CHICAGO WHITE SOX NOTES:
WHITE SOX AT A GLANCE
The Chicago White Sox have lost five of their last six games and 17 of 24 as they continue a five-game, six-game trip tonight with the second of three games at Colorado.
RHP Jesse Scholtens is scheduled to start for the White Sox, who are a season-high 26 games under .500.
The Sox lost last night’s series opener at Coors Field, 14-1, after opening the trip splitting two games against the Cubs at Wrigley Field … they recorded a 5-3 win on Tuesday before losing, 4-3, on Wednesday night on Christopher Morel’s walkoff homer.
Following tomorrow’s series finale, the White Sox return to Chicago for a seven-game homestand 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 Sox have lost seven of their last eight interleague games.
Jesse Scholtens has recorded three straight quality starts, going 0-2 with a 2.95 ERA (6 ER/18.1 IP) and 17 strikeouts.
Elvis Andrus is hitting .396/.396/.625 (19-48) with five doubles, two home runs and 14 RBI in his last 12 games … he has hit
safely in 10 of those contests.
Tim Anderson tonight will continue to serve his five-game suspension for his involvement in an on-field altercation on 8/5 at Cleveland … Anderson originally was suspended six games, but had the number reduced by one game following a settlement with Major League Baseball.
LAST NIGHT’S RECAP
The White Sox dropped the series opener, 14-1, at Colorado.
Elvis Andrus recorded his 100th career home run with a leadoff homer (third career) on the first pitch of the game
Michael Kopech allowed a career-high nine runs on six hits (three home runs) with four walks and one strikeout over 4.0 IP.
Andrus collected three of the Sox four hits, tying his season high (fourth time).
Luis Robert Jr. went 0-4, snapping his nine-game hitting streak.
ELVIS HAS LEFT THE BALLPARK
Elvis Andrus last night recorded his 100th career home run, becoming just the 40th player in MLB history with 2,000-plus hits, 100-plus homers and 300-plus stolen bases.
Andrus became the 10th major-league player since 2000 to record his 100th career via a leadoff shot, and the first since Mookie Betts and George Springer in 2018 (Elias).
LET THE KIDS PLAY
The White Sox currently have nine rookies on the active roster: RHPs Declan Cronin, Brent Honeywell, Lane Ramsey, Gregory Santos and Jesse Scholtens, C Carlos Pérez, INFs Lenyn Sosa and Zach Remillard and OF Oscar Colás.
The nine active rookies are tied for the third-most in baseball behind Cincinnati and Cleveland (10 each) … source: Elias.
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 fi rst 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, .561) 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).
LONG BALL LOGISTICS
Chicago has homered in nine of its last 11 games (12 total), including in each of its last three games … it has not recorded a multihomer eff ort since 8/6 at Cleveland, a span of 10 games.
Seven of the Sox last 12 home runs have been solo shots.
Chicago this season is 38-44 when homering, 19-14 in multihomer games and 10-30 when homerless.
WHITE SOX VS. COLORADO
The all-time series is tied, 10-10 … the White Sox have gone 8-7 at Coors Field … the teams split four games in 2022, including two games in Colorado from 7/26-27 and in Chicago from 9/13-14 (the Rockies earned a walkoff win on 7/27).
The White Sox are batting .241/.293/.346 (39-162) with a 5.44 ERA (26 ER/43.0 IP) against the Rockies since last season … they have been outscored 26-12.
Sox first-base coach Daryl Boston was a member of the inaugural Rockies team in 1993, batting .261/.325/.464 (76-291) with 14 home runs and 40 RBI in 124 games.
INTERLEAGUE INSIGHT
The White Sox are 265-253 (.512) all-time in interleague play (131-130 on the road), the 10th-best record in MLB.
The Sox are 12-23 this season after going 11-9 in 2022 and 14-6 in 2021.
The White Sox rank third all-time with 642 home runs, trailing only Toronto (676) 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 .295/.349/.575 (75-254) slash line with 18 homers and 46 RBI in 68 career interleague games.
STARTING PITCHER – #62 JESSE SCHOLTENS RHP
SCHOLTENS AT A GLANCE
Is scheduled to make his sixth start and 20th appearance of the season with the White Sox.
Owns a 2.88 ERA (8 ER/25.0 IP) and 23 strikeouts over his last eight appearances (three starts).
Has recorded three consecutive quality starts, tied for the longest streak by a White Sox pitcher this season.
Is limiting left-handed hitters to a .183 (17-93) average with nine walks, 22 strikeouts, and no home runs in 2023 … is one of four MLB pitchers who hasn’t allowed a home run to a lefty this year (min. 100 PA).
Has held opponents to a .164 (10-61) average with four walks and 13 strikeouts in his first inning pitched.
Became the first rookie to start a game for the White Sox this season on 5/27 at Detroit.
Made his MLB debut on 4/7/23 at Pittsburgh, a day after his 29th birthday, allowing one run on three hits with two walks and four strikeouts over 3.0 IP in relief.
Signed a MiLB contract with the Sox on 12/20/22 … had his contract selected on 4/7, was optioned to Class AAA Charlotte on 4/13 and recalled on 5/22.
Was originally selected by San Diego in the ninth round of the 2016 draft out of Wright State (Ohio) University.
LAST START
Suffered the loss on 8/12 vs. Milwaukee after allowing three runs on six hits with a career-high three walks and five strikeouts across a career-high 6.1 IP.
Held Milwaukee scoreless through 6.0 IP … exited in the seventh inning after allowing a two-run double to Tyrone Taylor, who scored on a William Contreras single
off Bryan Shaw … Chicago lost, 3-2.
Owned a 63.0 first-strike percentage and 9.3 swinging-strike percentage (10 swing and misses) vs. 27 batters … threw a career-high 97 pitches (58 strikes) with the
following pitch breakdown: 40 four-seam fastballs (92.7 mph avg; 94.7 mph max), 33 sliders (84.3 avg; 96.6 max), 19 curveballs (73.7 avg; 75.4 max) and fi ve changeups (84.5 avg; 85.3 max).
QUALITY GUY
Has recorded three consecutive quality starts, tied for the longest streak by a White Sox pitcher this year … Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn also have
recorded three straight QS this season..
Is 0-2 with a 2.95 ERA (6 ER/18.1 IP), .231 (15-65) opponents average, fi ve walks and 17 strikeouts in his last three starts.
Is looking to become the first Sox pitcher to record four straight quality starts since Lance Lynn tallied six straight quality starts form 8/25-9/21/22.
IN THE ZONE
Is 0-3 with a 2.88 ERA (8 ER/25.0 IP) in his last eight games (three starts), holding opponents to two earned runs or less in seven with three scoreless eff orts.
Has tallied a career-high six strikeouts two of his last three starts, recording at least two strikeouts in each of his last five outings.
Owns a 68.4 first pitch strike percentage, seventh-highest in the American League (minimum 55. IP).
Is looking to become the third White Sox pitcher (minimum 50.0 IP) since 1988 to own a 70.0-plus first pitch strike percentage, joining Liam Hendriks (71.4, 2021) and Bobby Jenks (71.8, 2008).
START ‘EM UP
Is 0-2 with a 3.67 ERA (11 ER/27.0 IP), .291 (30-103) opp. average, seven walks and 21 strikeouts in five starts (three quality) compared to a 1-3 record with a 2.76 ERA (9 ER/29.1 IP), .213 (23-108) opponents average, 10 walks and 19 strikeouts in 14 relief appearances this year.
Is 0-1 with a 2.70 ERA (5 ER/16.2 IP) in his three road starts this year.
ROOKIE WATCH
Ranks among MLB rookie leaders (minimum 50.0 IP) in first pitch strike percentage (3rd, 68.4), ERA (10th, 3.20) and walks per 9.0 IP (15th, 2.72).
Ranks among American League rookies (minimum 50.0 IP) in first pitch strike percentage (3rd), ERA (7th), BB/9 (10th) and WHIP (11th, 1.24).
VS. COLORADO ROCKIES || INTERLEAGUE
Is scheduled to make his first career appearance against the Rockies.
Will be his 15th different team faced and sixth different team starting against in 2023.
Is 0-1 with a 3.77 ERA (6 ER/14.1 IP), .255 (14-55) opponents average, six walks and 13 strikeouts in five interleague appearances this year.
COLORADO ROCKIES NOTES:
HOME BASE
- The Colorado Rockies continue their six-game homestand this evening with the second game of a three-game series against the Chicago White Sox.
- The Rockies dropped two of three to the Arizona Diamondbacks to begin the homestand, falling to 8-27 with no series wins this season against the NL West.
- Following this series the Rockies will depart on a six-game road trip to Tampa Bay (Aug. 22-24) and Baltimore (Aug. 25-27) … following this series against the White Sox, the only team below .500 on the Rockies remaining schedule is the San Diego Padres.
ABOUT LAST NIGHT
- The Rockies plated a season-high 14 runs to take the first game of the series over Chicago-AL … the 13-run victory marked Colorado’s largest margin of victory since Sept. 26, 2018 vs. Philadelphia (14-0).
- Colorado’s 14 runs were the most scored in a game by the Rockies since Aug. 9, 2022 vs. St. Louis … homered twice in the first inning, the ninth time this season the club logged multiple homers in the same frame, the second time doing so in the first inning (also: July 18 vs. Houston).
- Eight of the Rockies’ 13 hits last night had an exit velocity over 100 MPH … 12 of the 13 had an exit velocity over 93 MPH.
RETURN OF 17
- Continuing Colorado’s 30th anniversary season celebrations, Rockies legend Todd Helton returns to Coors Field tonight … the game will be followed by the first ever drone show at Coors Field.
STEP RIGHT UP
- The Rockies have used a franchise record 32 total pitchers this season, one more than the 2019 club’s 31 hurlers … the Rockies have also tied the franchise record by using 15 different starting pitchers this season, tied with the 1993 and 2014 clubs for the most starters used in franchise history.
- The Rockies have used 53 total players, tied for the eighth-most in the Majors and the most players used for the club since setting a franchise record with 55 players in 2011.
SOUTH SIDE
- The Rockies are 10-10 all-time against the Chicago White Sox … Colorado is 7-8 all-time against the White Sox at Coors Field but has won or split each of the last three series since 2017.
- Each of the Rockies’ next three series and four of the next five series are against AL clubs, having gone 14-18 in Interleague play this season … nine of the Rockies’ 31 games so far after the All-Star Break have come against AL clubs, all nine of them at home, with the Rockies going 5-4.
GOLDEN
- Ryan McMahon’s 16 defensive runs saved are tied for the fourth-most in the Majors … his 16 DRS at third base lead all Major League third basemen.
- Rookie shortstop Ezequiel Tovar’s nine DRS rank sixth among all shortstops, fourth in the NL … his .986 fielding percentage currently stands as the second-best fielding percentage by a rookie shortstop in Major League history (min. 100 games) trailing Troy Tulowitzki (.987, 2007) (via. STATS PERFORM).
- Rookie center fielder Brenton Doyle’s 11 defensive runs saved on the season are the third-most among all center fielders while his 95.5 MPH average arm strength ranks fifth among all outfielders … Doyle’s active 83-game errorless streak is the second-longest by a rookie in Rockies history behind Matt Reynold’s 94 games from 2010-11.
- Rookie outfielder Nolan Jones has totaled six DRS in the outfield while starting 31 games in right field and 19 in left field … his average arm strength of 98.3 MPH is the best among all position players.
- Jones has 10 outfield assists, tied for the second-most in the NL, the most among all rookies and tied for the most by a rookie Rockies outfielder in franchise history with Brad Hawpe (2005).
NEW BLOOD
- Ezequiel Tovar recorded a career-high three runs last night while matching a career-high with three RBI, has also recorded a season-high three hits twice in his last four games and is slashing .311/.362/.574 with four doubles and four home runs and nine RBI in 16 games in August.
- Tovar ranks in the top 10 among all rookies in franchise history in home runs (14, T-5th), doubles (27, 8th), RBI (56, 7th) and hits (113, 9th).
- Nolan Jones ranks tied for 10th among rookies in franchise history with 12 home runs … his 18.50 at-bats per home run rate ranks fifth among rookies in franchise history, trailing Trevor Story (13.78, 2016), Pat Valaika (14.00), Wilin Rosario (14.14, 2012) and Jose Ortiz (15.69, 2001).
- Tovar and Jones are the third pair of rookies in franchise history to each hit at least 10 home runs in a season, joining Luis Gonzalez/Matt Holliday (2004) and Garrett Atkins/Clint Barmes (2005).
KEEP AN EYE
- The Rockies placed five Minor League players in the recently updated MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects: SS Adael Amador (#21), OF Yanquiel Fernandez (#53), RHP Chase Dollander (#63), OF Jordan Beck (#88) and OF Zac Veen (#99).
ROCKIES STARTING PITCHER – #21 KYLE FREELAND LHP
DENVER KID
- Kyle Freeland will make his 24th start of the season today, his 13th at Coors Field.
- The 30-year-old Denver native graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School, 15 minutes south of Coors Field … selected in the first round of the 2014 First-Year Player Draft (eighth overall), the third player in University of Evansville history to be drafted in the first round.
MATCHING SOX • Has made two career starts against Chicago-AL, tossing 15 scoreless innings with eight hits, six walks and 14 strikeouts.
- Most recent start came last season on the South Side on Sept. 24 … went 6.2 scoreless innings and allowed seven hits and three walks while striking out five.
- In his first start against the White Sox on July 9, 2017 he took a no-hit bid into the ninth inning before allowing a one out single to Melky Cabrera …it is the longest no-hit bid in Denver in franchise history and the second-longest in any ballpark in franchise history, behind Ubaldo Jimenez’s nohitter in Atlanta in 2010.
TURN THE TIDE
- Received his ninth loss in his last 14 starts since May 20 his last time out, Aug. 13 at Dodger Stadium … allowed four runs on six hits with one walk and one strikeout in five innings pitched in an 8-3 Rockies loss.
- His 13 total losses on the season are a career high and tied for the most losses in the Majors.
- Nine-straight losing decisions is the longest stretch of his career and the fifth-longest in franchise history … longest losing stretch without a win since Christian Friedrich lost 10 straight 2012-15 … only one other starter in franchise history as lost 10 straight decisions: John Thomson, Aug. 21, 1999-Aug. 8, 2001
- Has posted a 6.19 ERA (72.2 IP, 50 ER) over this stretch with 100 hits and 15 home runs allowed, 24 walks and 39 strikeouts … received an average of 2.48 runs of support.
SUPPORT SYSTEM
- Has averaged 3.12 runs of support this season, the lowest mark among qualified ML pitchers … 4.62 career RSA is the second-lowest in franchise history (min. 50 GS).
- Has received a total of 12 runs of support in his last 10 road starts, a 2.34 average that is the second-lowest on the road in the Majors (2.30, Edward Cabrera) … has received no runs in six of road 11 starts.
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
- Gone 3-4 with a 4.48 ERA (62.1 IP, 31 ER), 19 walks and 55 strikeouts in 12 home starts with the Rockies 6-6. • Career record of 31-28 (Rockies 52-38) with a 4.73 ERA (475.2 IP, 250 ER) in 89 appearances (86 starts) at Coors Field … ERA sixth all-time at Coors Field among pitchers with at least 40 starts, 31 wins tied for fourth with Jon Gray and Jason Jennings.
