For the first time since the 2016 blockbuster trade, Chris Sale and Yoan Moncada squared off against each other in their new Sox uniforms. Sale got the best of Moncada, who went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts against the 29-year-old ace.
But it was Dylan Covey who stole the show, outdueling his counterpart by allowing only three hits, no runs and striking out seven batters in six innings as the White Sox blanked the Red Sox 1-0 on Friday night. It was easily the best start of Covey's young MLB career.
Covey, 26, lowered his ERA from 2.82 to 2.22 following his outing, which is the lowest among White Sox starters; Reynaldo Lopez is second with a 3.42 ERA, a significant gap that displays just how great Covey has been in five starts this season.
Perhaps even more impressive: Covey hasn't given up a homer yet through 28.1 IP. Last season he allowed 20 of them in 70.0 IP, according to NBC Sports Chicago's stats guru Chris Kamka.
In a battle between two former 2010 first-round picks, here's a look at how Covey and Sale matched up against each other:
More importantly for the White Sox, it was Covey who picked up the W.