CHICAGO WHITE SOX NOTES:
WHITE SOX AT A GLANCE
The Chicago White Sox have lost three straight games, six of the last seven, eight of 10 and 19 of 28 as they continue the first series of the second half tonight at MLB-best Atlanta.
RHP Lance Lynn, who has struck out 41 in his last four starts, is scheduled to start … tonight’s game will be broadcast nationally on FOX with Jason Benetti and Tom Verducci on the call.
The Sox opened the trip last night with a 9-0 loss.
The White Sox are in fourth place in the American League Central, 8.5 games behind division-leading Minnesota (46-46).
Following this weekend’s series at the Braves and Monday’s off day, the Sox will continue this nine-game, 10-day trip at the Mets (7/18-20) and Twins (7/21-23).
Chicago went 1-5 on their last homestand from 7/4-9 vs. Toronto (0-3) and St. Louis (1-2) and 3-4 on its last trip from 6/26-7/2 at Los Angeles-AL (2-2) and Oakland (1-2).
TONIGHT’S STORYLINES
Chicago is looking for its first road series victory since winning two of three from 6/6-8 at Yankee Stadium.
The White Sox are 17-97 (.175) with one double, three runs scored and three walks over the last three games … they have not homered since 7/7 vs. St. Louis (two home runs).
The Sox own a 3.79 ERA (200 ER/474.2 IP) in 53 games since 5/13, but they have posted a 5.51 mark (72 ER/117.2 IP) and .273 opponents average over the last 13 contests.
Chicago is 0-7 all-time at Atlanta.
Lance Lynn’s 41 strikeouts are a career high over a four-game span (6/18-7/6), and the most by a White Sox pitcher since teammate Lucas Giolito struck out 43 from 8/20-9/5/20.
Eloy Jiménez is 17-55 (.309) with three home runs, 10 RBI, an .854 OPS and six multi-hit eff orts in his last 14 games.
Luis Robert Jr. has hit safely in 15 of his last 18 games, going 21-71 (.296) with eight homers, 13 RBI and a 1.030 OPS.
LAST NIGHT’S RECAP
Three Braves pitchers combined for a fi ve-hitter in its 9-0 win over the White Sox … the Sox were shut out for the second time in their last three games and seventh time this season.
Atlanta scored four in the fi rst on Matt Olson’s grand slam off Michael Kopech and added one in the sixth and four in the seventh.
Kopech allowed four runs on one hit, four walks and a HBP before departing with two outs in the first.
Touki Toussaint surrendered one run over 5.1 IP … his 97 pitches were the most by a White Sox reliever since LHP Héctor Santiago threw 100 on 9/24/19 vs. Cleveland (STATS).
Chicago was limited to five singles and one walk, grounded into four double plays and issued nine walks.
SIR LANCELOT
Lance Lynn is 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA (11 ER/25.2 IP), .198 (19-96) opponents average, .604 opp. OPS, 0.97 WHIP and 41 strikeouts (14.38 per 9.0 IP) over his last four starts.
Lynn received a ND in his last start on 7/6 vs. Toronto despite allowing just one hit with one walk and 11 strikeouts over 7.0 scoreless IP … Lynn and San Diego’s Michael Wacha (5/15) are the only pitchers this season to work 7.0-plus scoreless IP, allow one or less hits and walks and strike out 11-plus in a start.
SIMPLY THE BEST
Chicago is opening the second half against the team with the best record in MLB for just the third time in club history (Elias).
The White Sox split two games at Cleveland in 1959, and were swept in a four-game series at Baltimore after the break in 1969.
GRAB SOME BENCH
The Sox lead MLB with 885 strikeouts and 9.73 per 9.0 IP … the 9.73 mark would be second-best in club history (10.18, 2021). White Sox pitchers have struck out 10-plus batters 47 times in 2023, including 14 or more nine times (0-9 record).
Lance Lynn ranks fourth in the American League with 127 strikeouts, Dylan Cease is tied for sixth (123) and Lucas Giolito is tied for eighth (117) … Lynn (4th, 11.10), Cease (5th, 10.78) and Giolito (12th, 9.37) rank among the AL leaders in SO/9.0 IP.
Lynn matched the franchise record (second time) with a career-high 16 strikeouts on 6/18 at Seattle (Sox lost, 5-1).
PEDRO HEADS TO THE HALL
Pedro Grifol will be inducted into the Florida State University Athletics Hall of Fame in September as part of a nine-person class … Grifol helped the Seminoles reach the College World Series in 1989 and 1991 … also part of the HOF class is ESPN analyst and former major-leaguer Eduardo Perez.
WHITE SOX VS. ATLANTA BRAVES
The White Sox are 8-11 all-time vs. Atlanta, going 8-4 at Guaranteed Rate Field and 0-7 on the road.
The Braves swept a three-game series in the last meeting from 8/30-9/1/19 at Truist Park, outscoring the Sox by a 26-15 margin.
Chicago is looking for its fi rst series win since 7/19-21/13.
Braves pitcher Collin McHugh is a native of Naperville, Ill. … assistant hitting coach Bobby Magallanes managed Class AA Birmingham from 2011-12.
INTERLEAGUE INSIGHT
Chicago is 8-14 vs. the National League this season (1-6 series mark), going 4-8 at Guaranteed Rate Field and 4-6 on the road… their only series win came from 5/5-7 at Cincinnati (2-1).
The White Sox have lost seven of the last 10 and 11 of the last 17 interleague games … nine of the last 10 games have been decided by four runs or less (three of the last five by one run).
Luis Robert Jr. is hitting .350/.398/.763 (28-80) with eight home runs, 22 RBI and a 1.160 OPS in 21 games vs. the N.L.
STARTER LANCE – #33 LYNN RHP
LYNN AT A GLANCE
Is scheduled to make his 19th start of the season, 11 on the road and fifth during interleague play.
Has gone 1-1 with a 3.86 ERA (11 ER/25.2 IP), 0.97 WHIP, .198 (19-96) opponents average and 41 strikeouts over his last four starts … the 41 punchouts are the most over a four-game in his career and the most by a White Sox since Lucas Giolito (43) from 8/20-9/5/20.
Has surrendered 22 home runs this season, the tied for the most in the majors … has allowed a homer in 13 of his 18 starts, including in six of his last nine.
Owns a 10.00 ERA (20 ER/18.0 IP) and .325 (26-80) opponents average in the first inning … his 10.00 ERA is the sixth-highest mark in baseball this season while his 20 runs allowed are the third-most.
Is one of just seven pitchers in MLB history with 125-plus wins (128) and an average of 9.0-plus strikeouts per 9.0 IP (9.17) in his career.
Ranks among MLB active pitchers in HR/9.0 IP (8th, 0.96), SO/9.0 IP (8th, 9.17), opponents average (9th, .242), wins (9th, 128), starts (9th, 303), opponents SLG (10th, .386), IP (10th, 1,808.1), strikeouts (10th, 1,842), opponents OPS (11th, .698), ERA (12th, 3.66), WHIP (13th, 1.27) and opponents OBP (13th, .312).
Signed a two-year contract extension with a club option with the White Sox on 7/17/21 … the Sox hold an $18-million option for 2024 with a $1-million buyout.
Is a two-time All-Star (2012 and 2021) … has finished fifth in the AL Cy Young Award voting in 2019, sixth in 2020 and third in 2021 … was a member of the 2011
World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals.
LAST START
Received a no decision on 7/6 vs. Toronto despite recording his sixth quality start of the season … worked 7.0 scoreless IP, allowing just one hit with one walk and
11 strikeouts (fourth double-digit strikeout game in 2023).… retired the last 14 batters faced, striking out six.
Departed the game in the eight with the score tied, 0-0 … threw 102 pitches (67 strikes) … the White Sox lost, 6-2, in 11 innings … marked Chicago’s first loss in franchise history when its starter tosses 7.0-plus scoreless IP with 10-plus strikeouts and one hit or less.
Owned a 66.7 first-strike percentage and 23.5 swinging-strike percentage (25 swing and misses) vs. 24 batters … threw 44 four-seam fastballs (92.6 avg; 94.8 max), 26 cutters (88.8 mph avg; 90.5 mph max), 12 sinkers (91.9 avg; 93.5 max), 10 curveballs (81.5 avg; 82.4 max), seven sliders (82.9 avg; 84.3 max) and three changeups (85.5 avg; 86.0 max).
GRAB SOME BENCH
Ranks fourth among 2023 American League leaders in strikeouts per 9.0 IP (11.10) and strikeouts (127) … his 11.10 SO/9.0 IP is a career high … is on pace to record
221 strikeouts this season, which would mark his second career season of 200-plus punchouts (246 in 2019).
Has recorded 26 career double-digit strikeout performance and seven with the White Sox … tied Jack Harshman (7/25/1954 at Boston) on 6/18 at Seattle for the franchise single-game strikeout record with 16.
ROAD TRIPPIN’
Is 3-4 with a 5.79 ERA (38 ER/57.1 IP) and .266 (61- 229) opponents average in 10 road starts in 2023 … has allowed four runs or more in six of his 10 starts on the
road and three or less in the other four.
Has gone 11-11 with a 4.22 ERA (88 ER/187.2 IP), .252 (187-743) opponents average and 201 strikeouts over 33 starts on the road since 2021 … has allowed two runs or
less in 17 of those starts and one run or less in nine.
ORTHODOX HITTERS
Is limiting right-handed hitters to a .198 (42-212) average this season, the 10th-lowest mark in the AL.
Owns a career .227/.283/.351 (824-3,633) opponents slash line against right-handed hitters.
WORK HORSE
Ranks sixth in MLB with 1,808.2 IP since 2011 … is one of 13 active pitchers with 1,700.0-plus career IP.
Has thrown 100-plus pitches 74 times since 2019, the most in the majors during that span.
Has thrown 30,927 pitches since 2011, sixth-most during that span, and the most among MLB pitchers with less than 1,900.0 IP during that span.
VS. ATLANTA BRAVES || NATIONAL LEAGUE
Is scheduled to make his seventh career start, first since 2017, against the Atlanta Braves.
Has allowed three or less runs in five of his six starts against the Braves … is 2-1 with a 1.50 ERA (3 ER/18.0 IP) and 11 strikeouts in his last three starts.
Is 1-3 with an 8.86 ERA (21 ER/21.1 IP) and .344 (33- 96) oppo. average in four starts vs. the NL this season.
ATLANTA BRAVES NOTES:
No team release available.
