innings with Martín Pérez on the IL
- Chicago White Sox fall 4-2 to Boston Red Sox as infielder Chase Meidroth heads to the injured list
The Twins loaded the bases again in the second. Wilson struck out Byron Buxton to escape without allowing a run.
“I think that’s part of the bullpen experience that kind of comes back to help me a little bit,” Wilson said after the game. “Just bases loaded, one out, let’s try to turn a double play or get a strikeout and then get the guy out. But it’s just staying calm, not letting it speed up too much on you.”
Wilson allowed one run on five hits with two strikeouts and three walks in 2 2/3 innings during his first start of the season. He filled in after the Sox placed Martín Pérez on the injured list over the weekend with a left flexor strain.
Wilson had nine relief outings this season before Wednesday’s start. He was one of seven pitchers the Sox used in the 6-3 loss.
“I kind of put (the bullpen) in a tough spot,” Wilson said. “I was on a pitch count, but I was still hoping to get through at least into the fourth inning, if not through the fourth inning. But for them to step up the way they did was awesome.”
Jordan Leasure and Brandon Eisert stepped up to cover the final two innings of Thursday’s victory. Eisert collected his first career save.
“Our bullpen did a good job in the (final) two innings to keep that secure,” Smith said.
Continue reading...
