CHICAGO -- When it comes to Michael Kopech's starts at Guaranteed Rate Field, things can only get dryer during the month of September.

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1 WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF September 1, 2018 Kopech again limited only by rain vs. Red Sox Scott Merkin, MLB.com Will Jimenez get the call? Sox to reveal Monday Scott Merkin, MLB.com Omar Vizquel's lineup cards are a work of art Michael Claire, MLB.com Friday's top prospect performers Mike Rosenbaum, MLB.com Only three starts into big league career, Michael Kopech a big part of changing feeling around these White Sox Vinnie Duber, NBC Sports Chicago Report: Eloy Jimenez won't join White Sox during 2018 season Vinnie Duber, NBC Sports Chicago White Sox deal away another bullpen piece as Xavier Cedeno goes to Brewers Vinnie Duber, NBC Sports Chicago Column: Phillies' turnaround gives hope to the rebuilding White Sox Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune White Sox's decision on Eloy Jimenez call-up risks creating discord with top prospect Phil Rogers, Chicago Tribune Another Michael Kopech start shortened by rain in White Sox's 6-1 win over Red Sox Chicago Tribune Staff White Sox trade reliever Xavier Cedeno to Brewers Phil Rogers, Chicago Tribune Column: Another Red Sox title seems inevitable as September finally arrives Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune At long last, some life from the White Sox after the misery of a rebuild Rick Morrissey, Sun-Times White Sox promote reliever Ian Hamilton after trading Xavier Cedeño to Brewers Chris De Luca, Sun- Times White Sox mum on Eloy Jimenez despite report Tom Musick, Sun-Times For second time in two home starts, Michael Kopech shines before delay Tom Musick, Sun-Times White Sox to address Jimenez's status on Monday Scot Gregor, Daily Herald Kopech's start cut short, but Sox rally for 6-1 win Scot Gregor, Daily Herald Rain shortens another Kopech showcase as Ian Hamilton arrives James Fegan, The Athletic Dadgummit, it s looking like no Eloy Jiménez on the South Side in 2018 Jon Greenberg, The Athletic Kopech again limited only by rain vs. Red Sox Top prospect sees second home start end prematurely due to weather By Scott Merkin / MLB.com / August 31, 2018 CHICAGO -- When it comes to Michael Kopech's starts at Guaranteed Rate Field, things can only get dryer during the month of September. Kopech, the White Sox No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, made his second career home start in Friday's 6-1 victory over the Red Sox. And for the second time, his mound effort was cut short by rain. View Full Game Coverage This start had a little extra meaning as Kopech faced the Red Sox, who drafted him 33rd overall in 2014 and then traded him with Yoan Moncada, Luis Alexander Basabe and Victor Diaz to the White Sox for American League Cy Young favorite Chris Sale on Dec. 6, Kopech pitched three scoreless innings on 36 pitches, striking out one, walking one and hitting Mookie Betts with his first pitch.

2 But torrential rain forced a delay of 2 hours, 9 minutes, leading Dylan Covey to take the mound when the teams returned to the field at 10:05 p.m. CT. Kopech lasted two innings in his Major League debut Aug. 21 against the Twins before the rains came. "I'm going to say a little prayer to Mother Nature and see if we can figure things out," said a smiling Kopech, who next pitches Wednesday night at home. "I had no idea. I even checked the weather before my start today because I didn't want it to go like last time. Unfortunately, I guess the weather app wasn't on the same page. It came pretty quick there." Nerves got the best of Kopech at the outset against his old team, as he threw seven of his first eight pitches out of the zone and walked Andrew Benintendi on four pitches after hitting Betts. But with runners on first and second and J.D. Martinez at the plate, Kopech stepped off the mound and caught Betts trying to steal third. He seemed to find his rhythm after that play. "I know Mookie's a good baserunner, and I knew he was probably going to be a little antsy out there, especially with me being young and kind of a nervous guy," Kopech said. "I decided to hold a little bit longer and figured it was coming eventually. I heard 'em yell for me, I stepped off and he was a little quicker than I thought. About let him get back." "He's able to use his stuff," said White Sox manager Rick Renteria of Kopech's early ability to escape jams. "He's commanding, he's executing, hopefully hitting his spots. He's got a lot of life to his fastball, so he's able to do some things." Even before Kopech went to work Friday, you could count Sale, who is currently on the disabled list, as one of the interested parties in his start. Sale has faced his former White Sox team on two occasions. "I said a couple of times today: I'm excited to see Kopech pitch," said Sale before Friday's game. "I know he's got a live arm. I heard some stories from the guys over there, and he's pitching against his old team, so it should be fun to watch." Moncada's homer off Nathan Eovaldi completed a three-run first inning against his old team. It was Moncada's 17th and gave the switch-hitter 55 RBIs. Covey earned the win in relief, hurling 3-plus scoreless innings while striking out three and walking one. For the season, Covey has worked 9-plus scoreless frames against the best team in baseball. This victory improved the White Sox to 6-2 in their past eight games and in their past 28. "We're all pulling in the same direction, and it's a lot of fun to be a part of right now," said Kopech, who has allowed just one run in 11 big league innings to date. "Since I've been here, we've been a winning team, and hopefully it stays that way for a long time." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Adding on: Matt Davidson turned a close game into a comfortable victory with a three-run home run in the seventh. The 19th homer for Davidson came off Tyler Thornburg and came with two outs on a 2-2 pitch. SOUND SMART Yolmer Sanchez has reached base in a career-high 19 consecutive games. YOU GOTTA SEE THIS Ian Hamilton, the No. 16 White Sox prospect per MLB Pipeline, didn't think he would be active until rosters expanded on Saturday. But when his plane landed on Friday, the right-hander got the word to come to the ballpark and be ready to pitch. He threw a perfect ninth inning to close out the victory, needing only six pitches to do it. "It still hasn't set in yet. Just kind of riding it right now," Hamilton said. "It just happened so fast. I didn't have a chance to think about it. It's still going. It's just crazy. It still hasn't set in."

3 Hamilton arrived at the ballpark around 5 p.m. CT. He had a chance to relax and stretch out a bit during the long rain delay. Prior to the game, Hamilton had 50 text messages after taking an active roster spot following Xavier Cedeno's trade to Milwaukee. He figured that number doubled postgame. "Very nice finish for him," Renteria said. "As you can see, he's got some pretty good stuff. It's one of those things where he's under the lights at the Major League level. Looks like he was trusting himself. Didn't look like he lacks confidence and did what he does." HE SAID IT "It was a good run for me. I know eventually I'm going to walk hitters. I'm not a guy that paints like some guys do. But to be able to stay in the zone or around the zone for the most part the past month or so means a lot. Keeping free bases unoccupied, that's big."--kopech, on his walkless streak ending at 32 consecutive innings, dating back to July 31 with Triple-A Charlotte, with his first-inning free pass to Benintendi UP NEXT Left-hander Carlos Rodon (6-3, 2.70 ERA) is scheduled to make his 15th start of the season, seventh at home and second vs. the Red Sox in a 6:10 p.m. CT first pitch Saturday. Eduardo Rodriguez (11-3, 3.44) takes the mound for the Red Sox. Rodon's nine consecutive quality starts are the longest by a White Sox pitcher since he made 10 straight from Aug. 11, 2015-April 13, Rodon is 5-0 with a 1.84 ERA,.151 opponent's average, 0.93 WHIP, 49 strikeouts and just four homers allowed over his past nine starts. Will Jimenez get the call? Sox to reveal Monday Cedeno traded; Chicago purchases Hamilton's contract By Scott Merkin / MLB.com / August 31, 2018 CHICAGO -- Will Eloy Jimenez be a September callup for the White Sox, or will the talented outfielder's 2018 season come to an end when Triple-A Charlotte finishes its schedule Monday afternoon in Gwinnett? For those and other answers, stay tuned for general manager Rick Hahn's press conference Monday morning at Guaranteed Rate Field. The team issued a statement Friday making this point clear after USA Today's Bob Nightengale tweeted the White Sox "will NOT" call up Jimenez earlier in the day. "No final decision has been made on the entire list of Chicago White Sox callups for September. White Sox general manager Rick Hahn plans to meet with media pregame Monday to discuss the final list after all affected players have been informed of the Club's plans," read the team statement. Jimenez rates as the White Sox No. 1 prospect per MLB Pipeline and No. 3 overall. He is hitting.365 over 200 at-bats with Charlotte, along with a OPS, 33 RBIs and 12 doubles. He hit his 12th home run with the Knights on Thursday. When Michael Kopech, Friday's starter and the team's No. 2 prospect, was called up by the White Sox, the team announced his debut in-game via its Twitter account on a Sunday afternoon. Hahn talked via conference call on a Monday off-day and Kopech started on Tuesday, Aug. 21, at home against the Twins. Cedeno traded, Hamilton joins Burr in Chicago The biggest news coming Friday from Xavier Cedeno's trade to the Brewers in exchange for Minor League outfielder Bryan Connell and right-hander Johan Dominguez was that right-hander Ian Hamilton had his contract purchased from Charlotte to fill Cedeno's bullpen spot. The No. 16 White Sox prospect will be in the future closer's mix. Chicago wasted no time throwing Hamilton into the mix. The 23-year-old needed just six pitches to complete a perfect ninth in the White Sox 6-1 win over Boston.

4 Hamilton, is 3-2 with a 1.74 ERA, 62 strikeouts over 51 2/3 innings and 22 saves in 43 relief appearances this season between Double-A Birmingham and Charlotte. The 6-foot, 190-pound Hamilton combined to limit opponents to a.204 average, including a.198 mark by lefties, and ranks 10th in the Minors in saves. White Sox director of amateur scouting Nick Hostetler has talked about Hamilton since the day they selected him in the 11th round of the 2016 Draft. "A righty. Pretty good slider. Downhill tilt, pretty good action," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "We like him. Hopefully, he'll be able to help us out a little bit." Sale praises Rodon Boston ace Chris Sale was part of the same White Sox rotation with Carlos Rodon for the 2015 and '16 seasons. So, Sale is not surprised by his fellow southpaw's run of dominance since the start of July. "He's well put together and has always had a good arm, and has always had really good stuff," Sale said. "He's had to figure it out in the big leagues, too. That's not the easiest thing to do in the world. He's taken a huge stride in the right direction. "I know they are ecstatic about it. It will be interesting to see him carry that for the next few years. I know what he's got and what he can do and what he's capable of. That's being one of the best pitchers on the planet." Third to first Catcher Omar Narvaez is dealing with a finger issue on his right hand. "A little bit of a ligament strain, so to speak," Renteria said. "So, he's going to get treated every day. He'll still be able to do everything he does. Just a little uncomfortable. It's everything he can do to tolerate activity." Ken 'Hawk' Harrelson took Jason Benetti's spot in the television broadcast booth Friday. The iconic Harrelson, in his 33rd and final season as the voice of the White Sox, will be honored with a pregame ceremony Sunday. Sale is glad to be in Chicago to watch the festivities. "You don't talk about the Chicago White Sox without talking about the Hawk. That will be exciting," said Sale, who still keeps in touch with Harrelson via text. "Hard guy not to love." Omar Vizquel's lineup cards are a work of art By Michael Claire / MLB.com / August 31, 2018 Omar Vizquel made plays at shortstop that were just as beautiful and inspiring as anything hanging in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. So it should be no surprise that he brings those skills into other aspects of his life. The current manager of the White Sox Class A Advanced Winston-Salem Dash, Vizquel busted out the markers to make all of your mid-meeting doodles look like trash: Yeah, some other managers may have calligraphy down, but you don't often see flowering vines and songbirds included on the lineup card, too (unless Vizquel is making them, of course -- this is sort of his motif). Now the only thing to worry about is whether this belongs in Cooperstown or the Guggenheim. None of this should be a surprise, of course. Vizquel is a noted visual artist, who is equally adept in sculpture as he is with paint: The only thing that's left is letting him design the grass pattern in center field. Friday's top prospect performers

5 By Mike Rosenbaum / MLB.com / August 31, 2018 Here's MLB Pipeline's roundup of the top prospect performances in the Minor Leagues on Friday. With a callup to the Majors this September unlikely, Peter Alonso is making a statement as he puts the final touches on one of the better offensive campaigns by any Minor Leaguer this season. The Mets' No. 2 prospect (No. 61 overall) hit a pair of home runs before finishing 4-for-5 with four RBIs and a season-high four runs scored in Triple-A Las Vegas' 11-2 win over Sacramento. The multi-homer performance was Alonso's third this season and second with Las Vegas. Alonso put the 51s on the board with an RBI single in his first at-bat and then extended the lead in the following frame with a two-out solo shot to right-center field. He would add another single in his third trip to the plate before connecting on his second home run of the game, another solo shot, in the sixth. Batting for the last time in the eighth inning, Alonso struck out swinging on six pitches. Alonso is contending to finish the regular season as the Minor League leader in both home runs and RBIs. With three games remaining on Las Vegas' schedule, the 23-year-old first baseman ranks first in the Minors in RBIs, with 117, and second with 35 home runs. In the latter category he trails only Idandel Isabel, who's gone deep 36 times for Class A Advanced Daytona. Overall, Alonso has hit.284/.396/.576 with 65 extra-base hits and 91 runs scored in 129 games between Las Vegas and Double-A Binghamton. Other top prospect performances from Friday: No. 46 overall prospect Estevan Florial (Yankees' No. 2) scored three runs and matched his season high with four hits, going 4-for-7 with a double and a triple for Class A Advanced Tampa in a resumed game from Aug. 12. The 20-year-old outfielder has put together a solid season despite missing time following surgery to repair a broken hamate bone in his hand. In 73 games with Tampa, Florial's hit.252/.353/.360 with 22 extra-base hits and 11 steals. No. 86 overall prospect Blake Rutherford (White Sox No. 7) hit his first home run since June 22 to help power Class A Advanced Winston-Salem past Down East, 7-4. He finished the game 3-for-5 with three RBIs and also scored two runs. Though he hasn't shown much over-the-fence pop this season, hitting just seven homers in 112 games in the Carolina League, Rutherford has totaled 25 doubles and nine triples while slashing.293/.343/.439 with 14 steals at age 21. Astros No. 7 prospect Seth Beer hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning to cap a 3-for-6, three-rbi night at the plate in Class A Advanced Buies Creek's 14-1 rout of Carolina. The 2018 first-round pick has now gone deep 11 times in 64 games across three levels during his pro debut after hitting 22 bombs in 63 games as a Clemson junior this past spring. Marlins No. 3 prospect Nick Neidert did it all as he pitched and powered Double-A Jacksonville past Mississippi, 5-1, in his final start of the year. On the mound, the 21-year-old righty gave up one earned run and scattered five singles in six innings, waking two and striking out three. At the plate, meanwhile, Neidert tied the game in the sixth inning with his first career home run, a leadoff shot, and later in the frame he added a single to finish 2-for-2. Acquired from Seattle during the offseason in the Dee Gordon trade, Neidert pitched to a 3.24 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP with 154 strikeouts and 31 walks over a Southern League-high 152 2/3 innings (26 starts) in He also paced the circuit with 12 wins and finished second in strikeouts. Orioles No. 3 prospect DL Hall tied a bow on his first full season by tossing five scoreless frames in a nodecision for Class A Delmarva. He allowed just two hits, walked a pair and struck out five before departing with 79 pitches (48 strikes). The 2017 first-rounder did not allow more than one earned run in any of his final 13 outings (12 starts) in the South Atlantic League while lowering his ERA from 4.22 to The 20-

6 year-old lefty ultimately compiled 100 strikeouts and 42 walks and held hitters to a.203 average in 94 1/3 innings (22 games/20 starts). Phillies No. 10 prospect Cole Irvin did not allow a run for the fourth time in six starts as he led Triple-A Lehigh Valley past Rochester, 3-1, and picked up his International League-leading 14th win. The 24-yearold lefty tossed six innings of three-hit ball in which he issued one walk, struck out five and threw 52 of his 82 pitches for strikes. The scoreless outing lowered Irvin's ERA to 2.57, pushing him ahead of teammate Enyel De Los Santos into first place on the IL leaderboard. A four-hit, four-rbi game from Pirates No. 7 prospect Kevin Kramer wasn't enough to keep Triple-A Indianapolis from falling to Louisville, 6-5. The 24-year-old second baseman matched his season high with four RBIs, as he plated three runs with a pair of doubles in his first two at-bats and later added a solo shot (as well as a single) to finish 4-for-5. He's hitting.425 with three homers and seven multihit performances in his last 10 games. For the season, Kramer has produced a.310/.364/.491 line with 15 home runs, 34 doubles and 13 steals in 127 games with Indianapolis. Royals No. 21 prospect Brewer Hicklen connected on his third home run in four games and drove in three as he extended his hitting streak to six games Class A Lexington. The 22-year-old outfielder's homer, a two-run shot in the third inning, was his 18th of the year of which have come in South Atlantic League, where Hicklen has hit.313/.379/.563 over 80 games. Yankees No. 22 prospect Erik Swanson allowed one earned run on three hits over 6 1/3 innings to earn the win in his final start of the season for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. One of those three hits was a leadoff home run in the seventh inning by Brandon Phillips, as Swanson otherwise permitted just a pair of singles and a walk while striking out eight. He ultimately posted a 2.66 ERA and 1.00 WHIP, with 139 strikeouts and 29 walks in 121 2/3 innings across three levels. Only three starts into big league career, Michael Kopech a big part of changing feeling around these White Sox By Vinnie Duber / NBC Sports Chicago / August 31, 2018 Michael Kopech hasn t logged many innings in his home ballpark. But he s a big part of the changing feeling around this White Sox team. The club has won seven of the 11 games it s played with Kopech on the major league roster, and while he s only pitched in three of them, his arrival seems to have accompanied a spark to close out the month of August. It s an important thing to see as this rebuilding effort advances. Kopech is still an early arriver when it comes to the wave of highly touted prospects making its way toward the South Side. But his arrival, and that of some young players before him, is supposed to do just that: make this team better. Since I ve been here, we ve been a winning team, Kopech said, and hopefully it stays that way for a long time. Kopech managed to impress again Friday against the Boston Red Sox, even though his second outing at Guaranteed Rate Field was shortened by a rain delay just like his first. I m going to say a little prayer to Mother Nature and see if we can figure things out, Kopech joked. He admitted that there were some nerves while facing the organization that drafted him and then traded him to the White Sox in the Chris Sale deal, and perhaps that explained the first pitch of the game hitting Mookie Betts and the next four missing for a walk to put the game s first two batters on base. But Kopech impressed by working out of that jam, done with the help of a base-running mistake by Betts. He put two batters on in the second inning, too, and got out of that situation, as well.

7 There hasn t been a ton to draw on in Kopech s 11 innings as a major leaguer. But he s showing pieces of the enormous talent that had him rated as one of the game s top prospects. Nerves hit me a little more than I thought, Kopech said. Obviously, my first six pitches, I was a little erratic. That first pitch got away from me, I got Mookie in the arm there. But after I was able to settle in, it felt like a normal start and I felt pretty comfortable. It s a big-time situation when you can get out of a runners in scoring position opportunity. For that to kind of go my way and for me to get back out there and compete the next couple innings, it means a lot for me and the team. It s impressive, manager Rick Renteria said. He s able to use his stuff. I think it had more to do hopefully, I ll have to look at video, but he s commanding, he s executing, hopefully hitting his spots. He s got a lot of life to his fastball, so he s able to do some things. At the same time, the team around him seems to be finding its footing at the end of a long season that general manager Rick Hahn described as the hardest part of the rebuild. It s hard to say that the increase in victories has been because Kopech was close to the majors and then finally got a locker in the South Side clubhouse. But the excitement that Kopech s promotion injected into the fan base went into the team, too. Since Kopech got here, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez have turned in strong outings against two of the best teams in the league. Carlos Rodon has kept pitching in the ace-like fashion he has for months. And since Kopech s arrival, the offense has scored fewer than four runs in just two of the 11 games. That includes Friday, when Yoan Moncada just as much a hyped part of the Sale trade as Kopech was blasted a two-run homer as part of a six-run output. The three most recent wins during this improved stretch? They ve come against the Red Sox and New York Yankees, two teams chasing immediate championships that would figure to overmatch this White Sox group sitting so far below.500. Anytime you go out against some of the better clubs in the league, you want to compete. You want to show them what you're capable of doing, how you're going to bear down, Renteria said. Not that you take anyone else lightly and you never should, but I think it s been fun watching them play over the last month. They ve done a pretty nice job. Kopech s just one player, and one player who pitches every fifth day, at that. But his mere presence is a big deal in this process, and it seems to have helped bring about brighter skies on the South Side. Those are metaphorical skies, of course. He s still working on getting the weather to cooperate. Report: Eloy Jimenez won't join White Sox during 2018 season By Vinnie Duber / NBC Sports Chicago / August 31, 2018 Fans hoping to see the White Sox top-ranked prospect on the South Side before the 2018 season runs out might be disappointed. USA Today's Bob Nigthengale reported Friday that Eloy Jimenez will not be promoted to the major league team this season, which would mean the major league debut for the No. 3 prospect in the game would likely come early in the 2019 campaign. Jimenez has done nothing but mash since joining the White Sox organization last summer, when he and Dylan Cease came over in the Crosstown swap that sent Jose Quintana to the Cubs. He slashed.317/.368/.556 with 10 homers and 42 RBIs in 56 games at Double-A Birmingham, earning a promotion to Triple-A Charlotte, where he s slashing.365/.407/.615 with 12 homers and 33 RBIs in 52 games. Jimenez has been especially hot of late, slashing.397/.431/.544 in his last 17 games.

8 The monster numbers in the minor leagues had fans clamoring to see Jimenez reach the majors as soon as possible, but a switch seemingly flipped this summer, with fans suddenly vocal about the White Sox keeping him in the minors until early next season, with the argument that the team could gain an extra year of control if they wait a couple weeks into the 2019 season. And Thursday, Jimenez s agents were quoted in a piece by FanCred s Jon Heyman, directing ire at the White Sox for employing such a strategy. Of course, the White Sox have not stated at any point this season that they have kept Jimenez in the minors for any reasons related to service time, talking about his development and that of other top-rated prospects in strictly baseball terms. Hahn has said many times this season that there are certain aspects of development that don t show up in those gaudy box scores, and it s impossible to know exactly what the front office is looking for from Jimenez unless you re part of that internal group. The team released this statement Friday: "No final decision has been made on the entire list of Chicago White Sox call-ups for September. White Sox general manager Rick Hahn plans to meet with media pregame Monday to discuss the final list after all affected players have been informed of the club s plans." If Jimenez is to be kept away from the majors until next season, the White Sox could easily gain that extra year of service time by waiting just a couple weeks after Opening Day to promote him, a move similar to what the Cubs did with Kris Bryant in And so despite Jimenez s recent essay in the Players Tribune describing himself as beyond ready for the major leagues, he might have to wait several more months for his big league debut. And the White Sox fans would have to wait, too, another exercise in patience during this rebuilding process. White Sox deal away another bullpen piece as Xavier Cedeno goes to Brewers By Vinnie Duber / NBC Sports Chicago / August 31, 2018 The White Sox traded away another member of their bullpen Friday, dealing Xavier Cedeno to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for a pair of pitching prospects. Noteworthy pitching prospect Ian Hamilton was promoted from Triple-A Charlotte to take Cedeno's vacated spot on the roster. Cedeno was signed as a minor league free agent during the offseason, though his veteran status reflected a potential desire by the White Sox front office to replicate last year's strategy of trading away solid relievers for rebuild-bolstering prospects. Prior to trading Cedeno, the White Sox also shipped Joakim Soria to the Brewers and Luis Avilan to the Philadelphia Phillies, showing a somewhat successful duplication of last year's efforts. Cedeno didn't join the major league team until June. In 33 games, he posted a 2.84 ERA. In return, the White Sox acquired outfield prospect Bryan Connell and pitching prospect Johan Dominguez, both of whom are playing at the Rookie ball level. Hamilton's ascension to the big league team is perhaps the most impactful news as far as the rebuilding effort goes. Hamilton is viewed as a potential important piece of the White Sox bullpen of the future. An 11th-round draft pick in 2016, he has a career 2.54 ERA in the minor leagues, including a pencil-thin 1.74 ERA in 43 appearances this season between Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte. He saved 22 games this season. Column: Phillies' turnaround gives hope to the rebuilding White Sox By Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune / August 31, 2018

9 A year ago on Sept. 2 the Phillies were 32 games below.500 and the rebuild was looking like a bust. But heading into the final month of 2018 they were still in contention in the National League East and in the thick of a wild wild-card chase. No one knows when a rebuild will click, but the White Sox can look at the Phillies model and start dreaming of their own turnaround. All it takes is a strong farm system and a few key free agent signings. From the start of the year we knew the kind of talent that was in this room, slugger Rhys Hoskins said Friday night at Citizens Banks Park. We started adding guys like Jake Arrieta, Carlos Santana, and brought back (Pat) Neshek and Tommy Hunter, and then we add all the guys we did at the (trade) deadline. It s a fun group. We re not surprised. I think we kind of kept our goals small through the whole year, and continually reached them. And we would keep the focus small, and we ended up obviously where we are now. Whether or not the Phillies make the postseason, this season has to be considered a success. It s funny now, but new manager Gabe Kapler was booed at the home opener with some calling him the worst manager in Phillies history. His crime was using 15 relievers in the first two games, and calling on one who had not warmed up sufficiently. Philadelphia is a tough town to play in, or even to show up in, as Santa Claus discovered when he was booed during an Eagles game a few decades ago. But the recent successes of the Super Bowl champion Eagles, NCAA basketball champion Villanova and the resurgent 76ers have made Phillies fans hungry for more. That means expectations are high with the Phillies, even though they re only one season removed from 96 losses. I think that s kind of unavoidable, Hoskins said. But I will tell you this the electricity and the feeling in the city is completely different than it was last year, and that s cool to feel as athletes. That s all we can ask for, especially in baseball, which is a long season. You need that extra adrenaline kick in August and September. This weekend s series with the Cubs is important, but only because it s the start of the finishing kick. They had lost eight of their last 11 coming into the series and needed some momentum. It s a big month of baseball for us, Hoskins said. Obviously we know we re playing a good team. Leading men: It might surprise some to discover the Cubs have the best leadoff hitters in the National League despite going almost the entire season without a specific guy in the top spot. Going into Friday s game at Citizens Bank Park, the 10 Cubs who have led off this season have combined for a league-leading.302 average, well above the second-ranked Brewers.284. And their on-base percentage was also tops at.373, slightly ahead of the Cardinals.370. The season started with the ill-fated experiment of Ian Happ leading off. Happ homered on the first pitch of the season, and struggled thereafter, leading to the revolving door at the top of the lineup. That included the return of Anthony Rizzo, the self-described greatest leadoff hitter of all-time for 28 games at the end of the first half and start of the second. Rizzo s return worked well, and now the man of

10 the hour is Daniel Murphy, who had led off for eight games entering Friday. They all resulted in Cubs victories. Daniel at the top to me has been a difference-maker, manager Joe Maddon said Friday. I know he has not done it a whole lot before, but I think what he has done for our group look at today s lineup and cross that name out and then put another name in there. What do you think? I m just being honest. It s just a different vibe. It s for us and a different vibe for the other side also when they see that name in there or not. So I like the way that sets up. I think he sets a great example for the group. After Dexter Fowler left via free agency, Maddon tried 11 players in the leadoff spot last year and the Cubs wound up ranking 24th in the majors there with a.246 average, while finishing 18th in on-base percentage at.324. The Cubs declined to sign a true leadoff man, and have thrived since without one. The quote: No one talks much about the Diamondbacks, who went into the big Dodgers series with the NL West lead. Well, you have the Dodgers and Giants in our division, and so I think us and the Rockies always kind of get lost in that shuffle, catcher Alex Avila said. Two bigger market teams. Plus I think that s kind of the personality of our team. Whatever works. Three up Ben Zobrist: Cubs utilityman leads majors with.378 average since All-Star break, inserting himself into NL batting race in final month. Christian Yelich: Brewers right fielder one of four to have six hits and hit for cycle in same game; his 11 home runs in August lead majors. Cole Hamels: Front-runner for NL Pitcher of the Month with 4-0 record, 0.69 ERA in first six starts since joining Cubs. Hasn t allowed a homer in 39 innings. Three down Brandon Crawford: All-Star Giants shortstop stopped hitting after the break with.180 average and.236 OBP in 36 games heading into weekend. Gio Gonzalez: Had NL-worst 7.47 ERA, 1.82 WHIP in six August starts, helping sink Nationals before trade to Brewers. Albert Pujols: 38-year-old Angels slugger hit.193 in August and underwent season-ending arthroscopic knee surgery. Has three years, $87 million remaining on contract. The list White Sox second baseman Yoan Moncada had 184 strikeouts entering Friday with a month left. The five highest strikeout totals: Mark Reynolds Adam Dunn Chris Davis Chris Carter

11 Mark Reynolds Fact check According to Elias, the Red Sox on Wednesday became the first team in major-league history to record a hit in 12 consecutive at-bats in an inning. They scored 11 runs on 12 hits in the seventh inning of a 14-6 victory over the Marlins, going single, double, single, double, double, sacrifice, triple, intentional walk, single, single, single, double, single, single. White Sox's decision on Eloy Jimenez call-up risks creating discord with top prospect By Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune / August 31, 2018 Go ahead, White Sox fans. Circle 2025 on your calendar. That s apparently going to be a huge season. While general manager Rick Hahn probably will explain it differently, the only reason that Eloy Jimenez seems unlikely to be promoted in September is so he will be under the Sox s control through 25, not merely 24. The Sox are remaining mum on the Jimenez decision, putting out a statement Friday saying only that Hahn will discuss the roster decisions Monday. But the well-informed Bob Nightengale of USA Today says the Sox have decided against bringing Jimenez to Chicago on Saturday, when major-league rosters can expand to 40, and also Monday, after the Triple-A season ends. Nightengale s tweet was hardly a shock, as Jon Heyman of Fancred recently quoted Jimenez s agents about concern he would be denied the promotion for service time reasons. They re upset and it sure seems like they have reason to be. Hahn addressed the issue on Aug. 20, after Michael Kopech was promoted. He indicated arbitration and free agent considerations would not heavily influence the Jimenez decision, saying readiness would be the key. Oh, really? Most observers believe Jimenez was 100 percent right in a recent piece he wrote for the Players Tribune, which carried the headline I m Ready. He s in his fifth full pro season after signing with the Cubs out of the Dominican Republic in 2013, and this season is hitting.341 with 22 home runs and a.973 OPS between Triple-A Charlotte and Double-A Birmingham. His numbers actually have improved since he was promoted to Triple A. He certainly seems ready for the American League. If anything, the White Sox may not be ready for him. They haven t been able to deal Avisail Garcia, so playing time in the outfield corners is an issue. Hahn and the front office are developing and evaluating a cast of young outfielders, including Nicky Delmonico, Daniel Palka and Ryan LaMarre. Ryan Cordell, a 26-year-old outfielder acquired from the Brewers last year, is pushing to get his look in September, with difficult 40-man roster decisions ahead for the prospect-rich White Sox. Leaving Jimenez parked on the outskirts of the major leagues makes financial sense for the Sox, of course. There is a chance that it could extend his stay on the South Side one season. Still, when a player has dominated the minor leagues, shouldn t his lifelong dream be fulfilled? The calculating Cubs made it look smart to keep a good prospect off the clock when they did it with Kris Bryant, delaying his free agency until after 2021, not 2020, but they were charged harshly by many because the decision seemed unfair in the spirit of sports.

12 Forcing Jimenez to wait until a few weeks into the 2019 season for his debut would appear to be even more unfair than what the Cubs did to Bryant. He s in his sixth season as a professional, with much of that time spent in remote outposts; Bryant was only in his second full year of pro ball after playing at the University of San Diego for three years. Bryant has been smart in not making the awkward situation affect him but any player in that situation would feel betrayed by his organization. It s not a great signal to send to anyone. It might be a tight squeeze in the outfield to let Jimenez get his feet wet, but his numbers indicate he has earned his way to Guaranteed Rate Field. Another Michael Kopech start shortened by rain in White Sox's 6-1 win over Red Sox By Chicago Tribune Staff / August 31, 2018 Michael Kopech can really bring it. Three starts into his big-league career, White Sox fans can testify the 22-year-old Texan brings heat, hope and, unfortunately, the rain. Kopech made his second start at Guaranteed Rate Field on Friday night and it was a flashback to his majorleague debut. He was shutting down the opposition in this case the Red Sox, who traded him to Chicago in the Chris Sale trade when a rainstorm came out of nowhere and sent the grounds crew scurrying to get the tarp on the field. The 2-hour, 9-minute delay was the end of Kopech s evening. He finished with a no decision as the Sox beat the Red Sox 6-1 to even the series at one game apiece. Kopech had thrown only three innings before the rain. That s one way to limit his innings. I think I m going to start saying prayers to Mother Nature and see if we can start figuring things out, Kopech said. I had no idea (it was going to rain). It came pretty quick there. He has thrown a career-high 137 1/3 to this point, including 11 with the White Sox. His big-league totals show a 0.82 ERA, with nine strikeouts against one walk. The White Sox were leading 3-0 when Friday s game was stopped, thanks in large part to Yoan Moncada s opposite-field home run lined into the Sox bullpen. He was the other headliner in the four-player package the Sox received for Sale. That trade is working out exactly the way both teams hoped, although you wouldn t think the Red Sox would put Kopech in the deal again if they had a second chance. Kopech has developed quicker than they envisioned, throwing consistent strikes with high-90s fastballs to set up a slider and a curveball. Kopech seemed shaky at the start, perhaps because he knew he was being watched by Chris Sale and members of his original organization. He couldn t find the strike zone, let alone hit spots, and his velocity was down a tick. That was a good thing for Mookie Betts. Kopech drilled him with the first pitch a 96-mph fastball that hit above his left elbow and then walked Andrew Benintendi on four pitches, ending his 32-inning streak of walk-free pitching.

13 Nerves hit me more than I thought they would, Kopech said. My first six pitches I was erratic. The first pitch got away from me. But after I was able to settle in it felt like a normal start and I was pretty comfortable. However, for the second night in a row Betts got picked off in the first inning. He was heading toward third base before Kopech started his motion to the plate and got hung out to dry when Kopech stepped off the rubber and ran toward him. It was textbook execution by the rookie. That pickoff seemed to help settle down Kopech, who then retired J.D. Martinez on a fly to right fielder Avi Garcia and Xander Bogaerts on a popup to Moncada. Ian Kinsler doubled with two outs in the second off Kopech lining a 96-mph fastball to right-center. Kopech made a big mistake hitting Sandy Leon with a 1-2 slider but got Jackie Bradley Jr. to pop up for the third out. Kopech worked a third inning against the top of Boston s order. Shortstop Tim Anderson ranged a long way to help him retire J.D. Martinez on a hard grounder. White Sox trade reliever Xavier Cedeno to Brewers By Phil Rogers / Chicago Tribune / August 31, 2018 Continuing a two-year trend, the White Sox sent left-handed reliever Xavier Cedeno to the Brewers in a trade Friday. The Sox announced they ll receive outfielder Bryan Connell and right-handed pitcher Johan Dominguez. They will promote right-hander Ian Hamilton from Triple-A Charlotte to take Cedeno s place on the 25-man roster. Hamilton, who has a 1.74 ERA and 22 saves in 43 appearances between Double-A Birmingham and Charlotte, is ranked as the team s No. 16 prospect by MLB Pipeline. He was an 11th-round pick in 2016 from Washington State, where he was the all-time saves leader. Connell, 19, is a native of Panama who hasn t played higher than rookie-level Helena. Dominguez, 22, from the Dominican Republic, was also at Helena. He had held right-handed hitters to a.122 average this season for three teams. Cedeno is the third reliever the Sox have traded this season and the eighth over the last two years. Column: Another Red Sox title seems inevitable as September finally arrives By Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune / August 31, 2018 September finally is here, and despite some tight races and several contenders for the major awards, the only meaningful question remaining in the 2018 season is whether anyone can stop the Red Sox from winning their fourth World Series of the 21st century. At this point, the answer seems obvious. Barring a playoff collapse, another Red Sox title looks like a slam dunk. With 93 wins heading into Friday s game against the White Sox, the Red Sox were 8½ games ahead of the Yankees, the team with the next-best record. That s a Secretariat-like lead, giving the Red Sox a chance to post one of the greatest seasons ever. They had 14 more wins than the Cubs, who have the best record in the National League and could meet them in a Theopalooza World Series. Of course, Secretariat didn t have to start over after finishing 31 lengths ahead of the pack in the 1973 Belmont Stakes. Once the postseason begins, everyone is back to zero, so theoretically nine other teams will have just as good a shot.

14 But it the Red Sox play up to their capabilities, no one should touch them. They lead the majors in runs scored, hitting, slugging and on-base percentage and rank fourth in pitching and sixth in fielding. A recent slump, in which the Red Sox lost six of eight and allowed the Yankees to creep within six games Monday, momentarily panicked the small subset of fans still programmed to brace for collapse. No matter how good it gets, and despite titles in 2004, 07 and 13, some in Red Sox Nation can t wake up from their cursed past. In truth, the eight-game stretch was a meaningless blip in a long season in which the Red Sox haven t been challenged since sweeping the Yankees in a four-game series after the All-Star break. They ve yet to lose more than three consecutive games, and Thursday they knocked out 12 straight hits in an inning against the Marlins, setting a major-league record. That doesn t even happen in Little League, and only occasionally in backyard Wiffle ball games. There are no holes in the lineup. J.D. Martinez is vying for the Triple Crown and Most Valuable Player honors. Mookie Betts is their best all-around player and also in the MVP discussion. Chris Sale could win the Cy Young Award if he comes back strong from the disabled list, and recent pickup Ian Kinsler has ably replaced the void left by team leader Dustin Pedroia, on the DL with a knee injury. With such a comfortable lead in the American League East, manager Alex Cora has been able to let Sale recover from left shoulder inflammation instead of rushing him back for the stretch run. Sale told the Boston Globe his shoulder feels like Paul Bunyan s ox, which presumably is good news. David Price was hit in the left wrist by a 106 mph liner in his last start, but Cora doesn t believe it s a major concern, and Price might miss one only start. The Red Sox entered the four-game series against the White Sox as one of five teams since 1955 to win 93 of their first 134 games. The 1995 Indians lost to the Braves in the World Series, the 2001 Mariners lost to the Yankees in the AL Championship Series and the 2017 Dodgers lost to the Astros in the World Series. Only one of the other four the 1998 Yankees wound up winning it all. The all-time record of 116 wins, set by the 1906 Cubs and tied by those 2001 Mariners, isn t in the cards, so the Red Sox will have to find other ways to motivate themselves in September. The 01 Mariners expended energy in winning 10 of their last 12 to tie the record but then lost the ALCS in five games, having finally run out of gas. A Yankees-Red Sox October matchup seems inevitable, so get ready for the umpteenth replay of Pedro Martinez throwing down Don Zimmer, and Bucky Dent s homer, and blah, blah, blah. Much howling will ensue about how the two best teams in baseball can meet in the first round, and some will call for a new playoff format to prevent it from happening again. And if the Red Sox prevail and get past the Astros or Indians and into the World Series, MLB would like nothing more than the Cubs-Red Sox free-for-all. Iconic franchises. Stars galore. Beloved ballparks. What more could you ask for? The NL is too gridlocked to make anyone a solid favorite, but the Red Sox figure to be there to finish off an epic season. There s really nothing for a Red Sox fan to be worried about, unless it s in your DNA. At long last, some life from the White Sox after the misery of a rebuild By Rick Morrissey / Sun-Times / August 31, 2018

15 It s always nice to see green shoots rising out of the ground a few years after a forest fire had reduced everything to black. OK, forget that the White Sox started the fire with the intention of burning everything down. Forget the gas cans and the tossed cigarette. It takes the whole wonder-of-nature imagery out of the picture I m painting here. Two years after a wall of deliberate losing fire, I mean engulfed the Sox, we re finally seeing life. The recent arrival of Michael Kopech and his spring-loaded arm was a reminder that there s a real chance for organizational success ahead. But it s not just Kopech, one of the first fruits of the rebuild, who is reason for accelerated belief. It s all the winning since the All-Star break a record after a mark before the break. It s winning a recent series against the powerful Yankees. It s the blossoming of Carlos Rodon. And it s the promise of Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease and the other prospects the Sox acquired when all was dark. They ll be here soon (though, in the case of Jimenez, not soon enough). If you re a Sox fan looking for big-picture inspiration, check out the 2014 Cubs. I know: You d prefer to be slathered in honey and used as bear bait than have to hear about the Cubs. But stick with me here. Two years after starting their rebuild under president Theo Epstein, the Cubs finally turned a corner in They went in the second half after going in the first half. The success snuck up on most everyone. At a minimum, nobody saw 2015 coming. We might have seen the possibility of a playoff berth in 15, but nobody saw 97 victories and a trip to the National League Championship Series. It would be silly and unfair to expect that from the Sox next season. They re not quite as far along in their rebuild as the Cubs were in We ve only seen a month of fair success from the South Siders. But it is reasonable to expect 2019 to be much better than 2018 and for 2020 to be a potential playoff season. The debate at the beginning of the 2015 season was whether Kris Bryant should make the Cubs roster out of spring training. The answer was, duh, yeah. He had hit.429 with a major-league-best nine home runs in preseason games and had been named Baseball America s Minor League Player of the Year the season before. But the Cubs wanted to wait the required 12 days to gain an extra year of contractual control over him. It was unfair to Bryant, who had earned a spot on the team, but the Cubs saw the business sense of it, even though they risked a playoff berth by having his bat out of the lineup for two weeks. The Cubs called Bryant up April 17, and a Rookie of the Year Award followed. So did the rest of it, eventually: the 2016 NL Most Valuable Player Award and the 2016 World Series title. Jimenez finds himself in a similar situation as Bryant did, which means he and his agents are angry and should be. He s hitting.341 with 22 homers in 105 games between Class AA and Class AAA this season. He deserves to be in the Sox lineup every day, and he and the team would benefit from the at-bats he d be getting in the majors. General manager Rick Hahn says Jimenez has more boxes to check, but unless one of those boxes is next to named United Nations secretary-general, it s hard to imagination what those would be. There s a chance Jimenez will start next season in the minors for the same contractual reason Bryant did. But he ll be here eventually. As will Cease, who recently drew praise from Sox pitching coach Don Cooper. Someday is coming soon. The manager who oversaw the second-half surge for the 2014 Cubs was Rick Renteria, who is now the Sox manager. He didn t get a chance to see the Cubs rebuild through. Epstein saw an opening to hire the more experienced, more successful Joe Maddon and canned Renteria. Is this where a rebuilt Renteria finally gets his due? Like so many other things about the Sox, we ll have to wait and see. No one knows if The Plan, The Process, The Princess Bride or whatever the Sox are calling their rebuild will work, just as no one knew if the Cubs rebuild would work. A rebuild doesn t equal automatic success.