CHICAGO WHITE SOX NOTES:
WHITE SOX AT A GLANCE
The Chicago White Sox have won fi ve of their last nine games as they continue a fi ve-game, six-game trip tonight against the crosstown-rival Cubs at Wrigley Field.
RHP Mike Clevinger, who is 3-2 with a 2.17 ERA (9 ER/37.1 IP) over his last seven starts dating to 5/17, is scheduled to start for the White Sox.
The Sox opened the trip last night with a 5-3 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field, extending their road winning streak in the Crosstown Cup series to six games.
Following tonight’s game and a day off tomorrow, the White Sox conclude the trip this weekend with three games at Colorado (8/18-20) before returning home for seven vs. Seattle (8/21-23) and Oakland (8/24-27).
The Sox went 2-4 on their last homestand vs. the Yankees (2-1) and Milwaukee (0-3) from 8/7-13 and 2-4 on their last trip to Texas (0-3) and Cleveland (2-1) from 8/1-6.
TONIGHT’S STORYLINES
The White Sox have won six straight games at Wrigley Field (33-16 scoring margin), eight of their last nine and 10 of 12.
The Sox are hitting .277/.331/.543 with 24 home runs and 51 runs scored (5.7 R/G) in their last nine games at Wrigley Field.
The Sox have won a season-high three straight road games, collecting 10-plus hits in all three.
Eloy Jiménez is a .356/.433/.780 (21-59) hitter with six home runs and 19 RBI in 16 career games against the Cubs, and a .412/.444/.912 (14-34) hitter with fi ve doubles, four homers and eight RBI in nine games at Wrigley Field.
Luis Robert Jr. is a career .383/.453/.787 (18-47) hitter with five homers, 11 RBI and 15 runs scored in 12 games vs. the Cubs.
Elvis Andrus is hitting .375/.375/.575 (15-40) with five doubles, one home run and 13 RBI in his last 10 games.
Yoán Moncada has recorded four multihit eff orts in his last five games, going 8-20 (.400) with four doubles and four RBI.
LAST NIGHT’S RECAP
Luis Robert Jr. hit a go-ahead, solo home run off Julian Merryweather in the seventh inning, and four relievers combined for 5.0 scoreless IP as the White Sox extended their winning streak at Wrigley Field to six games with a 5-3 victory over the Cubs.
Starter Touki Toussaint posted a ND, allowing three runs on three hits with fi ve walks and four strikeouts over 4.0 IP.
Tanner Banks pitched a 1-2-3 fifth to strand an inherited runner, Lane Ramsey pitched a scoreless sixth for his first MLB win, Aaron Bummer went 1.1 IP for his ninth hold, and rookie Gregory Santos retired all fi ve batters faced with three strikeouts to earn his fourth save.
Elvis Andrus went 2-5 with a stolen bases, two RBI and a run scored, Yoán Moncada was 2-4 with a double and RBI, and Andrew Benintendi added an insurance run in the ninth with a RBI double off Adbert Alzolay.
Tim Anderson was scratched with neck stiff ness.
ROBERT’S REMARKABLE RUN
Luis Robert Jr. is attempting to win his first Silver Slugger Award and his second Rawlings Gold Glove® Award (2020) …Robert Jr. would become the first player in White Sox history to win both of those awards in the same season.
Below is additional information from his season to date.
Is the 10th player in White Sox history (27th time) to record 30-plus doubles and 30-plus home runs in a season … Robert Jr. and Mookie Betts are the only MLB players to record those numbers in 2023;
Ranks among the American League leaders in numerous categories, including HR (2nd, 32), SLG (2nd, .568) and XBH (2nd, 63);
Is the only player in MLB with 30-plus 2B, 30-plus HR, 65-plus RBI, 75-plus runs scored and 15-plus SB;
Needs four SB to join Magglio Ordóñez (2001) as the only players in Sox history to hit 30-plus 2B and HR with 20-plus SB;
His 32 HR are the most in Sox history by a CF and the most by an OF since Jermaine Dye (34) in 2008 … is the 23rd player in franchise history (52x) to hit 30 or more in a season;
Is on pace for 43 HR, which would tie Frank Thomas (2000) for the third-highest total in Sox history behind Albert Belle (49 in 1998) and Jermaine Dye (44 in 2006).
ARMS RACE
White Sox pitchers have recorded a 4.05 ERA (321 ER/713.1 IP) and .234 opponents average in 80 games since 5/13.
A breakdown of White Sox pitching through their first 40 games of the season and last 80:
Games W-L ERA QS IP H R ER HR BB SO SO/9 AVG OPS
Last 80 35-45 4.05 27 713.1 628 347 321 99 309 744 9.4 .234 .720
First 40 13-27 5.66 12 351.2 366 241 221 65 167 385 9.9 .263 .817
WHITE SOX VS. CHICAGO CUBS
The Cubs lead the season series, 2-1, sweeping a pair of games at Guaranteed Rate Field from 7/25-26 before dropping a 5-3 decision last night.
The White Sox have won six straight games at Wrigley Field (33-16 margin), eight of their last nine and 10 of 12 … they swept a two-game series in 2022 and three-game set in 2023.
The Sox are 74-67 all-time vs. the Cubs, going 36-35 at Guaranteed Rate Field and 38-32 at Wrigley Field … the Cubs own a 649-646 edge in runs scored in the all-time series.
CROSSTOWN CONNECTIONS
OF Eloy Jiménez and RHP Dylan Cease were Cubs farmhands before being traded to the White Sox with two minor-leaguers in exchange for LHP José Quintana on 7/13/17.
Steve Stone and Darrin Jackson played for both clubs during their careers … Stone spent 20 seasons (1983-2000, 2003-’04) in the Cubs TV booth working primarily with Harry and Chip Caray.
Len Kasper was the Cubs TV voice before joining the White Sox radio booth prior to the 2021 season.
Cubs RHP Codi Heuer (injured list) and INF Nick Madrigal played for the White Sox … Cubs third-base coach Willie Harris was a member of the Sox 2005 World Series championship club.
INTERLEAGUE INSIGHT
The White Sox are 265-251 (.514) all-time in interleague play (131-128 on the road), the 10th-best record in MLB.
The Sox are 12-21 this season after going 11-9 in 2022 and 14-6 in 2021.
The White Sox are tied with Texas for third all-time with 640 home runs, trailing only Toronto (675) and the Yankees (647).
Eloy Jiménez is a .283/.338/.513 (75-265) hitter with 16 home runs and 46 RBI in 72 career interleague games … Luis Robert Jr. owns a .300/.352/.587 (74-247) slash line with 18 homers and 46 RBI in 66 career interleague games.
STARTING PITCHER – #52 MIKE CLEVINGER RHP
CLEVINGER AT A GLANCE
Is scheduled to make his 16th start of the season, ninth on the road and first against the Cubs.
Has gone 3-2 with a 2.49 ERA (12 ER/43.1 IP), .215 (34-158) opponents average, 14 walks and 31 strikeouts over his last eight starts (three quality).
Has limited opponents to three earned runs or less in eight straight starts, his longest streak since 8/18-9/24/22 (also eight games).
Was on the 15-day injured list from 5/21-6/2 with right wrist inflammation and from 6/16-7/29 with right biceps inflammation.
Agreed to terms with Chicago on a one-year, $12-million deal in December (includes a mutual option for 2024).
Has appeared in just 46 games (45 starts) since the start of the 2020 season … missed the entire 2021 season to continue his recovery from his second Tommy John surgery … also underwent Tommy John surgery in 2012.
Was originally drafted by the Angels in the fourth round of the 2011 MLB Draft … was traded to Cleveland in August 2014 … made 101 major-league appearances
(88 starts) with Cleveland from 2016-20 … was traded to San Diego in August 2020, appearing in just 27 games (16 starts) from 2020-22.
LAST START
Earned the win on 8/9 vs. New York-AL … allowed one run on three hits with three walks and six strikeouts across a season-high tying 6.0 IP.
Marked his fourth quality start of the season and first since 5/17 vs. Cleveland … has not allowed a home run in three of his last four starts.
Exited the game in the seventh inning with Chicago leading, 5-1 … Chicago won, 9-2.
Owned a 52.0 first-strike percentage and 5.8 swinging-strike percentage (seven swing and misses) vs. 21 batters … threw 86 pitches (56 strikes) with the following
pitch breakdown: 39 four-seam fastballs (95.1 mph avg; 97.6 mph max), 34 sliders (79.0 avg; 82.2 max) and 13 changeups (86.8 avg; 89.0 max).
OF LATE
Is 3-2 with a 2.49 ERA (12 ER/43.1 IP), .215 (34-158) opponents average, 14 walks and 31 strikeouts over his last eight starts (three quality).
Owns a 2.01 ERA (7 ER/31.1 IP) across his last six starts with three scoreless efforts.
Allowed three runs from 6/2-7/29 (20.1 IP), the fewest across a four-start span since 8/18-9/3/19 when he allowed three runs across 25.2 IP with Cleveland.
His 2.01 ERA since 6/1 is fourth in the American League (minimum 30.0 IP).
START STRONG
Is limiting opponents to a .208 (22-106) average across the first two innings this season, compared to a .260 (50- 192) mark from the third-seventh inning.
Is holding opponents to a .190 (23-121) average with 31 strikeouts the first time through the lineup, compared to a .314 (37-118) the second time through.
Owns a 2.40 ERA (12 ER/45.0 IP) from the first-third innings this year, compared to a 5.08 ERA (19 ER/33.2 IP) from the fourth-seventh.
COUNTRY ROADS
Is 2-5 with a 5.92 ERA (34 ER/51.2 IP) and .284 (59- 208) opponents average over his last 10 road starts … has made two scoreless appearances during that span and has allowed four-plus runs six times.
Owns a 28-23 record with a 3.98 ERA (161 ER/363.2 IP), .230 (310-1,349) opponents average and 355 strikeouts over 71 career appearances (65 starts) on the road.
BEND DON’T BREAK
Is limiting opponents to a .210 (26-124) average with runners on base, .151 (11-73) average with RISP and .061 (2-33) average with RISP/two outs this season.
His opponents average with RISP/two outs is second-lowest in MLB (min. 40 PA), his opponents average with RISP is sixth-lowest (min. 65 PA) and his opponents
average with runners on is sixth-lowest in the American League (min. 120 PA).
VS. CHICAGO CUBS || INTERLEAGUE
Will make his second career start against the Cubs and first this season.
Faced Chicago on 5/10/22 at Wrigley Field with San Diego … allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits (one home run) with two walks and six strikeouts across 4.1
IP … the Padres won, 5-4.
Is 4-10 with a 4.79 ERA, .248 (97-391) opponents average, 40 walks and 86 strikeouts in 20 career starts (five quality) in interleague play
CHICAGO CUBS NOTES:
Cubs vs. White Sox
The Cubs and the crosstown rival White Sox play four times this season with two two-game series … the clubs wrap up the season series this week after the Northsiders swept the first two contests July 25-26 at Guaranteed Rate Field …the Cubs are looking for their first season series win against the Pale Hose since 2018.
CUBS AIM TO REBOUND: The Chicago Cubs tonight play the final contest of a brief two-game set against the Chicago White Sox after last evening dropping the series opener, 5-3 … the Cubs have dropped their last six home games against the White Sox dating to the 2021 campaign – four of those setbacks have been by two or fewer runs.
The Cubs have dropped consecutive games for the first time since July 30 at St. Louis and July 31 vs. Cincinnati … the team looks to avoid its first three-game skid since July 1-3.
ASSAD ON THE BUMP: Cubs righthander Javier Assad, starting tonight, has posted a 2-0 record with a 1.29 ERA (5 ER/35.0 IP) in his last 12 games (two starts) dating to June 16 … he’s walked 13, struck out 29, allowed two homers (in 135 batters faced) and pitched to a 0.97 WHIP in this span with a .175 opponent average (21-for-120).
Assad’s 1.29 ERA since June 16 leads the majors (min. 35.0 IP), just ahead of San Diego’s Blake Snell (1.33) while Padres teammate Joe Musgrove is third with a 1.80 ERA in that span.
Assad’s 3.12 season ERA (21 ER/60.2 IP) ranks second among N.L. rookies with at least 60.0 IP, trailing only Cincinnati’s Andrew Abbott (2.95).
SEIYA AND HAPPER: Seiya Suzuki in his last eight games since Aug. 2 is hitting .321 (9-for-28) with three homers, a double, a triple, six runs scored and six RBI.
Ian Happ has scored a run in each of his last four games and has four homers in his last 12 games since Aug. 2 … his blast last evening extended his franchise mark for a switch-hitter (118 home runs).
BURNING UP BASEPATHS: Nico Hoerner last night recorded his 30th stolen base of the season, the first Cubs second baseman to reach 30 steals since Eric Young Sr. stole 31 bags back in 2001 … the previous Cub to reach 30 swipes in a campaign was Tony Campana, who had 30 in 2012.
Chicago’s 111 stolen bases are its most since swiping 121 bags in 2006.
SERIES STUFF: Thanks in part to their series win in Toronto last weekend (2-1), the Cubs have won seven of their last eight series dating to July 17 vs. the Nationals.
COMFORTS OF HOME: Chicago entered this White Sox series having won 10 of 13 games at Wrigley Field starting with July 18’s victory over the Nationals … prior to this 10-4 run at home, the Cubs went 2-9 at the Friendly Confines from June 18-July 17.
Chicago in its last 14 home games since July 18 has batted .304 (146-for-481) with 109 runs scored, 25 home runs, a .378 on-base percentage and a .545 slugging mark … Cubs pitching in this span has posted a 4.71 ERA (66 ER/126.0 IP) with 49 walks and 132 strikeouts.
INTERLEAGUE INTERLUDE: Tonight is the fifth of 11-straight games against the American League … following this two-game set against the White Sox, the Cubs host the Royals for three over the weekend before heading to Detroit for three games against the Tigers next week.
Chicago is 5-3 in its last eight interleague contests since July 15 and is 20-19 against the A.L. this season … the last season in which Chicago had a winning record against the A.L. was in 2020 (12-8).
NICE WORK BY NICO: Nico Hoerner has reached base in 26 of 29 games since the AllStar break, including a current 13-game on-base streak … Hoerner’s 187 total bases
paces the club this season.
Hoerner leads the team in hits (130) and runs scored (71) … his 30 stolen bases are tied for third in the N.L. and his 130 hits are tied for sixth.
SAVING THE DAY: Adbert Alzolay on Saturday earned the save in his 12th-straight opportunity, while his 16 saves this season lead the team … the 12-straight Converted save opportunities are the most by a Cub since Craig Kimbrel converted 16 consecutive save chances May 18-July 25, 2021.
SINCE THE BREAK…: In 30 games since the All-Star break, Chicago has scored 190 runs, second-most in the majors behind only Atlanta (201) … the Cubs’ .279 team average (287-for-1,030) since the break is the second-highest in the majors behind the Braves (.287) and the club’s .840 OPS during that span trails only the Braves (.898).
Chicago’s 19-10 record (.633 winning percentage) since the break is tied for fourth in the majors and second in the N.L. behind the Dodgers (.724/21-8).
YOU BETTER BELLI-EVE IT: Cody Bellinger, July’s N.L. Player of the Month, this season is batting .325 (108-for-332) with 19 doubles, one triple, 18 homers, 59 RBI and 17 stolen bases … entering play today, Bellinger and Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr. are the only major leaguers to have at least a .325 average, 18 home runs and 17 stolen bases this season.
THERE HE GOMES!: Five of Yan Gomes’ last nine hits have been doubles, including one that snapped an 0-for-17 hitless streak Aug. 8 at the Mets … since July 20, Gomes is tied for the major league lead in doubles (9) with Los Angleles’ Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, Milwaukee’s William Contreras and Seattle’s Julio Rodriguez.
THE CANDY MAN CAN: Jeimer Candelario is second in the N.L. with 35 doubles between the Nationals and Cubs this season, trailing only the Dodgers Freddie Freeman (43).
Candelario is hitting .409 (18-for-44) with a .469 on-base percentage and a .591 slugging mark in his first 12 games with the Cubs after he was acquired from the Nationals July 31.
Starting Pitcher – #72 RHP Javier Assad (2-2, 3.12)
Last Time Out
Javier earned his second win of the season while tossing a career-high 7.0 innings Aug. 11 at Toronto … the start marked the second time he has allowed one run or fewer while pitching at least 6.0 innings (also, Sept. 12, 2022 at Mets) … has allowed two runs or fewer in five-straight starts dating to Sept. 29, 2022 and in seven of his 11 career major league starts.
Date Opp. Result IP H R ER BB SO PC-S Left
8/11 @TOR W, 6-2 7.0 4 1 1 1 2 90-58 6-1
2023 Splits and Season Notes
W-L ERA G GS IP H R ER BB SO
Home 0-2 3.63 14 2 39.2 37 16 16 20 38
Road 2-0 2.14 7 1 21.0 14 5 5 6 7
AVG vs. LHB: .239 (22-for-92) / AVG vs. RHB: .228 (29-for-127)
Javier will make his 22nd appearance of the season (fourth start) today … has allowed three runs in 10.2 IP (2.53 ERA) in two starts since being added to the rotation Aug. 5 … has pitched to a 1.09 ERA (4 ER/33.0 IP) in 11 outings (two starts) since June 27 … is 3-2 with a 3.04 ERA (17 ER/50.1 IP) in 11 career starts, compared to 1-2 with a 3.19 ERA (17 ER/48.0 IP) in 19 career relief outings … is 2-0 with a 2.02 ERA (6 ER/26.2 IP) in eight career interleague games (two starts), including 1-0 with a 3.07 ERA (5 ER/14.2 IP) in six interleague relief appearances in 2023 … is holding the opponent to a .169 average (11-for-65) with 10 strikeouts against his cutter.
Aug. 11 in Toronto, earned the win tossing a career-high 7.0 innings.
From June 27-August 4, posted a 0.40 ERA (1 ER/22.1 IP) in nine relief outings, the second-lowest ERA among major league relievers during that span (min. 15.0 IP) … held opponents scoreless in eight of the nine outings.
Has made four starts over three stints with Triple-A Iowa in 2023 (April 10-20, April 21-May 3, May 12-24), going 0-1 with a 3.68 ERA (6 ER/14.2 IP).
Made his first career Opening Day roster, appearing in two games in relief (6 ER/4.1 IP) … was optioned to Iowa April 10.
Pitched in three games (one start) in spring training, posting a 2.57 ERA (2 ER/7.0 IP).
Pitched for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, tossing 5.2 scoreless innings with six strikeouts in two relief appearances.
