Still undefeated!!! The Sox are a mighty 2-0, with total runs of 19-3. Can we call it a season now?
The A’s decided not to play any major league regulars in their Cactus League opener and the White Sox took advantage, scoring five runs in the first three innings, mainly thanks to Edgar Quero having an excellent sense of direction. He came up with the bases loaded in the first, thanks to a Chase Meidroth double and two walks, and hit a little looper to left:
That was good for two runs, then he came up in the third with runners on second and third and decided if one blooper is good, two are even better:
Hence, four RBIs on two bloops that were barely 83 mph but, as coaches teach kids, you put the ball in play and good things can happen. Quero did have one solid knock, a 98 mph double, but that was with the bases empty. He also threw out a would-be base thief and correctly challenged a ball-strike call. OK, so he maybe misplayed a pitch that led to a A’s run, but let us not quibble when he has a day like this.
The only other Sox run thanks to a player apt to be in the majors this year came via Brooks Baldwin flexing his mighty power in the second:
John Schriffen, brilliant as always, repeatedly referred to it as Baldwin’s first homer of the spring; that was pretty inevitable, because it was Baldwin’s first at-bat of the spring.
Luisangel Acuña struck out looking his first time up as a member of the White Sox, but later slashed a double. There were no plays in center that could determine whether he can play there, the only one being a double to the wall there was no way to get to.
Chicago’s other six runs came late, when Sox hitters who will mostly play Double-A to start the season faced A’s pitchers who will be lucky to make Single-A. The minor-leaguers got half of the club’s 14 hits, with William Bergolla Jr. and Dru Baker knocking two apiece. The A’s also tossed in some lousy fielding and bad base running to keep the score well spread.
On the pitching side, Chris Murphy was the first of seven Sox hurlers who got out of the game with just two runs, only one earned, despite giving up 11 hits and walking four. That was no doubt helped by the total lack of major league opposition, and very little upper minors opposition. Plus the aforementioned bad base running.
The White Sox stay at Camelback Ranch tomorrow to host Milwaukee. That game will also be televised, giving fans the first chance to watch Munetaka Murakami. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. Central.