With Garrett Crochet still on the 60-day IL and 10-1 Sonny Gray being saved for the Yankees tomorrow, the White Sox have had the benefit of only facing three back-of-the-rotation lefties this series. Unfortunately, they managed just one run in the first two games, but maybe the third can be the proverbial charm.
Today’s Red Sox starter is something of an unknown quantity, because Patrick Sandoval hasn’t pitched in the majors since June 2024. That’s when he departed for Tommy John surgery, which was followed by complications that kept him out of action an unusually long time. The former Angels veteran has had eight minor league rehab starts with meh results, but the longest was 68 pitches, so the Boston pen should be a factor early.
The White Sox counter with a southpaw of their own who hasn’t gone deep into games lately. Anthony Kay’s last start only went four innings, but that wasn’t his fault; Mother Nature interfered after he’d only given up one run. The previous early exit was on him, though. He didn’t make it out of the fourth after allowing seven hits and five runs, three earned, to the lowly Royals.
The Miguel Vargas leading off experiment was apparently a quick one, with Chase Meidroth back at the top of the lineup against a lefty as usual.
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The Red Sox have a heavy-righty lineup with only one batter who has ever faced Kay, and that was one plate appearance (it ended in a K, though, so maybe that’s a good sign).
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First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. CST, with a temp of 82°, mostly cloudy skies, and wind about 10 mph out to left. Usual broadcast suspects.
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