It’s typically a good place to be when Chris Sale has the most runs given up by any starter on the team all season, and the Sox’ streak of hot starting pitching survived its greatest test to date as Mat Latos cruised through six innings in Oakland. A go-ahead bomb by Jose Abreu in the top of the sixth inning followed by a big, garbage-time top of the ninth allowed the Sox their first non one-run victory of the season and a series win in Oakland.
1. It wasn’t necessarily a callback to the golden days for Latos, who sat in the low 90s all afternoon, struck out two over six innings and had all of five swingings strikes on the day. But he used the ballpark’s spacious confines to his advantage, and even took a no-hitter into the fifth. He handed over six scoreless frames to the bullpen, but only after yet another game where it seemed like Robin Ventura neglected to wring every inning out of his starter again–an encouraging trend in April.
2. Abreu interrupted Kendall Graveman pulling off similar soft contact wizardry vs. the Sox. His two-run line drive shot just over the right field wall was only the Sox third hit of the day off Graveman of the day.
Abreu has looked foolish for a lot of this opening series, but nonetheless has a .313/.333/.563 slash line at the end of it.
3. Matt Albers came to the rescue when things were a lot more tense in the seventh. There’s no knowing why Robin Ventura started the inning by bringing in Zach Duke to face lefty-masher Danny Valencia, but a walk, wild pitch and single later, and the Sox’ underperforming lefty needed rescue again. Instead of turning to Nate Jones, who would later pitch a solid eighth, Ventura turned to a portly right-hander who does little besides slinging low-90s with sink from a weird whip motion. He got two instant outs yet again.
Why is this working?
4. Brett Lawrie had himself a nice day in the field, showing high-level athleticism to feed Tyler Saladino from his stomach on a play in the fifth and pretty much doing the same on a falling throw to Abreu to get Billy Burns in the sixth. His range is not excellent and he often seems more spastic than fluid, but man is the effort ever there.
5. Adam Eaton had an OK series, reaching base multiple times in every game, and hitting .563/.611/.750 over four games. With last year’s miserable April, and his injury-marred May in 2014, he’s basically never had a hot start to the season in a White Sox uniform before. What’s possible if he does?
Record: 3-1
Next game is Friday at 3:10pm CT vs. Cleveland.
Lead Photo Credit: Kenny Karst // USA Today Sports Images