SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS NOTES:
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CHICAGO WHITE SOX NOTES:
WHITE SOX AT A GLANCE
The Chicago White Sox have lost three of their last four games as they continue their fi rst homestand of the season this afternoon against the San Francisco Giants.
RHP Dylan Cease, who is 5-3 with a 2.35 ERA (15 ER/57.1 IP) and 77 strikeouts (12.09 per 9.0 IP) vs. National League teams since 2021, is scheduled to start for the White Sox.
The Sox opened the homestand on Monday with a 12-3 loss to the Giants after splitting a four-game series at Houston to begin the season.
Following this three-game series, the Sox take a six-game trip to Pittsburgh (4/7-9) and Minnesota (4/10-12) before returning home vs. Baltimore (4/14-16) and Philadelphia (4/17-19).
The White Sox play just three games vs. AL Central teams in April (4/10-12 at the Twins) … from 4/14-30, they play 16 straight games vs. AL/National League East clubs.
TODAY’S STORYLINES
Dylan Cease, who finished second in the American League Cy Young Award voting last season, owns a 1.32 ERA (12 ER/81.2 IP) and .175 (50-286) opponents average over last 13 home starts dating to 5/29/22.
Cease went 8-4 with a 1.44 ERA (17 ER/106.1 IP) and 131 strikeouts over 18 starts at home in 2022 … his 1.44 ERA ranked third in the AL.
Yoán Moncada is tied for the MLB lead with six extra-base hits and ranks among the leaders in numerous other categories.
Elvis Andrus needs one hit to become the 290th player in MLB history to record 2,000.
Luis Robert Jr. has homered in back-to-back games for the fi rst time since 4/21-22/22 vs. Seattle.
The White Sox are 5-1 in their last six games against San Francisco and 11-3 since 2008.
The Sox bullpen owns a 8.82 ERA (16 ER/16.1 IP) with 15 walks through fi ve games this season.
ROSTER MOVES
The White Sox have placed OF Eloy Jiménez on the 10-day injured list (retro to 4/4) with a low-grade left hamstring strain and recalled INF Jake Burger from Class AAA Charlotte.
Jiménez, 26, is estimated to miss 2-3 weeks after suffering the injury in the seventh inning of Monday’s home opener.
Burger, 26, is 2-12 (.167) in three games with Charlotte after batting .263/.300/.491 (15-57) with four home runs and nine RBI over 23 Cactus League games.
MONDAY’S RECAP
San Francisco hit seven home runs, including fi ve off starter Michael Kopech, in a 12-3 victory over the White Sox in their home opener.
Kopech gave up seven runs on eight hits over 4.2 IP … his five home runs allowed tied the club record set by Reynaldo López on 7/27/18 vs. Toronto.
Jake Diekman (2.0 IP), Jimmy Lambert (1.1) and INF Hanser Alberto (0.2) each made scoreless outings in relief.
Luis Robert Jr. hit a solo home run (No. 2) off Sean Manaea in the eighth inning and also robbed Joc Pederson of a homer in the third.
The seven homers allowed by the Sox tied the franchise record at home set on 5/2/02 vs. Seattle and 5/3/49 vs. Washington.
The White Sox went 1-7 with RISP as their five-game winning streak against the Giants came to an end.
CEASE AND DESTROY
Dylan Cease became the fourth pitcher in American League history with no walks and 10-plus strikeouts on Opening Day at Houston, joining HOFs Walter Johnson (1916) and Mike Mussina (1998) and Jered Weaver (2012) … source: ESPN Stats.
Cease recorded his 14th career double-digit strikeout game, tied with teammate Lucas Giolito for the fourth-highest total in White Sox history … his 10 strikeouts tied Jack McDowell (1991) for the most by a Sox pitcher on Opening Day.
After allowing a leadoff single to Jeremy Peña, Cease retired 19 straight batters, tied for the third-longest streak in MLB on Opening Day since at least 1974 (STATS).
DOWN ON THE FARM
Class AAA Charlotte Lenyn Sosa, the No. 8 prospect in the organization per MLB.com, went 3-4 with two home runs, four RBI and two runs scored last night in a 6-2 victory at Columbus.
Sosa, 23, combined to hit .315/.369/.511 (152-483) with 22 doubles, 23 homers, 79 RBI and 77 runs scored over 119 games last season with Class AA Birmingham and Charlotte.
WHITE SOX VS. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
The White Sox lead the all-time series, 12-5, going 7-1 at Oracle Park and 5-4 at Guaranteed Field Park.
The Sox swept a three-game series at Oracle Park from 7/1- 3/22 … they batted .274/.322/.345 (31-113) with no home runs and a 2.33 ERA (7 ER/27.0 IP) and outscored the Giants, 19-7.
The White Sox won two of three games at Guaranteed Rate Field in the last meeting in 2017, with José Abreu hitting for the cycle on 9/9/17.
INTERLEAGUE INSIGHT
The White Sox are 253-231 (.523) all-time in interleague play (130-111 at home), the seventh-best winning percentage in MLB.
The Sox went 11-9 last season after posting a 14-6 record in 2021 … they are 21-11 since 7/25/21.
The White Sox rank second all-time with 607 home runs, trailing only Toronto (647) and the Yankees (615).
The Sox pitching in their last 32 interleague games:
W-L ERA IP H R ER HR BB SO SO/9.0 SO/BB AVG
21-11 3.41 290.0 233 124 110 37 112 317 9.8 2.82 .217
CLOSING OUT CANCER
White Sox closer Liam Hendriks, who ranks second in MLB since 2020 with 89 saves, announced on Monday that he is undergoing his fi nal round of chemotherapy … he revealed on 1/8 that he has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Hendriks and his wife, Kristi, launched an ongoing campaign inviting fans to purchase specially designed “Close Out Cancer” T-Shirts, with proceeds benefi ting the Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF) and its Patient Aid Grants.
Net proceeds from the T-Shirt sale benefi t the Lymphoma Research Foundation (LRF).
SEARCHING FOR HOME˨FIELD ADVANTAGE
The White Sox went 37-44 (.457) at home in 2022, the 12thbest winning percentage in the American League … by comparison, the Sox were 53-28 .654) at home in 2021, the best record in the AL and their best mark since 2008 (54-28).
The White Sox hit 77 home runs at Guaranteed Rate Field, their fewest in a season since 2015 (73) … they ranked 11th in the AL with a 4.36 ERA, up from a 3.53 mark in 2021 when they were second behind only Tampa Bay (2.93).
AT THE HELM
Pedro Grifol was named the 42nd diff erent manager in White Sox history on 11/3/22, replacing Hall-of-Famer Tony La Russa … Grifol joins the Sox after a 10-year stint in Kansas City (2013-22), including the last three as the Royals bench coach.
Grifol earned his fi rst victory as Sox manager on Opening Day at Houston (3-2).
He is one of four current Latino managers in MLB, joining Boston’s Alex Cora, St. Louis’ Oliver Marmol and Washington’s Dave Martinez.
Grifol has 23 years of professional baseball experience as a bench coach, hitting coach, winter ball and minor league manager, director of player development and scout
WHITE SOX ROSTER BREAKDOWN
The White Sox 26-man roster includes 13 pitchers (two LHP), two catchers, seven infi elders and four outfi elders.
INF Elvis Andrus (14.0000 entering season) has the most service time, and SS Tim Anderson (2016-) is the longest tenured.
LHP Garrett Crochet (Tommy John recovery) and RHPs Matt Foster (right fl exor strain) and RHP Liam Hendriks (Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma treatment) are on the 15-day injured list.
INF Hanser Alberto, OF Andrew Benintendi, RHPs Mike Clevinger and Gregory Santos are new to the organization.
BEST ABILITY IS AVAILABILITY
RHP Lance Lynn (21 starts), All-Star SS Tim Anderson (79 games), 3B Yoán Moncada (104) and OFs Eloy Jiménez (84) and Luis Robert Jr. (98) all missed signifi cant time in 2022.
The White Sox projected Opening Day lineup was together for just one game last season, a 3-2 loss on 8/4 at Texas
84 STARTER DYLAN CEASE RHP
CEASE AT A GLANCE
Is scheduled to make his second start of the season and first at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Has gone 4-3 with a 1.32 ERA (12 ER/81.2 IP), .175 (50-286) opponents average and 91 strikeouts in his last 13 starts at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Established career bests last season in ERA (2.20), strikeouts (227), wins (14), IP (184.0), WHIP (1.11) and opponents average (.190).
Is approaching the following career milestones: 12 strikeouts for 600, nine games/starts for 100, 12.2 IP for 500.0 and four wins for 40.
Ranks third in MLB since 2021 in SO/9.0 IP (11.71), tied for third in strikeouts (463) and seventh in opponents average (.204).
Was the 2022 AL Cy Young Award runner up and has been named American League Pitcher of the month twice in his career (June and July 2022).
LAST START
Received a no decision in his first career Opening Day start on 3/30 at Houston, allowing one run on two hits with zero walks and 10 strikeouts (see note below) … retired 19 straight batters after allowing a leadoff single to Jeremy Peña in the first inning.
Departed the game in the seventh with the score tied, 0-0, and runners on first and second … threw 86 pitches (62 strikes) … Andrew Vaughn hit a game-winning, two-run double in the ninth to propel the Sox to a 3-2 victory.
Owned a 81.8 first-strike percentage and 16.3 swinging-strike percentage (15 swing and misses) vs. 22 batters … threw 37 sliders (86.9 mph avg; 88.7 mph max), 27 four-seam fastballs (97.2 avg; 98.3 max) and 22 knuckle curveballs (81.0 avg; 83.7 max).
THE 2023 OPENER
Was th 70th pitcher and 41st right-hander to start on Opening Day for the White Sox.
Became the first White Sox to start OD following a Top 2 Cy Young finish since Jack McDowell in 1994 … McDowell won the American League Cy Young in 1993.
Tied a franchise OD record with 10 strikeouts (also McDowell in 1991).
Joined Walter Johnson (1916), Mike Mussina (1998) and Jared Weaver (2012) as the only pitchers in MLB history to record 10-plus strikeouts and no walks on OD.
2022 SEASON RECAP
Finished in second place in the American League Cy Young Award voting with 97 points, the highest finish by a White Sox pitcher since RHP Esteban Loaiza was the runner-up in 2003.
Ranked among the MLB leaders in ERA (3rd, 2.20), opponents average (3rd, .190), slugging percentage (3rd, .306), strikeouts percentage (3rd, .304), strikeouts per 9.0 IP (4th, 11.10) and strikeouts (5th, 227).
His 11.10 SO/9.0 IP ranked fifth in Sox history (his 12.28 mark in 2021 is the club record), his 227 strikeouts ranked eighth, and his 2.20 ERA was the lowest by a qualifying White Sox in a full season since Chris Sale in 2014 (2.17).
Recorded 220-plus strikeouts for the second straight season, becoming just the fourth pitcher in club history with multiple years of 220-plus … Ed Walsh (4x), Sale (3x) and Lucas Giolito (2x) also accomplished the feat.
Became the seventh pitcher in White Sox history to record multiple 200-strikeout seasons.
Set a MLB record with 14 straight starts allowing one earned run or less from 5/29-8/11 (0.66 ERA; 6 ER/82.0 IP) … allowed one or zero earned runs 23 times, tied with Wilbur Wood (1972) for the most in club history, and the most by a MLB starter (non opener) since Tampa Bay’s Blake Snell in 2018 (also 23).
O’ SLIDER SLIDE
Posted a run value of -36 on his slider in 2022, the best mark among all pitchers’ pitch types in baseball … the Angels’ Shohei Ohtani’s sweeper and Miami’s Sandy Alcantara’s changeup ranked second with a -25 mark.
VS. SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS || INTERLEAGUE
Is scheduled to make his second career start against the Giants and 16th during interleague play.
Earned the win in his only career start against the Giants on 7/2/22 at Oracle Park (1 ER/5.0 IP).
Is 5-7 with a 3.36 ERA (31 ER/83.0 IP), .207 (63-304) opponents average and 100 strikeouts in IL play lifetime.
