Chicago

White Sox

Smith also walked three, so he was unable to complete five innings yet again, but he did throw 92 pitches in this outing, which is the most he’s ever thrown in pro ball. In his last three starts, Smith has allowed three runs on nine hits in 14 innings while striking out 25 and walking six. He has only completed five innings in one of those starts, so efficiency and command remain key issues for the 22-year-old, but he seems to be starting to round into form.

Sandlin gave up two homers in the outing while striking out six. Since being recalled by the White Sox, he has one great start, one terrible one, and now this not-so-good bulk relief appearance. He’ll remain off the fantasy radar for his next start, which currently lines up against the Dodgers.

Antonacci entered Sunday tied for 16th in stolen bases since being called up from Triple-A. He was also tied for 25th in runs scored and 29th in OBP during that span. His contact skills and propensity to reach base via HBP have fueled his high run total when batting atop Chicago’s lineup against righties. The one aspect of his track record that has yet to translate is his walk rate, which routinely sat in the double digits in the minors. There’s still plenty of time for that to improve as he settles in at the big-league level.

What a moment for Gonzalez to hit his first career home run. He launched a 428 foot blast off Phillies’ starter Andrew Painter into the upper deck at Citizens Bank Park to extend his squad’s lead to 6-0. Now, after one week of major league action, Gonzalez is 6-for-19 with four RBI, two walks, and four strikeouts as Munetaka Murakami’s replacement at first base. After years of minor league struggles, the former first round pick credits a change to his swing mechanics that’s helped him find significantly more power. His batted ball data at Triple-A back up that story and he’s an incredibly interesting player.

Watching an inning like this from Taylor can give a baseball fan goosebumps. He made mincemeat of Adolis García, Edmundo Sosa, and Kyle Schwarber with three strikeouts and was in control the entire time. He was up 0-2 on all three hitters, regularly flashed triple digits with his fastball, and forced six swings-and-misses in just one inning of work. If he’s ever unleashed as the White Sox’s full-time closer, he’d instantly be one of the nastiest in the league. His last save came nearly three weeks ago though, so be on the lookout if he actually takes this job over.

Following opener Brandon Eisert – which Burke has rarely done this season – he did not have a great outing here. His strikeout stuff was working and each his fastball and slider forced at least four swings-and-misses, but there was either too much nibbling or he was just too focused on hunting those strikeouts. His five walks were his most in any start this season, including two in a row in the sixth inning to set-up a Phillies’ rally. Still, there are reasons to be encouraged by his season as a whole with a 3.88 ERA and a 67 to 23 strikeout to walk ratio across 69 2/3 in total. He’s scheduled to face the Dodgers and Yankees in his next two starts, so he’ll have his work cut out for him.

Both of Grichuk’s homers came via solo blasts, with the first coming in the third inning off Jesús Luzardo, who he would also get the best of in the fifth inning for his second homer of the day and fifth of the season. Grichuk is heating up a bit as of late, slashing .303/.324/.636 in his last 15 games.

After getting through the first inning unscathed, Kay fell victim to the long ball in the second inning when Brandon Marsh belted a two-run shot into center field to tie the game at 2-2. That would be the start of what turned into a disastrous inning for Kay, who would see three more runs cross in the inning before escaping the frame. He would allow a solo homer to Adolis Garcia in the fourth inning to cap the rough outing, and did not return in the fifth inning. While he only walked two batters on the night, Kay threw only 57 percent of his pitches for strikes, and anything in the zone proved hittable. It was the first time since April 27th that he allowed more than two earned runs in a start, so hopefully he’ll be in line for a quick bounce back. That said, things won’t get any easier for Kay the next time he takes the mound, as he’s scheduled to take on the Braves on Thursday.

Pereira was hitting well — .250/.310/.453 in 71 plate appearances — before being placed on the IL at the end of April. It’s possible he’ll be back in the near future and reclaim a platoon role (or perhaps more) from Derek Hill and Rikuu Nishida in the outfield.

Murphy returns to the minors after posting a lackluster 6.75 ERA across 9 1/3 innings for Chicago this season. The 27-year-old lefty figures to return as a middle relief option for the White Sox at some point this summer.