Name a better duo than the White Sox and hitting against LHP in the pouring rain.
Tim Anderson got the offense started early for the White Sox, homering on the first pitch of the game thrown by Jose Suarez. From there, the offense put together better at-bats, but nothing was really able to come to fruition. That was until, of course, the skies opened up and began to rain, because once that happened, the White Sox and Luis Robert put three more runs on the board against Suarez before the game’s one hour rain delay. It would be all the offense the White Sox would get, but there were runners on the basepaths all day, which is more than they could say most games recently.
On the pitching side, Vince Velasquez was fantastic. He was in control from the first pitch of the ballgame, and his previous ineffectiveness and inability to throw strikes were nowhere to be found today. His outing was cut short due to the rain delay, but he certainly gave himself and Ethan Katz something to build on in their next bullpen session. Tanner Banks, Aaron Bummer, Kendall Graveman, and Liam Hendriks all followed with scoreless outings, giving the White Sox their first shutout win of the season. Both Bummer and Hendriks looked as though they were returning to form, while Graveman worked around some rare inconsistency with the help of a generous strike zone.
The game faced a one hour rain delay in the top of the 6th inning, which gave us a hilarious back and forth between Mike Trout and Vince Velasquez.
With the win, the White Sox improve to 8-12 as they end the month of April and start fresh in May.
W: Vince Velasquez (1-2) | L: Jose Suarez (0-2)
StatCast Breakdown:
Box Score
Offensive Recap:
Pitching Recap:
White Sox Scoring Recap:
Top 1st: Tim Anderson homers (3) to right center field. 1-0 White Sox
Top 4th: Luis Robert homers (3) to right center field. Josh Harrison, Tim Anderson score. 4-0 White Sox
Notable Performances
Vince Velasquez: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
It was starts like these that Ethan Katz was envisioning when he made Velasquez his $3M project over the offseason. Velasquez had always been a frustrating player in Philadelphia, specifically because of performances like today. Velasquez has a lot of talent, and it will be up to him and the White Sox to unlock some consistency behind his outings. Today is a great place to start.
Tim Anderson: 2-for-4, HR, RBI, 2 R
As TA7 goes, the White Sox tend to go. Anderson started off today’s game with a homer, setting the tone for what seemed to be an improved day of White Sox’ offense all around. The at-bats looked better (for the most part), and TA was able to grab two hits in the process, getting
Luis Robert: 1-for-4, HR, 3 RBI, R
Robert is still getting back into the groove after missing several games with a groin injury, but today was a nice place to start. He hammered a Suarez offering to right center field – a place he often hits when he’s at his best. Look for Robert to refine his pitch selection and drive the ball more consistently as he gets more comfortable at the plate again.
Josh Harrison: 2-for-2, 2B, R
Shoutout goes to Josh Harrison here, who looks to be getting himself back on track after missing quite a few games with a plethora of injuries. Harrison’s glove has been incredibly solid all around the field, so the White Sox are hoping his bat eventually comes around to match it.
AJ Pollock: 2-for-4, 2B, K
Pollock turned in his first multi-hit performance since the Detroit series to start the season (though, he has been injured for quite a few weeks). However, after being mired in a 4-for-24 slump, to see Pollock end his day with two hits that will hopefully get him going as the season carries into May.
Next Matchup
The White Sox and Angels will go back to battle tomorrow afternoon for the third game of this four-game set. Dallas Keuchel will take the mound opposite Michael Lorenzen, the converted starter from the Reds.
The game will get started at 1:10 PM CT and can be viewed on NBC Sports Chicago.
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