Duel of the day: Felix Jorge (Twins' No. 7) vs. Spencer Adams (White Sox No. 16), Chattanooga at Birmingham (8:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.

Transcription

1 WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF AUGUST 14, 2017 Adams featured in duel of the day Mike Rosenbaum, MLB.com Davidson to travel, but not play, vs. Dodgers Scott Merkin, MLB.com Early hole too deep for White Sox to climb from Jeffrey Flanagan & Fabian Ardaya, MLB.com White Sox impressive system has padding Fabian Ardaya, MLB.com Moncada working diligently to solve offspeed Scott Merkin, MLB.com White Sox deal reliever Clippard to Astros Scott Merkin, MLB.com What a string of quality starts could mean for the White Sox rebuild Vinnie Duber, CSN Chicago The pains of the White Sox rebuild: While team of the future develops, team of the present blown out Vinnie Duber, CSN Chicago White Sox deal Tyler Clippard to Houston Tim Goldrick, CSN Chicago White Sox lose ugly to Royals in 14-6 defeat to finish homestand Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune White Sox's Matt Davidson on wrist injury: 'It hasn't been getting much better' Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune White Sox trade reliever Tyler Clippard to Astros Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune Yoan Moncada still finding his way at the plate for White Sox Brian Sandalow, Chicago Sun-Times Derek Holland struggles again as Royals hand White Sox ugly loss Brian Sandalow, Chicago Sun-Times Tyler Clippard changes Twitter bio before trade to Astros Brian Sandalow, Chicago Sun-Times Royals manager impressed with early stages of White Sox rebuild Scot Gregor, Daily Herald White Sox trade Clippard to Astros Scot Gregor, Daily Herald Gregor: White Sox's Abreu is one of AL's most underrated players Scot Gregor, Daily Herald By the numbers: White Sox back to getting obliterated after good week ends James Fegan, The Athletic The White Sox somehow managed to trade Tyler Clippard too James Fegan, The Athletic Q&A: What goes into an amazing Adam Engel catch? James Fegan, The Athletic Astros get Tyler Clippard in trade with White Sox Associated Press Merrifield powers Royals past White Sox 14-6 Associated Press Levine: White Sox s Derek Holland Calls His Performance Embarrassing Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago Hawk Harrelson: Time For Wrigley Field To Be Replaced Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago Adams featured in duel of the day By Mike Rosenbaum / MLB.com August 14, 2017 Here's a look at top prospects to watch in today's Minor League action: Hitter to watch: Fernando Tatis Jr. (Padres' No. 4), Fort Wayne at South Bend (7:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV) Tatis, MLB Pipeline's No. 58 overall prospect, went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored on Sunday, one day after he connected on his 21st home run to establish a new Class A Fort Wayne franchise record. The 18-year-old shortstop has been remarkable in his full-season debut, slashing.275/.381/.512 with 49 extra-base hits, 73 runs scored and 28 stolen bases in 112 games. Pitcher to watch: Taylor Clarke (D-backs' No. 3), Reno at Tacoma (10:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV) After his forgettable debut with Reno, Clarke bounced back to toss seven strong innings, allowing two earned runs on six hits with six strikeouts, en route to his first Triple-A win. The 24-year-old right-hander was promoted to the Pacific Coast League after an All-Star campaign with Double-A Jackson during which he went 10-8 with a 3.36 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 123 1/3 innings (23 starts). Duel of the day: Felix Jorge (Twins' No. 7) vs. Spencer Adams (White Sox No. 16), Chattanooga at Birmingham (8:05 p.m. ET on MiLB.TV) Jorge, 23, struggled in his two starts with Minnesota in early July and then continued to scuffle after returning to Double-A Chattanooga. The right-hander has fared better lately, though, as he enters Monday's start having posted a 1.11 ERA with a.212/.236/.247 opponents' slash line in his past three starts for the Lookouts. Overall, Jorge is 9-3 with a 3.44 ERA in 123 innings totaling 20 starts.

2 Adams will be looking to record his first win since July 6 when he takes the mound for Birmingham. He's 0-5 with a 4.89 ERA across his last six turns, during which he's pitched to a 4.89 ERA with 17 extra-base hits (seven home runs) and 15 walks allowed in 35 innings. The 21-year-old righty has been solid overall, though, posting a 4.09 ERA with strong groundball tendencies and an improved strikeout rate. Davidson to travel, but not play, vs. Dodgers Slugger likely to play for Triple-A Charlotte before White Sox return By Scott Merkin / MLB.com August 13, 2017 CHICAGO -- Matt Davidson will be making the trip to Los Angeles with the rest of the White Sox for two games against the best team in baseball starting Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium. But as White Sox manager Rick Renteria indicated Saturday, Davidson will not be coming off the 10-day disabled list, where he was placed retroactive to Aug. 4 with a right wrist contusion. "It's just not where we want it to be, especially since I'm already on the DL and not just going to come off," Davidson said. "It hasn't been getting too much better right now, so we're going to re-evaluate the next couple days and then go from there. "The good thing is the doctors say that one day you'll just kind of wake up and it'll be gone. We're kind of waiting for that and then we'll go from there." Davidson suffered the injury when he was hit by a Marcus Stroman pitch on Aug. 1 against Toronto and departed early from the game. He continues to lead the team with 22 homers to go with 51 RBIs and a.500 slugging percentage in 88 games this season. With Tuesday marking two weeks without on-field action, Davidson believes a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte will precede his White Sox return. "That's kind of a long way from live pitching," Davidson said. "I've been trying to get in with the pitchers here and stuff like that as much as I can but probably do that (at Charlotte) for a couple days and be back here. "I can do pretty much everything except swing. I'm working out, running, taking ground balls and standing in on bullpens and stuff like that. Just trying to do as much as I can and doing some front-arm with my lead hand, hitting off the tee and flips. But that's about it." The manner in which Davidson offered at the Stroman pitch in question exposed his wrist, leading to Davidson getting hit in the worst possible spot. "But luckily everything's structurally good," Davidson said. "It's just the waiting game right now that's not very fun to deal with." Early hole too deep for White Sox to climb from By Jeffrey Flanagan and Fabian Ardaya / MLB.com August 13, 2017 CHICAGO -- A quick offensive burst is all it took for the Royals to grab their second consecutive win Sunday and claim the series with the White Sox, 14-6, at Guaranteed Rate Field. The Royals struck for four runs in the second, third and sixth innings. Whit Merrifield had three hits, including his 14th home run, and drove in a career-high five runs. He was a double short of a cycle. "I'm going to get it one of these days," Merrifield said of the cycle. "Keep getting opportunities, one of these times it will happen, I hope." The Royals remained five games behind first-place Cleveland in the American League Central. The Royals' win Sunday came on the heels of a dramatic come-from-behind win Saturday. "Those types of wins, like I said last night, can jumpstart a team," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Momentum is easy to stop, it seems, but it's hard to get. We were kind of spinning our wheels, trying to get momentum. But those types of games where you have the lead, lose the lead, and get the lead back can jumpstart your momentum. What happened today is what I hoped would happen after a game like last night."

3 Left-hander Jason Vargas (14-6) was the beneficiary of the Royals' offensive burst. Vargas lasted six innings and gave up seven hits and three runs while striking out seven. Left-hander Derek Holland started for the White Sox and was gone after facing three hitters in the third. He gave up seven hits and seven runs while walking three. His ERA rose to "I don't even know where to begin," Holland said. "Today was just, in my eyes, embarrassing. Not being able to find the strike zone, and then when I did, catching too much plate. These guys are going to do what they did today to you when you can't not be in the middle of the plate. It's frustrating." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Can I get a Whit-ness?: Merrifield punched a huge hole in this one when he came up in the third inning with Cheslor Cuthbert on second and Alcides Escobar on first. Merrifield worked the count full and then fouled off four consecutive pitches from reliever Mike Pelfrey. Then on the ninth pitch of the at-bat, Merrifield pounced on a 92-mph sinker and drove it into the left-field seats for a three-run homer, giving the Royals an 8-0 lead. "I think [Cain's two-run single] was the biggest at-bat of the game,," Merrifield said. " But obviously, tacking on [is good]. We'll take all we can get." Stop right there: The White Sox started to make some noise off Vargas in the fifth when with two outs, Tim Anderson drilled a two-run home run. The White Sox strung three more consecutive hits and suddenly it was an 8-3 game. Nicky Delmonico came up with a chance to get the White Sox back into the game. Delmonico sent a deep drive to right-center but center fielder Lorenzo Cain chased it down and caught it just in front of the fence. QUOTABLE "I will say this, in watching [Yoan Moncada] work and watching his demeanor, this is a kid that will exponentially grow fast. These experiences and these at-bats are giving him an opportunity to register and be able to use it. He's going to have to his advantage and start understanding how he can change his approach to handle things like this and be able to drive the pitcher back to his strength." -- White Sox manager Rick Renteria, of the team's top overall prospect per MLBPipeline SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Delmonico extended his franchise-record streak when he was hit by a pitch in the second inning to reach base for the 12th consecutive game to open his career. He finished 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a walk to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. He has 16 hits in his first 12 games, tying George Washington for the second-most in franchise history to open a career. He is hitting.405 (15-for-37) over his 10-game hitting streak. HIGHLIGHT REEL The game ended in dramatic fashion despite the score, as Royals outfielder Alex Gordon -- who replaced Cain in center field in the seventh inning -- climbed up the center-field wall to rob the red-hot rookie Delmonico of a potential two-run homer. The ball, which Statcast said traveled an estimated 390 feet with a hit probability of 55 percent, would have been Delmonico's second career home run and first at Guaranteed Rate Field. "It happens kind of quick, a catch like that," Gordon said. "Hard to tell how tough it was. I thought I made a good route to it. I don't know how much I jumped -- I don't have a good jump. But it would have been a homer." UPON FURTHER REVIEW The Royals challenged an out call in the second inning as Cain was attempting to steal third. The original ruling indicated Cain was safe but came off the bag and was tagged out. But after review, the out call was overturned. Cain wound up scoring moments later on a single by Melky Cabrera. The Royals challenged another call in the fifth when Leury Garcia was called safe at first after grounding a ball to short. That call was overturned. Royals replay specialist Bill Duplissea now is a Major League-best 75 percent (18 of 24) in replay challenges.

4 The White Sox challenged in the eighth inning after Escobar scored on Brad Goldberg's wild pitch. The ruling on the field stood, however, after there wasn't sufficient evidence to indicate that Goldberg had applied the tag on Escobar before he touched home plate. WHAT'S NEXT Royals: Right-hander Jake Junis (4-2, 4.70 ERA) is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Omaha to start Monday as the Royals open a three-game series in Oakland at 9:07 p.m. CT. Junis, filling in for the injured Trevor Cahill, last pitched Aug. 6 against the Mariners and threw eight innings while giving up four hits and one run in a 9-1 win. White Sox: The White Sox have an off-day Monday before Miguel Gonzalez (6-10, 4.85) takes the bump at 9:10 p.m. CT on Tuesday at Los Angeles against the Dodgers. Gonzalez has four quality starts in his last five outings, including allowing a run in six innings in a 1-0 loss to the Dodgers on July 18. Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV. White Sox impressive system has padding By Fabian Ardaya / MLB.com August 14, 2017 CHICAGO -- White Sox general manager Rick Hahn has amassed a plentiful collection of prospects, and he might not be done. With Sunday night's trade of Tyler Clippard, the White Sox will have dealt 10 veteran players in the last year -- including such names as Chris Sale, Adam Eaton and Jose Quintana -- for nearly twice as many prospects. If the White Sox elect to take a player to be named in lieu of cash from the Astros in the Clippard trade, there will be 20 prospects in total who are new to the system via a trade. Some, such as MLBPipeline.com's No. 1 and No. 59 prospects Yoan Moncada and Reynaldo Lopez, already find themselves in the big leagues in Chicago. Others could join them, whether it be this season or when the club is closer to returning to playoff contention. So who has stood out from the White Sox system? Eloy Jimenez, Class A Advanced Winston-Salem Jimenez, the headliner of the four prospects acquired in the Quinana trade in July, continues to hit and do so at an incredible rate. The No. 2 prospect in the White Sox system and No, 7 prospect in baseball homered twice while going 3- for-5 on Saturday, and is 16-for-42 (.381) with four homers and 12 RBIs in his last 10 games. He hit as many homers in his first 27 games with the White Sox organization (eight) as he had in his first 42 games of the season in the Cubs organization. Casey Gillaspie, Triple-A Charlotte Gillaspie, the White Sox No. 14 prospect, was the return for veteran reliever Dan Jennings from the Rays in a deal last month. The first baseman, who is the brother of former White Sox player Conor Gillaspie, is starting to find his stroke. He's hit two homers in his last four games, and has hits in four of his last five games overall as he's off to a 9-for-34 start in the White Sox organization. Dane Dunning, Class A Advanced Winston-Salem Dunning came from Washington along with Lopez and Lucas Giolito this offseason as part of the Eaton trade, and the White Sox No. 11 prospect has pitched well just about everywhere he's gone since. He worked five innings Saturday, working around nine hits to allow three runs and strike out five. He's allowed three or fewer runs in eight of his last 10 starts. Michael Kopech, Double-A Birmingham Kopech and Moncada were the prizes in the haul for Sale from Boston this offseason, and their play has reflected it. Moncada is in the big leagues, and Kopech -- the No. 12 propsect in baseball -- has been dominant at the Double-A level. The top right-handed pitching prospect in the game struck out 10 in seven shutout innings Saturday, his third double-digit strikeout effort in his last four outings. Kopech has kept the walks down, too, allowing just five walks in that four-start stretch. He currently carries a strikeout-to-walk ratio. Moncada working diligently to solve offspeed By Scott Merkin / MLB.com August 13, 2017

5 CHICAGO -- The game being played by White Sox second baseman Yoan Moncada of course is baseball, but there's a little bit of chess involved between the No. 1 prospect per MLBPipeline.com and opposing pitchers. Moncada has shown an ability to hit the fastball. Just ask Houston closer Ken Giles, who gave up a game-tying home run to Moncada in the ninth inning Thursday on a 98.7-mph offering. But the talented switch-hitter is seeing more breaking balls until he proves he can handle that pitch. As an example, both of Moncada's strikeouts came on changeups during a 14-6 loss to the Royals Sunday at Guaranteed Rate Field. "My focus is try to hit a good pitch, a pitch that is in the strike zone," said Moncada through interpreter Billy Russo after finishing 1-for-4 with a double in the homestand finale. "Fastball is your first approach, but when you see a breaking pitch or an offspeed pitch, you have to make an adjustment. "You have to be sure that offspeed pitch is in the strike zone because if not, you are giving a favor to the pitcher. You have to be prepared for that and do something to adjust in your at-bats during a game. That's the way I'm trying to adjust to the league. That's the way I'm trying to make adjustments: at-bat to at-bat." Those adjustments were discussed with White Sox manager Rick Renteria in-game on Sunday. One of Renteria's strengths, especially with a rebuilding team full of young competitors, is his ability to address situations almost immediately after they happen and make them teachable moments. That scenario played out in the White Sox dugout Saturday after Moncada was caught stealing second without a slide. It's a trait featured by the White Sox coaching staff, but Moncada also appreciates being able to talk to Renteria in his native Spanish. "He'll always try to help us," Moncada said. "That makes you feel comfortable. That makes you feel like people, especially him, are taking care of you." With Sunday's double and two strikeouts against Kansas City starter Jason Vargas, Moncada stands at 4-for-26 as a right-handed hitter against 11-for-47 as a left-handed hitter. He has a combined 31 strikeouts but shows plate presence via his 14 walks and.348 on-base percentage. Renteria talked about the trouble with offspeed pitches for Moncada being more about approach. Moncada has to show he can "manipulate and manage that pitch before they start changing their plan," per Renteria, and giving Moncada fastballs. The confidence from Renteria in Moncada, or Moncada in himself, has not wavered as the work continues. "He's 22 years old garnering at-bats at the Major League level with guys that are throwing pretty good offspeed pitches and commanding them," Renteria said. "I will say this: In watching him work and watching his demeanor, this is a kid that will exponentially grow fast. "These experiences and these at-bats are giving him an opportunity to register and be able to use it. He's going to start understanding how he can change his approach to handle things like this and be able to drive the pitcher back to his strength." White Sox deal reliever Clippard to Astros By Scott Merkin / MLB.com August 13, 2017 CHICAGO -- Tyler Clippard became the fifth White Sox reliever traded by general manager Rick Hahn since the All-Star break when the veteran right-hander was sent to the Astros Sunday night. The White Sox will receive a player to be named later or cash considerations in return. Clippard, 32, joins Dan Jennings, Anthony Swarzak, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle as veteran bullpen pieces shipped out as part of the White Sox rebuild. Clippard had been acquired by the White Sox during the season when Robertson, Kahnle and Todd Frazier moved to the Yankees in a seven-player deal on July 18. In 11 games with the White Sox, Clippard posted a 1.80 ERA and struck out 12 in 10 innings. He also picked up two of his three saves this season during this short time on the South Side. Clippard threw two scoreless innings with four strikeouts during the White Sox three-game home sweep of Houston from Tuesday through Thursday.

6 A corresponding move to fill Clippard's 25-man roster spot will be made by the White Sox prior to Tuesday's game with the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. With Robertson and then Clippard serving as the White Sox closers, the team does not have a reliever on the staff currently with a 2017 save. Jake Petricka, who has 16 career saves, Brad Goldberg and Aaron Bummer all could be current roster candidates for that ninth-inning role. Clippard actually announced the deal before the teams on social media by changing his bio on his personal Twitter and Instagram accounts to read "Play baseball for the Houston Astros." What a string of quality starts could mean for the White Sox rebuild By Vinnie Duber / CSN Chicago August 13, 2017 The White Sox winning streak might have ended Saturday night, but another streak rolls on. South Side starting pitchers have turned in four straight quality starts, a pretty remarkable occurrence for a staff that s struggled to find consistency this season. Miguel Gonzalez and Carlos Rodon went eight innings apiece on back-to-back night s to close out that series sweep of the Houston Astros, yielding a combined three runs. Then Reynaldo Lopez debuted with six innings and just two runs against the visiting Kansas City Royals, followed by James Shields going six and allowing three in Saturday s loss. We ve all heard that old baseball maxim that hitting is contagious. Well what about starting pitching? Definitely. For sure, Gonzalez said Sunday. Happy that everyone s going out there for six-plus innings. I m excited. That s what we re all about. We can do it. I m sure everyone s happy with their performance. We know we had our ups and downs. It s tough. It s a long season, and there s a lot going on, a lot of movement, a lot of young guys up here now. I m excited for them. But we know that not every year you re going to have your stuff and things aren t going to go your way. But when guys are going well, the stuff that we ve been doing the last week, that s what we can do. And hopefully we can keep that going. Starting pitching hasn t exactly been a strength for the White Sox this season, the team entering Sunday s action sporting the third-highest starters ERA in baseball at They re one of three groups of starting pitchers that have given up at least 120 home runs on the season and one of three groups to have a WHIP of 1.50 or above. But the last few outings have featured each individual starter showing what they can do when things are going well. And it s no coincidence that the White Sox experienced a four-game winning streak at the same time. It s a mighty positive sign for guys like Rodon and Lopez, expected to be members of the rotation when the ongoing rebuild reaches its apex and the team is ready to compete. Lopez, in particular, arrived in the big leagues for his first start with the White Sox on Friday and impressed his teammates. He throws hard, he throws strikes, Gonzalez said of his new rotation-mate. He reminds me a lot of (Rodon) when he got called up. He s that type of guy. He has control with his pitches, and he kind of knows what he s doing out there. But what about the veteran guys? Well, as general manager Rick Hahn has shown this season and last offseason, he isn't shy to deal anyone that could fetch him a piece that could power the rebuild. Part of the reason this rotation looks like it does are the trades that shipped Chris Sale and Jose Quintana away from the South Side in exchange for big prospect hauls. Hahn made several deals involving other veterans ahead of last month's non-waiver trade deadline that netted smaller returns but returns nonetheless. There could be a similar script to follow with the three vets in the current rotation. Gonzalez and the heretofore unmentioned Derek Holland, who pitches the series finale against the Royals on Sunday, are free agents at the end of the season. The best-case scenario from a White Sox rebuild standpoint would be a couple more quality starts from both guys and maybe an outside shot at dealing them before the waiver trade deadline at the end of the month. Meanwhile, Shields is under contract for two more seasons. If he finishes strong, perhaps he could become an offseason trade candidate, despite his high salary.

7 Regardless, these guys all obviously want to spend the final month and a half of the regular season replicating this flash of brilliance from this week. That would be quite the positive development for the White Sox, either on the development or trade fronts. To keep doing what we re doing, Gonzalez said when asked of the starting staffs goals the rest of the way. Try to go out there, six-plus innings, give the team a chance to win. The pains of the White Sox rebuild: While team of the future develops, team of the present blown out By Vinnie Duber / CSN Chicago August 13, 2017 Mama said there d be days like this. In the middle of the rebuild, it s hard to call an embarrassing blowout loss unexpected. These types of things are going to happen while the team of the future develops down in the minor leagues. But anyone who was inside Guaranteed Rate Field on Sunday afternoon or watching from home saw just how low the lows can get while that plan plays out. Derek Holland gave up seven runs and left before an out was recorded in the third inning. The visiting Kansas City Royals poured seven more runs on the White Sox bullpen over the course of another South Side marathon. Errors and mental mistakes were made in the field. And the prized prospect who s supposed to be the star of the team when the rebuild reaches its apex, he struck out for the 30th and 31st times in his last 19 games. The White Sox aren t yet at the point when every loss stings the fan base. It s the middle of August in a last-place season. Heck, losses are even helping the team reach some fans goal of the White Sox getting the No. 1 pick in next spring s draft. But this one was a stinker. As exciting as it might be to project out the 2020 lineup and follow along with box scores from Charlotte and Winston-Salem, games like this show the most difficult aspects of a rebuild. In terms of mistakes, today and yesterday we had some things that didn t go well and that doesn t play well or doesn t look well and we don t want those things to occur, manager Rick Renteria said after the game. But you continue to address them as need be and deal with them. I think as we continue to move along, hopefully they continue to be fewer and far between. But is it to be expected that they might make mistakes like some that have occurred? Yes. Leury Garcia had a couple ugly-looking plays in left field, first making an errant throw home that allowed a run to score in the second and then misjudging a ball that flew by him and went for a double in the third. Those plays, along with Tyler Saladino s first-inning error at third base, made for a batch of fielding mistakes to go along with a couple mistakes on the base paths in Saturday s loss. But the fielding woes paled in comparison to those of Holland on the mound. The veteran righty hasn t had a good year, and Sunday might have been his worst outing yet. He gave up four runs in the second inning and then couldn t get an out in the third, giving up a leadoff homer before a double and a walk. He left after throwing 67 pitches and recording just six outs, tagged for seven runs, those two he left on for Mike Pelfrey scoring on Whit Merrifield s three-run homer. Holland s season ERA jumped up to 5.68 after Sunday s outing. I don t even know where to begin, he said. Today was just, in my eyes, embarrassing. Not being able to find the strike zone, and then when I did, catching too much plate. These guys are going to do what they did today to you when you can t not be in the middle of the plate. It s frustrating. We ve been working our asses off to do everything right on the field. The thing I m happy about is obviously being healthy, but I m past that. I ve obviously shown I m healthy, it s just a matter of executing. It s frustrating to sit here and work as hard as we do with (pitching coach Don Cooper) and the bullpen and go out there and not be able to do the job I should be doing. It s just frustrating. I really don t even know where to begin. While much of the campaign has been a rough go for Holland, things have gotten particularly rocky as summer has worn on. He s made it out of the sixth inning just once since the beginning of July, posting a 8.76 ERA since then. He s walked a total of 22 batters in his last five starts, including seven in the start prior to Sunday s. Sunday was his shortest start of the season but the third since the beginning of June in which he s failed to get out of the third inning.

8 It s hard, Renteria said. When we watch it, we ask ourselves the same thing, What can we possibly do to help him get through this? The reality is, tomorrow s another day and you go back to the drawing board and see if he can put himself back and give himself an opportunity for a good outing the next time out. He s obviously not wanting to go out there to fail. He wants to have success and he wants to have success for his teammates, himself. You feel for him right now, where he s at. This young man s working through every possible scenario, and I know he and Coop, they get after it. He s got a tremendous work routine and ethic, but it just hasn't been working out to this point over the last few outings. I know he's very cognizant of that and he s wanting to get back on track. The question for all of us, and for him, continues to be, how do we do that? The presence of Holland as well as other veteran pitchers on the staff like Mike Pelfrey, James Shields and Miguel Gonzalez are necessities in a rebuilding situation, even as the starting pitchers of the future like Reynaldo Lopez start to slowly make their way to the big league team. Look across town to the Cubs and the kinds of starting pitchers they were employing during their rebuilding years. Yes, Theo Epstein s front office turned some sign-and-flip guys into top-tier prospects that ended up playing a huge role on a World Series team. But the likes of Chris Volstad, Justin Germano, Edwin Jackson, Carlos Villanueva and Felix Doubront turned into nothing but high ERAs for those fifth-place Cubs teams. That s the reality of a rebuild. I m my own worst critic. And I m not happy with the way I m performing, Holland said. These guys are out here busting their asses for me, and for me to not do my job is what s frustrating. I have every right to be upset with myself because these fans deserve better. I should be doing better. And I m not performing the way that I feel I should be. For me, it s frustrating, it s upsetting, it s very disappointing, and it s very embarrassing, too. I ve got to keep grinding. I m not going to throw in the towel. Just because I had a bad outing doesn't mean I quit. We re going to continue to keep plugging away. Still got the opportunity to be out there, I ve got to take advantage of it each time like I have been. We all go through tough times, it s just a matter of the tough times ending. But along with all that present-day sorrow comes that hope for the future. Yoan Moncada had two more strikeouts Sunday, but he also picked up a double. A flash of brilliance for a young player still developing, even if he s now doing it at the big league level. He scored on Tim Anderson s home run, the fourth in the last eight games for the shortstop who s struggled much of the season but is having himself a very solid August. Nicky Delmonico reached base for the 12th straight game and picked up a hit in his 10th straight. Look out, DiMaggio. But in all seriousness, he was on base three more times Sunday and might have had a ninth-inning homer if not for Alex Gordon s highlight-reel leaping snag to end the game. So this is life in the rebuild. There are going to be some bad days. And if the team on the North Side taught Chicago baseball fans anything, there might even be some bad years. The White Sox are going through one right now, with Sunday s defeat being the team s 70th loss of the season. But there s also plenty of reason to be hopeful, and these bad days and bad years will have their silver linings, silver linings that will if everything goes according to Rick Hahn s plan blossom into a golden era on the South Side. White Sox deal Tyler Clippard to Houston By Tim Goldrick / CSN Chicago August 13, 2017 After just 27 days in a White Sox uniform, Tyler Clippard is off to Houston. The 32-year-old reliever, who notched two saves in 11 appearances on the South Side, was moved late Sunday for cash considerations and a player to be named later, the team announced. It's unclear whether Clippard even finished moving in. Before having a cup of coffee with the Sox, Clippard was a member of the Yankees bullpen. He had a dismal 4.95 ERA in the Bronx, but after Rick Hahn dealt Todd Frazier, Tommy Kahnle and David Robertson to New York in exchange for Clippard and prospects, the reliever improved.

9 Under Don Cooper's tutelage, he posted a 1.80 ERA with two of his outings at Guaranteed Rate Field came against his current team, the Astros. In those appearances he picked up a save and worked another clean inning, helping lift the Sox to a three-game sweep. Maybe he left an impression. Although Clippard hasn't tweeted since the MLB season commenced, he assisted Ken Rosenthal's breaking report by changing his Twitter account to read, "Play for the Houston Astros." He also reworked his Instagram page: That's certainly attention to detail. By now, it seems as if Clippard could have moving companies on speed dial. Houston is the latest stop in the reliever's ballpark tour: The Tyler Clippard Era is officially over. White Sox lose ugly to Royals in 14-6 defeat to finish homestand By Paul Skrbina / Chicago Tribune August 13, 2017 The White Sox wore their 1983 "Winning Ugly" throwback uniforms, as is customary for Sunday home games. The Sox were losing ugly in those threads to the Royals, though, falling 14-6 at Guaranteed Rate Field as the visitors posted three four-run innings. A comedy of errors physical and mental during the second inning began the undoing and ended the Sox's 4-2 homestand with two straight losses. The carnage that resulted in the first four runs included four singles, two walks, a wild pitch, a silly throwing error by left fielder Leury Garcia and an out at third that turned into a safe call after review. The ugliness stretched into the third, when Jorge Bonifacio tattooed a Derek Holland pitch over the wall in left-center to lead off the inning. Garcia's misguided route on Cheslor Cuthbert's line drive resulted in a double, and Alcides Escobar followed with a walk. That ended Holland's afternoon after he allowed seven hits, seven runs and three walks in two-plus innings. "I don't even know where to begin," Holland said. "Today was, in my eyes, embarrassing. Not being able to find the strike zone, and then when I did, catching too much plate. It's frustrating. We've been working our asses off to do everything right on the field." Two batters after Holland's shortest outing of the season was done, Whit Merrifield deposited a Mike Pelfrey pitch into the left-field stands for a three-run homer to make it 8-0. Sox shortstop Tim Anderson's two-run homer to left-center in the fifth cut the deficit to six runs. "I've been doing my homework on these guys and understanding what they're going to do to me," Anderson said. "I've learned over the last couple months and have been feeling like myself lately." The Sox scored once more in the fifth on Jose Abreu's single. But after Avisail Garcia singled for the fourth hit in a row, rookie Nicky Delmonico's "oooh"-inspiring fly to center stopped short of the fence and landed in Lorenzo Cain's glove for the final out. Two walks, two singles and Merrifield's two-run triple resulted in four more Royals runs in the sixth to put the Sox in a 12-3 hole. The Sox didn't punch out, scoring three more in the seventh that included back-to-back doubles from Avisail Garcia and Delmonico. But the ending wasn't any happier than the beginning for the Sox (45-70). The Royals (59-58) scored their final run in the eighth when reliever Brad Goldberg threw a wild pitch, then simultaneously slid into home with Escobar.

10 Goldberg looked to have tagged out the Royals shortstop, who didn't appear to touch the plate. But replay ruled otherwise, and the safe call stood. The game ended with Delmonico standing on second base tipping his cap to Royals center fielder Alex Gordon, who robbed the rookie of his second career home run and the Sox of two runs. Most of the postgame sympathy was saved for Holland, who fell to 6-12 and snapped the Sox's streak of quality starts at four. "He's not wanting to go out there to fail," manager Rick Renteria said. "He wants to have success for his teammates, (for) himself. You feel for him." White Sox's Matt Davidson on wrist injury: 'It hasn't been getting much better' By Paul Skrbina / Chicago Tribune August 13, 2017 Matt Davidson's 1-year-old son, Wake, wandered around the White Sox clubhouse Friday night wearing a miniature version of his father's jersey. Davidson has had more time lately to spend with his two children because he hasn't been wearing his own jersey, thanks to a bruised right wrist that summoned him to the disabled list Aug. 4. Not much progress has been made, and Davidson said the wrist will be re-evaluated in the next couple of days. "It's just not where we want it to be," he said. "It hasn't been getting much better. The good thing is, the doctors say one day (I'll) just wake up and it'll be gone. We're waiting for that." Davidson said the biggest issue has been his inability to swing without discomfort. He has 22 home runs, 51 RBIs and a.784 OPS in 324 plate appearances after breaking his right foot in his first game with the Sox last season. He said he feels fine throwing and running. "The way I offered at the pitch a little bit, it kind of exposed my wrist and it just got me in the worst possible spot," he said. "Luckily everything's structurally good. It's just the waiting game that's not very fun to deal with." Still going: Rookie Nicky Delmonico extended his franchise record by reaching base for the 12th straight game to start his career. Delmonico was hit by a pitch in the second inning, walked in the fourth and pushed his hitting streak to 10 games with an RBI double in the seventh. Delmonico is batting.405 during his hitting streak. Extra innings: The Sox bullpen has thrown four or more innings 43 times with a 4.37 ERA in those games. Shortstop Tim Anderson is hitting.320 with three home runs in his last six games. White Sox trade reliever Tyler Clippard to Astros By Paul Skrbina / Chicago Tribune August 13, 2017 Tyler Clippard wore a White Sox jersey Sunday afternoon. By Sunday night, the reliever's Twitter bio, which featured a picture of him in a Yankees uniform, stated he plays for the Astros. Clippard's Instagram account stated the same, and not long after, the Sox announced they had traded Clippard to the Astros for a player to be named or cash. The Sox acquired Clippard on July 19 in the trade that sent relievers David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle and third baseman Todd Frazier to the Yankees. The 11th-year veteran is 2-6 with a 4.27 ERA and 72 strikeouts in 461/3 innings with the Sox and Yankees this year. A two-time All-Star with the Nationals in 2011 and 2014, Clippard appeared in 11 games with the Sox and pitched 10 innings with a 1.80 ERA.

11 His last appearance with the Sox was Friday, when he pitched two-thirds of an inning and earned the save against the Royals. The Astros will be the seventh team he has played for since Yoan Moncada still finding his way at the plate for White Sox Yoan Moncada s double against Jason Vargas was just his fourth hit against lefties this season. By Brian Sandalow / Chicago Sun-Times August 13, 2017 When Yoan Moncada doubled off Jason Vargas in the fifth inning, it was actually kind of important. No, it didn t have much impact on the outcome, but it was a slight sign of progress for Moncada. It was just his fourth hit of the year against southpaws, something that will need to improve for the switch hitter. I feel good batting right-handed, Moncada said through a translator. I haven t faced as many left-handed pitchers as right-handed. I m feeling good. Regardless of where he s hitting, pitchers have been attacking Moncada with off-speed stuff. They know he can hit fastballs, but he likely won t see many until he shows he can lay off junk. My focus is try to hit a good pitch, a pitch that is in the strike zone. Your first approach is always for a fastball, Moncada said. But when you see a breaking pitch or an off-speed pitch, you have to make an adjustment. Coming around This season has been difficult for Tim Anderson. He s experienced tragedy away from the game and struggles on the field. Recently, he has shown signs of turning the corner on the diamond. Anderson ripped his 13th homer, a two-run shot off Vargas, in the fifth, and is hitting.320 with three homers over his last six games. I ve just been doing my homework on these guys and kind of understanding what they re going to do to me, Anderson said. I ve learned over the last couple months, and have been feeling like myself lately. And there s still plenty of power development ahead. I m not fully developed. The power s going to come, Anderson said. As I continue to put good swings on balls, hopefully they keep carrying. The waiting game Matt Davidson can do everything you need to do to play baseball. Except for one important part. I can do pretty much everything except swing. I m working out, running, taking ground balls and standing in on bullpens and stuff like that, Davidson said. Just trying to do as much as I can and doing some front-arm with my lead [left] hand, hitting off the tee and flips. But that s about it. Davidson (right wrist contusion) had hoped to be ready for the Dodgers series that starts Tuesday in Los Angeles but will only accompany the team to the West Coast so he can continue working. Then he likely will head to Class AAA Charlotte on a rehab assignment. It hasn t been getting too much better, so we re going to re-evaluate the next couple days and then go from there, Davidson said. The good thing is, the doctors say that one day you ll just kind of wake up and it ll be gone. Davidson said everything is fine structurally. Sad ending Nicky Delmonico continued his strong start by going 1-for-3 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch. He extended his hitting streak to 10 games and got on base for the 12th consecutive game.

12 Delmonico also came within inches of his second career home run, but Alex Gordon made a leaping grab in deep rightcenter field to end the game. Derek Holland struggles again as Royals hand White Sox ugly loss There will be some ugly days during the rebuild. Sunday was one of them for the White Sox. By Brian Sandalow / Chicago Sun-Times August 13, 2017 There will be some ugly days during the rebuild. Sunday was one of them for the White Sox. Derek Holland struggled again, the bullpen couldn t contain the Royals, and the defense didn t help in a 14-6 loss. Other than Tim Anderson hitting a two-run homer in the fifth and Nicky Delmonico reaching base for the 12th consecutive game, it was the kind of long day the Sox can expect and will have to live through before the rebuilding program takes shape. In terms of mistakes... today and yesterday we had some things that didn t go well and that doesn t play well or doesn t look well and we don t want those things to occur, manager Rick Renteria said. But you continue to address them as need be and deal with them. On Sunday, the Sox had a chance to win consecutive series for the first time since June against the Orioles and June at the Blue Jays. But Holland was ineffective and the Sox fell behind 8-0. Entering Sunday, he was 1-5 with a 7.71 ERA over his last nine starts, and things got worse against the Royals. In his two-plus innings, Holland was charged with seven runs while allowing seven hits and walking three. I don t even know where to begin. Today was just, in my eyes, embarrassing, Holland said. Not being able to find the strike zone, and then when I did, catching too much plate. These guys are going to do what they did today to you when you can t not be in the middle of the plate. It s frustrating. Holland, for all his issues, wasn t helped by his defense, especially in the second inning when the Royals scored four times and batted around. Their first run came on a defensive miscue by the Sox, when Drew Butera singled to left but Leury Garcia s throw back into the infield sailed over everybody, allowing Cheslor Cuthbert to score. After Holland struck out Whit Merrifield looking for the second out, Lorenzo Cain drove a single to left to bring in two and then scored on Melky Cabrera s single to center in an inning that set the tone for the day. Earlier Sunday, Renteria praised the Sox recent defense, but it didn t live up to the manager s words. The Sox made two errors and threw three wild pitches. That followed up a Saturday game that had positives, but also issues such as Yoan Moncada not sliding into second on an attempted stolen base, Jose Abreu easily getting thrown out at home on a double to left and Garcia losing sight of Eric Hosmer s homer. It does seem to come in bunches at times, Renteria said. It s like anything good or negative. They seem to come in bunches, whether it s positive actions or negative. Unfortunately for Holland, his season in Chicago has seen mostly negatives. He dropped to 5-12, his ERA ballooned to 5.68 and he hasn t even been able to eat innings. Since July 1, Holland only has lasted six innings once, and he wasn t able to extend the Sox streak of quality starts to five. It s not beating myself up. I m my own worst critic. And I m not happy with the way I m performing. These guys are busting their [butts] for me, and for me to not do my job is what s frustrating, Holland said. I have every right to be upset with myself because these fans deserve better. I should be doing better. And I m not performing the way that I feel I should be. It s frustrating, it s upsetting, it s very disappointing, and it s very embarrassing, too. Tyler Clippard changes Twitter bio before trade to Astros The veteran reliever, and infrequent tweeter, changed his bio to say he plays for the Astros. By Brian Sandalow / Chicago Sun-Times August 14, 2017 Late Sunday night, the White Sox sent veteran reliever Tyler Clippard to Houston for a player to be named or cash considerations. But well before the trade was official, Clippard might have scooped everybody on his own deal. Though nothing had been officially announced, Clippard changed his Twitter biography to say that he (Plays) baseball for the Houston Astros for my profession and also added a photo of Minute Maid Park, the Astros home stadium.

13 As of late Sunday night, Clippard hadn t tweeted since March 23 when he posted about playing for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Clippard was acquired July 18 from the Yankees as part of the trade that sent Tommy Kahnle, David Robertson and Todd Frazier to New York. In 11 games for the Sox, Clippard was 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA and recovered well from a rocky start of the year in New York where he had a 4.95 ERA. Though he wasn t in Chicago long, Clippard clicked with pitching coach Don Cooper. When I got here I was in a little funk, Clippard said last week. Talked to Coop and Has (bullpen coach Curt Hasler) and it s been working since I got here. Got some results, which is nice, and I feel pretty comfortable. The Sox will make a corresponding move to fill Clippard s roster spot before Tuesday s game at the Los Angeles Dodgers. Royals manager impressed with early stages of White Sox rebuild By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald August 13, 2017 Ned Yost knows all about rebuilds. When he took over as Kansas City manager in May of 2010, the Royals were in the process of adding young players like Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez, Lorenzo Cain and Mike Moustakas to the major-league roster. There were some expected growing pains, but it all came together in 2014 when Kansas City took San Francisco to Game 7 of the World Series. The next season, the Royals won the World Series. Yost isn't predicting the same type of rise for the rebuilding White Sox, but he is impressed with all of the promising prospects acquired by general manager Rick Hahn. "They're going about it absolutely the right way," Yost said before the Royals beat the Sox 14-6 Sunday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field. "They've amassed some incredibly talented players. It's going to take them some time to develop, but they've put themselves in a real position for success in the future. "It's going to probably take them two to three years before they start really putting it together. But once they put it together, they're going to be a real, real tough team in this division." Heading into Sunday's game, the White Sox won four of five and manager Rick Renteria was impressed with their "clean" style of play. The Sox didn't fit that description in a lopsided loss to the Royals. White Sox starter Derek Holland seemed to be rattled by third baseman Tyler Saladino's error in the first inning and left fielder Leury Garcia's miscue in the second. Holland lasted just 2 innings and allowed 7 earned runs on 7 hits and 3 walks as his ERA swelled to "I don't even know where to begin," Holland said. "Today was just, in my eyes, embarrassing. Not being able to find the strike zone and then when I did, catching too much plate. It's frustrating. We've been working our (butts) off to do everything right on the field." Offensively, Tim Anderson hit a 2-run homer for the second time in three games, and rookie Nicky Delmonico reached base safely for the 12 straight game to start his career, extending his franchise record. Delmonico was hit by a pitch in the second inning and he added an RBI double in the seventh. In the ninth inning, Delmonico appeared to hit his second home run for the White Sox, but center Alex Gordon robbed him with a leaping catch to end the game. Davidson doings:

14 Still out with a sore right wrist after being hit by a Marcus Stroman pitch on Aug. 1, third baseman Matt Davidson said he'll need a rehab assignment with Class AAA Charlotte before coming off the disabled list. "As soon as it (pain) goes away, rehab a little bit in Charlotte and be back here," Davidson said. "The good thing is, the doctors say that one day you'll just kind of wake up and it'll be gone. We're kind of waiting for that and then we'll go from there." White Sox trade Clippard to Astros By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald August 14, 2017 Tyler Clippard broke his own trade story Sunday night. The 32-year-old relief pitcher changed his Twitter bio to "play baseball for the Houston Astros." The Chicago White Sox later confirmed they dealt Clippard to the Astros for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Clippard was acquired by the Sox on July 18 from the Yankees in a trade that sent Todd Frazier, David Robertson and Tommy Kahnle to New York. In 11 relief appearances for the White Sox, Clippard was 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA. In 51 combined games with the Sox and Yankees this season, the right-hander is 2-6 with a 4.27 ERA. When he joined the White Sox on July 19, Clippard sounded like a player who had been traded four times since Jan. 14, Going to Houston is No. 5. "It's never easy, especially during the season," Clippard said. "Maybe in the off-season because you're sitting on your couch and show up somewhere else in spring training. But during the season is a little different, a lot of moving parts. It's kind of like transferring schools in the middle of the year, all new faces and friends and principals and so on and so forth." Gregor: White Sox's Abreu is one of AL's most underrated players By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald August 13, 2017 Maybe it's the result of starting his major-league career at age 27. Maybe it's because he doesn't like talking about himself, and speaking only Spanish creates a language barrier. Maybe it's the result of playing on four straight White Sox teams that had losing records. It's probably a combination of the three that -- when added up -- make Sox first baseman Jose Abreu one of the American League's most underrated players. We'll also examine some of the AL's other overlooked talent, but Abreu is definitely on the list. Consider this: The 30-year-old Abreu is attempting to join Al Simmons, Albert Pujols, Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio as the only players in history to drive in 100 or more runs in each of their first four seasons. With 43 games left on the schedule, Abreu needs 29 RBI to join a very exclusive club. He had a run-scoring single in Sunday's 14-6 loss to Kansas City at Guaranteed Rate Field. In Saturday night's 5-4 loss to the Royals, Abreu hit a pair of solo home runs, giving him 21 for the season. He is the first player in Sox history to hit 20 or more homers in each of his first four seasons. That is remarkable consistency, even if few have noticed. Abreu credits former teammates Dayan Viciedo, Alexei Ramirez, Paul Konerko, Adam Dunn, former manager Robin Ventura and the late Minnie Minoso for helping him make the transition from Cienfuegos in his native Cuba to the major leagues. His family has also played a major role in his development.