clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Nice start: White Sox pitchers shut down Redlegs, 7-2

Seby Zavala goes deep to put Zack and Yermín on notice

MLB: Chicago White Sox at Minnesota Twins
Loud bat: Look who’s got something to say about that third catcher role!
Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

No highlights, no photos, no video.

Wait, excuse me, no official video. But we’ve got SSS fam and SSHP writer/photographer Sean Williams on the scene. His clips can mostly tell the tale of this one.

First at-bat of the White Sox season? A Tim Anderson infield single, flashing some legs to beat out the Baltimore Chop.

The game was tied scoreless through four, with the biggest jam coming in the fourth inning. Carson Fulmer, who entered in the third and whiffed his first two batters before succumbing to control problems (two walks), got off to a Fulmeresque start in the fourth, hitting ex-White Sox and current Reds first baseman Matt Davidson with a pitch, driving him out of the game, and walking Scott Schebler before getting yanked. Fulmer’s line, scarring what was otherwise a pretty aces day for White Sox pitching: 1 IP, 3 BB, 2 K, HBP.

There were zero earned runs placed on Fulmer’s tab because Matt Foster wriggled out of the two-on, no-out jam with a fly out and ground out.

As Sean says, McCannon gunned down a runner to end the inning and keep the game scoreless.

Natch, leading off the next inning was Jame McCann, doubling and scoring on a Leury García single, for the first White Sox tally of the season.

The runners moving up on a throw (some pretty aggressive cleverness from Leury there) set the stage for a ho-hum ribbie from TA.

With Seby Zavala the least sexy (but most competent) third catcher candidate in camp, he definitely served notice on his competition with a big fly in the seventh inning.

And just for kicks, the White Sox continued to rally late, scoring four runs in the top of the ninth, courtesy of some chip shots and booted balls by Cincy. The entire inning was kicked off by a welcome scene, easy power from Micker Adolfo. Watch to the end for the ridiculous late-decision flop slide from Micker (cue: nerves).

Micker in fact came up again in the ninth, as the Pale Hose batted around, but with the sacks packed, Aldofo grounded out.

Besides Fulmer being Fulmer, the only White Sox hurler to get touched up was Matt Tomshaw, who fed a gopher ball to Stuart Fairchild for Cincinnati’s only runs of the game, in the eighth. Dylan Cease, Foster, José Ruiz, Tomshaw and Tyler Johnson combined for seven hits, two earned, two walks and six Ks over eight innings.

The only other notable involved Gold Glove second baseman Nick Madrigal making his first error of the spring, but he later singled in Luis Basabe as part of that four-run ninth to complete a 1-for-2 day.

Poll

Who is the White Sox player of the game?

This poll is closed

  • 32%
    Dylan Cease (2 IP, 3 H, 3K)
    (114 votes)
  • 21%
    Matt Foster (2 IP, H, K, win, inherited fourth-inning jam)
    (76 votes)
  • 1%
    Leury García (1-for-2, 1B, R, GWRBI)
    (7 votes)
  • 10%
    James McCann (1-for-2, CS to end 4th, 2B, R)
    (38 votes)
  • 33%
    Seby Zavala (1-for-2, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI)
    (118 votes)
353 votes total Vote Now

The 1-0 White Sox “visit” Los Angeles at Camelback Ranch tomorrow for the first NBC Sports broadcast of the spring.

I’ll be talking to our videographer today, Sean Williams, for the next SSHP podcast, due out late tonight/tomorrow a.m., so stay tuned for more on today’s nice win.