6:50 p.m.
It’s a wrap. White Sox 14, Royals 7 after Aaron Bummer comes in for the pigskin save and retires the final Kansas City batter.
Gamer to come later on tonight, with quotes, facts, and some sort of summary of this most bizarre of all Opening Days.
#SOXWIN! pic.twitter.com/W2cby07DEg
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 29, 2018
6:15 p.m.
The first strikeout of the game for the White Sox, in a game they are leading 14-5, comes at out No. 23 of the game: Luis Avilan, punching out Jorge Soler.
6:06 p.m.
6:00 p.m.
Matt Davidson was the first player in the Statcast era to have two Opening Day homers with an exit velocity of 114 mph or more.
He’s now the was the first player in the Statcast era to have three Opening Day homers with an exit velocity of 114 mph or more.
The three-run blast yanked on a rope down the left-field line makes it 14-4, White Sox.
5:45 p.m.
5:40 p.m.
Tim Anderson pulls an Enos Slaughter, and a three-RBI single for Yolmer Sanchez puts the White Sox up, 11-4.
That’s 11 unanswered runs.
Anderson was actually on second by the time the ball crossed BEHIND him, trickling through the infield for a single. Adequate jump.
5:18 p.m.
I find gambling talk abhorrent but I as the managing editor of this site I feel I must report that had I put the money down on Shields completing six innings back when he had 0 outs in the first inning down 4-0 I would be ~$80,000,000,000,000 richer today.
5:16 p.m.
Yeah, I’ll pull a comment above the fold if I wanna:
4:55 p.m.
Tim Anderson with a second home run, into the bullpen in left. Sox up, 8-4.
I want every White Sox game to be played in 45 degrees and rain.
Even if James Shields starts.
4:48 p.m.
Matt Davidson with a second homer crushed to left-center. Sox up, 6-4.
4:35 p.m.
Yoan Moncada’s double puts the White Sox up, 5-4.
James Shields is back in the Cy Young race.
4:25 p.m.
Tied.
Tim Anderson ties a White Sox Opening Day record, with the third home run of the game. I’m no Kamka, but thinking three in one inning sets a White Sox Opening Day record.
4:20 p.m.
Boom!
First-pitch, two-run homer to make it 4-2.
Double Boom!!
DEEP solo shot from Matt Davidson to trim the lead to 4-3! WHAT!?!
4:15 p.m.
4:09 p.m.
Additionally: 65.2 mph groundout was on ball four inside.
White Sox really needed to plug in that dugout heater in the first inning, apparently.
Royals in the 1st inning
— Patrick Brennan (@paintingcorner) March 29, 2018
100.5 MPH single
101.9 MPH single
103.7 MPH single
108.0 MPH home run
65.2 MPH groundout
99.5 MPH lineout
102.4 MPH double
85.0 MPH flyout
3:58 p.m.
I believe I am being robustly sardonic on twitter this afternoon.
Tim Marchman is doing it better.
3:40 p.m.
Rough count, six hard-hit balls off of Shields and one Cuthbert ball four-groundout bailout in the first seven Royals batters. Loosen up that shoulder, Hector.
3:32 p.m.
Royals 4, White Sox 0. 1⁄2 of an inning played.
I just got a spam mail asking: WILL YOU DIE OF A HEART ATTACK TODAY?
They are watching me.
Stoney: “Just like that, four hitters, four runs, no outs.”
3:04 p.m.
2:55 p.m.
So, it’s not the best-looking pitching matchup, we know that. But anyway:
James Shields is on the bump for the White Sox today. In 2017, Shields went 5-7 with a 5.23 ERA (5.83 FIP) in 21 starts, for a 0.3 WAR. In his career against the Royals, Shields is 7-2 with a 4.05 ERA in 13 starts, with one complete game, 73 strikeouts and 22 walks. Last year against the Royals, Shields went 0-0 in two starts, with a 7.84 ERA and two homers in 10 1⁄3 innings. In his career at Kauffman Stadium, Shields is 9-13 with a 4.35 ERA in 36 starts, with two complete games, 184 Ks and 57 walks.
Danny Duffy gets the call for K.C. In 2017, Duffy went 9-10 with a 3.81 ERA (3.46 FIP) in 24 starts, with 130 strikeouts and 41 walks, for a 3.4 WAR. In his career vs. the White Sox, Duffy is 7-5 with a 4.20 ERA in 20 games (18 starts), one complete game, 86 strikeouts and 22 walks. Last year against the Sox, Duffy was roughed up, going 1-3 with a 7.77 ERA in four starts.
1:49 p.m.
Fairly bare-bones matchup info, but here it is, anyway:
1:44 p.m.
Pep talk from GM Rick Hahn. larry, feel free to weigh in on his sartorial splendor (and yes, I did put in a request, failed, to CWS camera ops to capture the socks).
LIVE with #WhiteSox GM Rick Hahn: https://t.co/UWIUBUGNJt
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 29, 2018
1:40 p.m.
We see this look today, and I fully expect we will, I’ll take it as a good thing!
— KenWo (@KenWo4LiFe) March 29, 2018
1:38 p.m.
As outlined earlier today, for big Chicago White Sox games we’re going to apply a bit of a live blog element to the proceedings here. But enough of my yakkin’, let’s boogie!
How to watch and listen info is attached to every White Sox lineup, so no need to retype it here.
The Good Guys:
It's finally here! Your #WhiteSox starters for #CWSOpeningDay.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 29, 2018
⏰: 3:15 PM CT
: @NBCSChicago
: @WGNRadio pic.twitter.com/aTqgxOfNWB
The bad guys, looking for extra credit by getting their lineup out yesterday:
Tomorrow.
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) March 29, 2018
Your #OpeningDay lineup is here. pic.twitter.com/OdB7O8zGev
Enemy blog: Royals Review