WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF APRIL

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1 WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF APRIL 20, 2016 Frazier, Abreu go deep to back dominant Latos Scott Merkin and Alden Gonzalez, MLB.com Command, deceptive delivery keys to Latos success Scott Merkin, MLB.com Usually a starter, Johnson bullpen insurance Scott Merkin, MLB.com Slight shift on mound improves Petricka s control Scott Merkin, MLB.com Catch of the day now a staple of White Sox diet Phil Rogers, MLB.com Aces Sale, Richards to face off in Chicago Cory Stavenhagen, MLB.com Mat Latos cruises again, White Sox bats show up late in win over Angels Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago Adam Eaton survived first real throwing test Monday Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago White Sox promote Erik Johnson to be security blanket Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago Tuesday s recap: White Sox 5, Angels 0 Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune White Sox pitcher Mat Latos comes up big again in third start Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune Erik Johnson will work out of White Sox bullpen through weekend Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune Latos brilliant, Frazier and Abreu homer as White Sox snap skid Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun- Times Lawrie: White Sox won as group, must recover as one Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times White Sox recall right-hander Erik Johnson Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times Latos helps Chicago White Sox snap three-game losing streak Scot Gregor, Daily Herald Latos lowers ERA to 0.49; White Sox beat Angels 5-0 Mike Cranston, Associated Press White Sox recap RHP Erik Johnson to help overworked bullpen Associated Press Levine: Mat Latos baffles hitters, confounds critics Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago Levine: Struggling White Sox hitters take early batting practice Bruce Levine, CBS Chicago Frazier, Abreu go deep to back dominant Latos By Scott Merkin and Alden Gonzalez / MLB.com April 19th, 2016 CHICAGO -- Matt Latos allowed two hits in 6 1 /3 scoreless innings and was supported by home runs from Todd Frazier and Jose Abreu in the 5-0 White Sox victory over the Angels on Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field. Latos improved to 3-0, while his ERA dropped to The right-hander, who has yielded six hits in 18 1/3 innings, helped the White Sox end their three-game losing streak. "Perfect. He did a great job," said White Sox catcher Dioner Navarro of his friend and winning pitcher. "He did exactly what we needed him to do, especially us using the 'pen the way we did. We needed Matty to go long and he did an outstanding job." Frazier, who was mired in a 2-for-23 slump over his last six games, connected on a 3-1 pitch from Angels starter Matt Shoemaker to lead off the second and produce his third long ball. Abreu, who had a 3-for-26 quagmire of his own, drove out the first pitch from Shoemaker in the fourth for home run No. 3. "I know that all of the effort we have been putting in showed today," said Abreu through interpreter Billy Russo. "Probably today is the start of what we can do on the offense."

2 Latos held the Angels hitless until one out in the fifth, when Carlos Perez rolled an infield single up the middle. He walked three, struck out five and gave way to Matt Albers after throwing 101 pitches. Shoemaker gave up two runs over 6 1/3 innings, striking out four and walking one. Albers extended his scoreless innings streak to 30 over 27 appearances. That streak dates back to Aug. 5, In the eighth, Melky Cabrera added a two-run triple and Brett Lawrie drove him in with a single to give the White Sox some breathing room. "I don't think he was doing anything special," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said of Latos. "He was obviously hitting his spots. We had some chances and he made some pitches to get out of jams. He just pitched a good game for those guys. Outside of the first inning, when we had a couple walks and had a chance, we didn't get too many good looks at him." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Eaton fires a strike: Adam Eaton's throwing arm seems to be back at full strength after offseason shoulder surgery. Andrelton Simmons tried to test that arm on C.J. Cron's single to right with one out in the seventh, but Eaton nailed him at the plate with a perfect throw to Navarro. "I have to give all the credit to Navvy. He did a heck of a job letting it get deep," Eaton said. "It was a heck of a tag. All the credit goes to him. You can get it there, but definitely catching the ball the way he did and holding on to it with the guy screaming down the line, a lot of credit goes to him and great overall win for the team." "I messed up by kind of peeking to see if the ball went through," Simmons said. "That split-second might have cost us that run. So that one was on me." Stargazing: The Angels' two biggest stars, Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, have mostly been held in check early on. The two have combined to bat just.194, notching 20 hits in 103 at-bats. On Tuesday, they each went 0-for-3 with a walk. The Angels' offense is not deep enough to sustain long stretches of ineffectiveness from those two players. "I know what I'm doing wrong," Trout said. "Last couple of games, I created a bad habit. I'm just jumping forward. My head's moving. When the pitch is coming, it's not letting me recognize the pitch. I just have to stay back, trust my hands. We're working on it." Missed chance: With the bases loaded and one out in the fourth, the White Sox had a chance to pad their lead. But Avisail Garcia -- hitting fouled off a hittable 1-0 changeup and eventually popped out to right. Shoe deals: Aside from the two solo shots, Shoemaker turned in another encouraging start, five days after one-hitting the A's through six innings. The 29-year-old right-hander gave up just four other hits and didn't give up any other runs, putting his ERA at "Obviously I wanted to go out there and win, but [it's a] long season," Shoemaker said. "I felt really good. Executing pitches, mixing it up." QUOTABLE "I go out there every fifth day and I think that nobody can touch me. That's the way you've got to look at it." Latos "Everybody wants to do well. They want their average to be up, but he comes to the park to win games first and whatever he can do to help is what he's doing." -- White Sox manager Robin Ventura, on Frazier SIMMONS STREAKING

3 Simmons hit a one-out double near the left-field line in the seventh, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 12 games, the longest by any player this season. Simmons, who went 3-for-4 on Monday, is batting.278. REPLAY REVIEW Umpires ruled that fan interference caused Cabrera to drop Cliff Pennington's foul popup at the start of the eighth and did not overturn the call via replay, prompting the Angels to lose their challenge and enraging Scioscia. Cabrera appeared to drop the ball on his own. "I still don't know why they didn't reverse that," Scioscia said. "The ball was dropped before the fan got anywhere near it. There was nothing that blocked his ability to get the ball, didn't block his view. He dropped the ball. I don't even know if he hit the fan's hand or not. He just dropped the ball." SAVE THAT BASEBALL The two perfect innings thrown by Nate Jones resulted in his first career save. WHAT'S NEXT Angels: Garrett Richards takes the mound Wednesday for the third of a four-game series at U.S. Cellular Field, with first pitch set for 11:10 a.m. PT. Richards has struck out 19 in 17 2/3 innings, getting charged with only seven earned runs. But the hard-throwing right-hander remains winless. White Sox: On Wednesday at 1:10 p.m. CT, Chris Sale will try to duplicate his complete-game masterpiece thrown in front of numerous friends and family members Friday night against the Rays in St. Petersburg. The lefty struck out nine and didn't issue a walk during his two-hit shutout. Sale one-hit the Angels at home in Command, deceptive delivery keys to Latos success In 3 starts, White Sox righty is 3-0 with an 0.49 ERA By Scott Merkin / MLB.com April 19th, 2016 CHICAGO -- Mat Latos goes to the mound every fifth day with the belief that nobody from the opposing team can touch him. Through three starts and three victories as part of the 2016 White Sox, Latos' mindset has been as precise as his command of the strike zone. "If I go out there and I'm scared and I'm thinking I've got to be too perfect, you wind up walking a bunch of people or give up hits and make mistakes," said Latos, after allowing two hits over 6 1/3 scoreless innings during a 5-0 White Sox victory over the Angels on Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field. "That's the way you've got to look at it." "He's doing great," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "He's just commanding the strike zone, up and down, in and out. He's able to spin one in there when he needs to. It would be one thing if it was four innings, but he's done it over a period of a few games here. It has been great." As a member of the White Sox on a one-year, $3 million deal, Latos has yielded a grand total of six hits over 18 1/3 innings to go with his 3-0 record and 0.49 ERA. This stretch of excellence stands as a far cry from Latos' Spring Training effort, when he got knocked around. But there was a method to Latos' madness, especially with the veteran working on the back Minor League fields up until starting two Cactus League games and one exhibition contest in San Diego.

4 "My game plan hasn't been a secret," Latos said. "It's always pitch inside, and the last thing I want to do in Spring Training pitching against my own guys is run a two-seamer in on somebody's hands and hurting somebody. "Going to the back fields and pitching and coming into a real ballgame, it's kind of crappy to say, but I honestly don't care if I wind up hitting somebody because I'm trying to go in. I'm not trying to hit them, I'm not trying to hurt them. But I'm trying to go in. It's part of the game. It's clearly a different animal." Tuesday's much-needed effort from Latos came after the White Sox used the bullpen for 8 2/3 innings in Monday's opener and also ended the team's three-game skid. Latos has a little deception in his delivery, hiding the ball behind his back before throwing. But there has been no hidden trick to his mound success. "He made pitches when he needed to," Angels designated hitter Albert Pujols said. "We chased a couple of pitches, but besides that, he kept the ball down. He's pretty tough, pretty deceiving, when he keeps the ball down. It's hard to pick the ball up out of his hand." "It's definitely a funky movement. He shows the ball behind his back and all of a sudden comes up over his head like a pitching machine," White Sox right fielder Adam Eaton said. "I'm glad he's on my team." Usually a starter, Johnson bullpen insurance White Sox bring up righty following Rodon s abbreviated outing By Scott Merkin / MLB.com April 19th, 2016 CHICAGO -- In a perfect world for Robin Ventura, Erik Johnson's present stay with the White Sox won't be a long one. And that analysis comes with no disrespect meant by the White Sox manager toward the right-hander, who was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte before Tuesday's 5-0 victory over the Angels. "I hope not, in a lot of ways," Ventura said. "I have confidence in him, but that means we're having another game like [Monday] night if he gets in there." Johnson, 26, has made 16 Major League appearances for the White Sox and all have been as a starter. He has three out of the bullpen among his 88 Minor League games, and will serve as bullpen insurance with the big league club. He did not appear in Tuesday's win. Mat Latos knocked Johnson from the projected rotation once Tuesday's starter agreed to a one-year, $3 million free-agent deal before to Spring Training. But Johnson feels as if he got into a groove after he was optioned during March, resulting in 12 strikeouts and three walks over 10 2/3 innings in two starts this season at Charlotte. "I felt like I was still getting my feet under me," said Johnson of his early Spring Training work. "After getting sent down and taking that down to the back field, I felt like I really came into my own and really stepped it up. I am where I need to be. "Just getting my reps in, and getting my quality reps in. You come into camp, and for me personally, I have to take care of my routine and what I've got to do." Jake Petricka, Zach Putnam and Dan Jennings were unavailable Tuesday after recording 23 outs when Carlos Rodon's start lasted one-third of an inning Monday. Ventura said the White Sox will go with 13 pitchers for the remainder of the homestand, which includes a three-game weekend set against the Rangers after this four-game series with the Angels. Some might view Johnson as a potential rotation replacement for John Danks, who has struggled in his first two starts. But Danks isn't worrying about that make-or-break notion to produce in his next two or

5 three starts, taking the mound Thursday afternoon against the Angels, and the White Sox usually don't overreact to a slow individual start. "To this point, it's get them next time," Danks said. "I feel like if I throw the ball a little more like I did in Tampa rather than the first game, things will take care of itself. "Goals and the agenda stay the same. Pound the strike zone down in the zone. Let these guys work behind me. As far as putting any added pressure, or thinking about anything else, I haven't gotten to that point just yet. I've done a lot of work. I feel good. I'm just going to go out there and pitch well." Slight shift on mound improves Petricka s control White Sox reliever had moved toward first-base side; Ventura laments having to option Shuck By Scott Merkin / MLB.com April 19th, 2016 CHICAGO -- An offseason experiment concerning Jake Petricka's positioning on the mound came to an end Monday during his 2 2/3 innings of relief against the Angels, covering 33 pitches, 24 for strikes. "[White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper] has always been talking about, with a sinker guy to be able to get that inside to a lefty or outside to a righty more consistently, throwing from the first base side is easier to hit that corner," the White Sox reliever said before Tuesday's 5-0 win. "So I gave that a try. "I did well in spring with it. Once the lights got going, I got back to my little more getting after it. I was just pulling balls a little too much off. So then we kind of talked that if you move over six inches, those pitches that are just missing all of a sudden are in the strike zone. It was as simple as that." Petricka allowed one run on three hits Monday, but did not issue a walk. In his first four games, the righthander struck out five, but also walked five. "I was getting strikeouts out of it, but it wasn't the way I wanted to pitch," Petricka said. "It's not a fun way to pitch when you are walking hitters every time you go out there. That's where we just went back to the basics of get to the center of the rubber and just challenge them every pitch. "Now let's roll with it. I'm a ground-ball pitcher. There's no question about it. I have a good ground-ball rate. I live off of double plays. That's what I'm going for. I need to be able to get double plays when I come in, not strikeouts." Shuck moved for pitching J.B. Shuck has done whatever asked over the past two years as a reserve White Sox outfielder and pinch-hitter. But the veteran left-handed hitter was the one optioned following Monday's game to make room Tuesday for Erik Johnson as bullpen insurance. "That's the brutal side of baseball," said manager Robin Ventura of Shuck, who was 0-for-9 in four games. "We definitely need an arm, and he's the guy that ends up going. "Nothing that he has done that warrants it, but you need an arm, and he becomes the guy. So hopefully he goes down and gets some at-bats and can get back up here." Early work for struggling hitters Some of the White Sox hitters, including Todd Frazier, took early batting practice Tuesday. "We need it," said Ventura with a wry smile. "You like it. If you feel like you need it, you should come out here and take it.

6 "Sometimes you do it when it doesn't mean anything and it becomes a waste. But if you feel like you need it to get yourself mentally ready for that day, you do it." Catch of the day now a staple of White Sox diet Hahn s offseason plan to improve defense is evident in early going By Phil Rogers / MLB.com April 19th, 2016 CHICAGO -- Want a little fix that can make your team a lot better? Then don't add a corner outfielder. Take your center fielder and move him to a corner-outfield spot, importing a defensive upgrade to take over in center. It's what the Giants are doing this year, with Angel Pagan moving to left field to accommodate Denard Span. The White Sox made that move as well, and early returns show they're a better team with Austin Jackson in center and Adam Eaton moving to right. Avisail Garcia, challenged defensively, is freed up to serve as the primary designated hitter. The White Sox are playing better defensively, and that's a good thing. They haven't seen the offensive improvement they projected yet they're off to a promising start. They're scored four runs or fewer in 10 of their first 13 games but were 5-5 in those games. "We're playing a lot better,'' Eaton said. "You can tell it every night. Having Austin Jackson in center is nice. I take all my cues off him. It's the same way for us with Jimmy [Rollins] in the infield. He's a guy who has been there and done that, won the World Series and a lot of awards. It's nice to have him and all the newcomers.'' Daniel Murphy tempted the White Sox last winter. So did a lot of other available hitters, and it was no wonder why. They knew they had to fix the lineup that was the least productive in the American League. But for general manager Rick Hahn, it wasn't as simple as importing the best hitters he could find. Scoring more runs was only one thing that the White Sox needed to do. They also needed to catch the ball better, as they ranked 28th in the Majors in defensive efficiency last season. Improved fielding would make the runs they scored matter more often. Early returns say Hahn has significantly improved the White Sox defense. With Todd Frazier at third base, Rollins at shortstop and Brett Lawrie at second base, the Sox went into games on Tuesday night ranked sixth in the Major Leagues in defensive efficiency, according to the Baseball Prospectus rankings. Hahn eliminated Murphy from consideration because of his shortcomings in the field for the Mets. He wanted two-way players who can hit and field their position, and he's convinced he has them in place. With the exception of the trade for Frazier, none of the moves captured headlines. It is fitting then that Frazier is the player who has been showing up in the defensive highlights. But a look at the defensive runs saved of individual players shows that it's the outfield shift that is playing the biggest role in the team's play in the field. Eaton, who was playing through a shoulder injury that required surgery after the season, generated a DRS figure on FanGraphs last season, ranking 21st among 23 center-field qualifiers. Garcia was 16th out of 18 in right field at -11.

7 This season, Eaton has generated a +6 DRS figure in the first two weeks of the season, leading right fielders. That has offset Jackson's -4, which the Sox expect to improve as he gets comfortable at U.S. Cellular Field. Manager Robin Ventura believes Eaton is playing right field like a natural. "I think he's better over there,'' Ventura said. "It seems like he gets better jumps on balls. He seems more comfortable. He's been great over there. That helps. Having Austin in center and Adam in right is a nice little combination. Adam has handled it well.'' Eaton says he's moved around in the outfield his entire life, the result of being left-handed and too short to play first base. He had played the outfield corners as much as center in the Minors with the D-backs but was put in center when he hit his way to the big leagues in Eaton spent much of Spring Training as a designated hitter, allowing his left shoulder to heal. It has been strong in the early going. Both Eaton and White Sox left fielders rank in the top 10 among AL outfielders in the FanGraphs' metric rating outfield arms (which is led by the Indians' Rajai Davis). Melky Cabrera, who has lost some weight since last season, is playing a strong left field. He's first in the AL in UZR/150 (41.4) and third with +2 DRS. This is not the first time that the White Sox have improved under Ventura using this formula. When Ventura replaced Ozzie Guillen in 2012, the Sox jumped from 29th to 11th in defensive efficiency. He and his then-bench coach, Mark Parent, increased the amount of infield practice and paid attention to details like defensive positioning. But they did something else too. They moved Alex Rios, the primary center fielder the previous season, to right field and played Alejandro De Aza in center. They also replaced a worn-out Juan Pierre with 23-year-old Dayan Viciedo in left field. Guess what happened? Rios, who had generated -9 DRS as a center fielder in '11, was +7 in right field. De Aza and Viciedo were upgrades, if not Gold Glovers. Ultimately, none of this was enough to make up for the lack of homegrown hitters. But that team led the AL Central by three games on Sept. 18. Ventura would love to get a second chance to let Chris Sale and Jose Quintana write a different ending. Fixing the defense is a nice step toward getting there. Aces Sale, Richards to face off in Chicago By Cory Stavenhagen / MLB.com April 19th, 2016 White Sox ace Chris Sale has dominated the Angels, especially in his two starts against them at U.S. Cellular Field. Given the way this four-game series started, the Sox are hoping for another strong outing from Sale when he opposes Angels ace Garrett Richards on Wednesday. The White Sox 7-0 loss Monday strained the bullpen after starter Carlos Rodon was bounced after only one-third of an inning.

8 Sale, though, is 2-0 with a 1.10 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 16 1/3 innings against the Angels at home, including a one-hitter May 12, This season, Sale is 3-0 with a 2.35 ERA and 23 strikeouts in 23 innings. Richards enters with an 0-2 mark and 3.57 ERA this season. He will have the benefit of facing a White Sox lineup that entered Tuesday hitting a combined.158 over the team's past three losses. "You go through three games like this, it can get overblown in a way," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "Guys are fine. You just need to them to do things that are going to help you win the game, and you're going to be all right." Three things to know about this game White Sox hitters have a combined 71 at-bats against Richards. The only player to homer is Jose Abreu, who is 4-for-6 with one home run and four RBIs in his career off the righty. Angels sluggers Mike Trout and Albert Pujols are a combined 5-for-28 (.179) against Sale. Richards has a 4.29 ERA in eight appearances against the White Sox, including two starts. In those starts, he went 2-0 with a 3.00 ERA (five earned runs in 15 innings). Mat Latos cruises again, White Sox bats show up late in win over Angels By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago April 19th, 2016 Mat Latos wasn t getting the low strike called, and it resulted in a high pitch count early on Tuesday night. But the White Sox right-hander never deviated from the game plan, and it paid off. Just like his offense, Latos overcame a slow start and continued an outstanding run to begin his White Sox career. Latos pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings, and Todd Frazier and Jose Abreu homered for the White Sox, who broke it open late in a 5-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels in front of 12,093 at U.S. Cellular Field. Latos allowed two hits, struck out five and lowered his earned-run average to 0.49 as the White Sox snapped a three-game losing streak. Nate Jones pitched two scoreless innings for his first career save. Perfect, catcher Dioner Navarro said. (Latos) did a great job. He did exactly what we needed him to do, especially us using the pen the way we did (on Monday). We needed Matty to go long after yesterday, and he did an outstanding job. The White Sox were desperate for Latos to go deep after Carlos Rodon only recorded one out in Monday s loss. The front end of the bullpen was off limits after it recorded 26 outs a night earlier. Erik Johnson was called up from Triple-A Charlotte for emergency use only. But it didn t look as if Latos would last long. With home-plate umpire Chris Conroy not rewarding Latos the low strike, his pitch count soared. He pitched around first-inning walks of Mike Trout and Albert Pujols but had thrown 48 pitches after two scoreless frames. One pitch aside, Latos didn t give into frustration and abandon the plan. (Navarro) does call a really good game, Latos said. I shook him off again and got yelled at. One of these days I'll learn my lesson.

9 Navarro thinks Latos already has and it's starting to show. Starting with the final out of the second inning, Latos retired 14 of 15 batters, including eight in a row. He worked down and on the edges yet again with the fastball and kept Los Angeles hitters off balance with a nasty slider. He s getting to the point where he gets it he doesn t have to be as fine because of the way he throws, Navarro said. He s just got to get ahead and get to work after that. Latos, who only allowed one hit in his first start at Oakland, didn t yield one Tuesday until Carlos Perez singled with one out in the fifth inning. He worked around that and came back strong in the sixth inning to retire Rafael Ortega, Trout and Pujols on 13 pitches. He s just commanding the strike zone, up and down, in and out, White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. He s able to spin one in there when he needs to. It would be one thing if it was four innings, but he s done it over a period of a few games here. It has been great. His confidence has been building with that. Ventura lifted Latos after he yielded a one-out double to Andrelton Simmons in the seventh inning. Matt Albers got out of the jam with the help of an outfield assist by Adam Eaton, who nailed Simmons at the plate on C.J. Cron s one-out single. Albers retired Perez to extend his scoreless streak to 30 innings over 27 games the longest scoreless streak by a White Sox pitcher since Wilson Alvarez posted 31 innings in Led by Frazier, the White Sox offense finally broke through. Frazier who was 2-for-23 over six games ripped a 2-2 fastball from Matt Shoemaker out for a solo homer to left in the second inning to put the White Sox ahead 1-0. Two innings later, Abreu got one out to center just over Trout s glove for another solo shot and a 2-0 White Sox lead. Abreu entered the game in a 3-for-25 slump. But the White Sox couldn t break it open in the fourth. Frazier, Melky Cabrera and Austin Jackson singled with one out to load the bases. But Shoemaker retired Avisail Garcia and Navarro to escape the jam. The White Sox finally broke through in the eighth. Jimmy Rollins doubled to left off Jose Alvarez and moved to third on Abreu s grounder. Frazier was intentionally walked and Cabrera, batting right-handed, crushed a two-run triple to right-center field to put the White Sox up four. Brett Lawrie added an RBI single to make it 5-0. The White Sox have scored 21 of their 44 runs this season after the sixth inning. We can score late, Ventura said. We ve done that a few times. Our bullpen does a nice job of holding them in check and we grind out some more at-bats and get that insurance run or padding that you need. Adam Eaton survived first real throwing test Monday By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago April 19th, 2016 A player with no previous shoulder issues would likely have felt sore on Tuesday after they endured Adam Eaton s workload on Monday night. So it didn t set off any alarms for the White Sox outfielder when he woke up feeling a little uncomfortable on Tuesday.

10 Eaton, who was involved in nearly a dozen plays in Monday s blowout loss, is pleased with how his surgically repaired shoulder fared in its first true test of the season. Eaton, who had nerve decompression surgery in October, was in the White Sox lineup in right field for Tuesday s game. I m a little sore today, but that s something we prepared for in spring training, Eaton said. Made a lot of throws in spring training, not in front of everybody, preparing ourselves for days like today or yesterday. We re good. Everything came out real well, and I feel good. I think if I can survive days like yesterday, I can survive any day. Manager Robin Ventura had already checked in with the outfielder before Tuesday s media session. He said he planned to keep his eye trained on Eaton for the second of four games against the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday. The Angels kept Eaton very busy Monday. He was involved in 11 plays in all, including five in the first inning. Only one of the 11 didn t require a throw as the other 10 were either base hits or fly balls with a man on base. Ventura liked what he saw from Eaton, who spent the first month of spring building up arm strength. Eaton didn t play in the outfield in an exhibition game until March 19. He was warm, Ventura said. He was definitely warm. He got all the use he needed out of his arm. I thought he threw it great, plus hitting the cutoff man, he was fine. He seems to be fine today. I m more concerned about today than I was last night. Eaton actually continued to work after Monday s loss as he and the training staff worked to further strengthen his shoulder. The plan calls for strengthening twice a week, and Monday was on the schedule. Even after a long day, I still went out and strengthened a little bit and made sure all the muscles were all back there, Eaton said with a laugh. Eaton didn t wear an ice pack when he addressed the media after Monday s loss. He said icing the nerve can cause it to tighten up and lose circulation, and they want it to continue to move. Though Eaton s shoulder will continue to require maintenance, he likes how it has responded. He also said most of the leg work has already been completed. The (trainers) did a great job preparing me for days like yesterday so a lot of credit goes to them, Eaton said. Keep everything flowing in the right direction. But realistically, a lot of my work is done out there. I feel like it s really strong. The ball is coming out pretty well. I m happy with where we re at. White Sox promote Erik Johnson to be security blanket By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago April 19th, 2016 In an ideal world, Erik Johnson wouldn t see the mound for the White Sox during this trip to the majors. It s not that White Sox manager Robin Ventura lacks confidence in Johnson, who was promoted to the majors on Tuesday. That s hardly the case. It s just that if Ventura has to use Johnson -- who has started 101 of 104 professional games -- it would require another contest like Monday, when Carlos Rodon recorded only one out before he was removed.

11 Johnson arrived from Charlotte on Tuesday and is an insurance policy after Ventura had to burn through the front end of his bullpen to record the game s final 26 outs. While he can entirely rule them out, Jake Petricka, Zach Putnam and Dan Jennings are essentially unavailable after they combined for seven innings. He s there for a security blanket, Ventura said. After (Monday s) game, you need innings." Barring something unforeseen you d like to stay away from those guys as much as you can. I hope we don t need him. I have confidence in him, but that means we re having another game like last night if he gets in there. Johnson is happy to be back in the big leagues, no matter what the reason. He believes progress was made with his fastball command after he was returned to Charlotte last month. Johnson feels like he s back on track after a slow start to spring. He touched 93 mph on the radar gun on Thursday night for the Knights and sat near 90. He struck out seven and only allowed a run in 5 2/3 innings pitched. Ventura suggested Johnson, the 2015 International League pitcher of the year, could stay with the White Sox at least through the end of the homestand, which ends Sunday. The White Sox are in a stretch where they play 19 games in 19 days. It s a great feeling any time I get the call, Johnson said. So I m happy to be here and I m happy to support the team in any way I can. The White Sox had to send outfielder J.B. Shuck back to Charlotte in order to recall Johnson. Shuck is one of the few players on the roster that has minor-league options. That s the brutal side of baseball, Ventura said. We definitely need an arm, and he s the guy that ends up going. Nothing that he has done that warrants it, but you need an arm, and he becomes the guy. So hopefully he goes down and gets some at-bats and can get back up here. Tuesday s recap: White Sox 5, Angels 0 By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune April 19th, 2016 White Sox right-hander Mat Latos pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings to help lift the Sox to a 5-0 victory over the Angels on Tuesday at U.S. Cellular Field. Todd Frazier and Jose Abreu each hit their third homer of the season to give the Sox a 2-0 lead after the fourth inning. At the plate After Jimmy Rollins leadoff double and an intentional walk of Todd Frazier in the eighth inning, Melky Cabrera hit a two-run triple and Brett Lawrie had an RBI single to push the lead to 5-0. On the mound Latos has allowed one earned runs on six hits over 18 1/3 innings in his first three starts for the Sox. In the field

12 After Andrelton Simmons doubled to end Latos night, Sox reliever Matt Albers came on to pitch and allowed C.J. Cron s single to right field. But Adam Eaton nabbed Simmons at the plate with a strong throw to catcher Dioner Navarro to keep the Angels scoreless. Up next Vs. Angels, 1:10 p.m. Wednesday. RH Garrett Richards vs. LH Chris Sale. White Sox pitcher Mat Latos comes up big again in third start By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune April 19th, 2016 Whth each start he has made this season, right-hander Mat Latos has made the White Sox look smarter for nabbing him on a $3 million deal less than two weeks before spring training started. After his best Sox outing yet Tuesday night against the Angels, here's the 28-year-old starter's line: three starts, 181/3 innings pitched, six hits and one earned run for a 0.49 ERA. Latos tipped his cap to a standing, applauding crowd above the home dugout after he pitched 61/3 scoreless innings at U.S. Cellular Field, and the Sox offense then picked up steam late to pad the lead for a 5-0 victory over the Angels. "Knock on wood, I'm throwing the ball really well," Latos said. "Fastball command has been there. The slider has been really good. I've said time and time again, as long as I'm able to at least get a slider over for a strike, it helps out with the fastball a lot. I would have liked to have gone deeper into the ballgame and give the bullpen a little bit of a break, but I won't complain about this one." Latos didn't allow a hit until Carlos Perez's infield single past second base with one out in the fifth. He gave up a double to Andrelton Simmons with one out in the seventh to end his night. Sox reliever Matt Albers came on to pitch and allowed C.J. Cron's single to right field, but Adam Eaton nabbed Simmons at the plate with a strong throw to catcher Dioner Navarro to keep the Angels scoreless. Latos had allowed one earned run on four total hits over his first two starts against the A's and Twins, becoming just the sixth pitcher since 1913 to win each of his first two starts with the Sox with an ERA below 1.00, according to Elias Sports Bureau. He won three straight starts for the first time since April and May 2013, before the knee surgery that slowed him the last two years. "It makes me kind of happy because of everything he has been through," Sox catcher Dioner Navarro said. "He's a really good friend of mine, off the field, too, so I'm glad that I'm part of it. Robin Ventura and Mat Latos on White Sox's 5-0 win over Angels Robin Ventura and Mat Latos react to the White Sox's 5-0 win over the Angels on Tuesday. "He's getting to the point where he gets it he doesn't have to be as fine because of the way he throws. He just has to get ahead and get to work after that." After the Sox scored five runs and hit.165 over their previous four games, several players took early batting practice before Tuesday's game, and the offense broke out of its slump. Todd Frazier, 2-for-23 in his previous six games, hit his third homer of the year to left field in the second inning off Matt Shoemaker for a 1-0 lead. Jose Abreu also hit his third homer, a shot to center field on the first pitch of the fourth inning. The Sox had gone seven games without either Frazier or Abreu homering.

13 "This guy is just a team player," Sox manager Robin Ventura said of Frazier. "He might have had that stretch where it's a little rough, but confidence-wise, he comes up to be a good baseball player and help us win games." The Sox added on in the eighth inning on Melky Cabrera's two-run triple and Brett Lawrie's RBI single. "I don't know if the results were because of the extra BP, but I know that all of the effort we have been putting in showed today," Abreu said through a team interpreter. "Probably today is the start of what we can do on the offense." Erik Johnson will work out of White Sox bullpen through weekend By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune April 19th, 2016 Erik Johnson arrived at U.S. Cellular Field on Tuesday to join an overused White Sox bullpen, but Sox manager Robin Ventura said he hopes Johnson isn't here to take a permanent roster spot. That's not a knock on Johnson. Ventura said he has confidence in the 26-year-old right-hander, but if Johnson is needed in the long term, it means the Sox pitching staff is having more problems like it did Monday night, when starter Carlos Rodon retired only one batter. "I hope we don't need him (because of) that," Ventura said. "That means we're having another game like last night if he gets in there." Johnson will work out of the bullpen for the first time in his major-league career after taking the roster spot of J.B. Shuck, who was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte on Monday night. Ventura said he expects to keep 13 pitchers through the weekend after relievers Jake Petricka, Zach Putnam and Dan Jennings each pitched at least two innings Monday. "When the lights go on and I step out on the mound, it's all the same game for me," Johnson said of coming out of the bullpen. Johnson has made 16 starts over parts of three seasons with the Sox. After struggling in 2014, he had a comeback season at Charlotte in 2015 as the International League Most Valuable Pitcher. He then went 3-1 with a 3.34 ERA over six starts with the Sox. Johnson was expected to compete for the fifth spot in the rotation in the spring, but he was sent to the minors early after having trouble with fastball command. He has allowed five earned runs with three walks and 12 strikeouts in 102/3 innings over two starts with Charlotte this season. He said his fastball has come along over the last month. "I felt like I was still getting my feet under me (in the spring)," Johnson said. "After getting sent down and taking that down to the back field, I felt like I really came into my own and really stepped it up. I am where I need to be." Extra innings: Rodon said Monday night his best bet moving forward is to forget about the shortest start of his career. "I had nine innings of baseball to think about it," Rodon said. "Tomorrow's a new day, and this team has to win." Adam Eaton's surgically repaired throwing shoulder was put to the test often in Monday's game. "He got all the use he needed out of his arm," Ventura said. "I thought he threw it great, plus hitting the cutoff man, he was fine."

14 Latos brilliant, Frazier and Abreu homer as White Sox snap skid By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times April 19th, 2016 Mat Latos did it again. For the third consecutive outing, opposing hitters were no match against the White Sox right-hander who held the Los Angeles Angels to two hits in 6 1/3 innings in the Sox 5-0 win that snapped a three-game losing streak before 12,093 Tuesday at U.S. Cellular Field. Latos, who gave up one hit over six innings against the Oakland Athletics in his first start and three hits over six in his second against the Minnesota Twins, gave up an infield single to Carlos Perez and a double to Andrelton Simmons in the seventh. That was it. Six hits in three starts, and one run allowed for a 0.49 ERA. I go out there every fifth day and I think that nobody can touch me, Latos said. That s the way you ve got to look at it. If I go out there and I m scared and I m thinking I ve got to be too perfect, you wind up walking a bunch of people or give up hits and make mistakes. With his pitch count at 101 due to a high volume in the first three innings, Latos was lifted in favor of Matt Albers. C.J. Cron bounced a single through the right side of the infield, but Adam Eaton s throw home and catcher Dioner Navarro s swipe tag prevented Latos from being charged with a run and kept the Sox lead at 2-0. Albers extended his scoreless appearance streak to 27 covering 30 innings, the longest active streaks in baseball, and Latos kept up with staff ace Chris Sale by improving to 3-0. The Sox signed Latos to a one year, $3 million deal in February knowing his problems in 2015 stemmed from injury issues. Knock on wood, Latos said. I m throwing the ball really well. Fastball command s been there, the slider s been really good. He s just commanding the strike zone, up and down, in and out, manager Robin Ventura said. He s able to spin one in there when he needs to. After home runs by Todd Frazier leading off the second and Jose Abreu leading off the fourth against Matt Shoemaker, the Sox tacked on three runs against Jose Alvarez with a two-run double by Melky Cabrera and and RBI single by Brett Lawrie in the eighth. You are seeing we can score late, Ventura said. We ve done that a few times. The Sox are enjoying a 9-5 start but it was tempered with three straight losses going into Tuesday s game. They hit.165 with five runs scored over the previous four games. This win had contributions from the starter and bullpen and diversified offensive punch fairly early and late. We just need to stay together as a group, Lawrie said. If we branch off and start to do things on our own we may take ourselves outside of what each individual is here to do. We started this thing as a group, we won all those games in the beginning as a group and it s time to get back on that train as a group. Lawrie, 26, has been a socializing bundle of energy in the dugout and clubhouse. The Sox are his third team, and he said he loves it here.

15 I just know what the talent is in this room, Lawrie said. I know what we can do in there. I ve been with a few teams now, and I m ready to take it to that next level where when I get to the field every day I m not just here to be here. Nate Jones pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth and was credited with his first career save. The Sox bullpen s ERA is Lawrie: White Sox won as group, must recover as one By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times April 19th, 2016 And so it goes with the slumping offense. Most every struggling hitter and the White Sox lineup was full of them going into their game against the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday is fighting his way out of it and dragging the next guy with him. You re down, he s down and now you re trying to carry the load for two. Even Jose Abreu, the Sox best hitter, has been swinging and missing at a lot of breaking pitches off the plate. I think everybody is that way, trying to be the one who sparks it or gets everyone over the hump, manager Robin Ventura said. Just be yourself, don t do too much in terms of trying to overdo it. They re good enough, if they can line them all up together, you put back consecutive at-bats with each guy, it s going to be better. But any guy who thinks they re going to do it by himself, you just can t do it. The Sox were enjoying an 8-5 start, their best since 2008, but it was tempered with three straight losses going into Tuesday s game against the Los Angeles Angels at U.S. Cellular Field. They hit.165 with five runs scored over the last four games. We just need to stay together as a group, said second baseman Brett Lawrie, one of the team s new additions over the offeason. If we branch off and start to do things on our own we may take ourselves outside of what each individual is here to do. We started this thing as a group, we won all those games in the beginning as a group and it s time to get back on that train as a group. Lawrie, 26, has been a socializing bundle of energy in the dugout and clubhouse. The Sox are his third team, and he said he loves it here. I just know what the talent is in this room, Lawrie said. I know what we can do in there. I ve been with a few teams now, and I m ready to take it to that next level where when I get to the field every day I m not just here to be here. I m here for a reason and to get after it. And to have fun with my teammates. This year I ve branched out so much. Lawrie wants to know all 25 players as buddies, he said. He downloaded a translator app to help him communicate with first baseman Jose Abreu, who plays next to him but whose English is limited. I want to get to know him, one of the best players in the game, Lawrie said. I want to be his guy. I ve never had fun with a first baseman like we have. Abreu s average was down to.217 after the Sox 7-0 loss to the Angels Monday. Adam Eaton (.347), Melky Cabrera (.304) and Lawrie (.286) were the only Sox starters above.231. Lawrie s translated message to Abreu would be this: Nobody needs to do anything above and beyond what they re supposed to, everybody needs to take a big deep breath as a group, go out there and have some fun, he said. So let s get back to that. We have a lot of games left. A lot of baseball.

16 White Sox recall right-hander Erik Johnson By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times April 19th, 2016 The White Sox recalled right-hander Erik Johnson from AAA Charlotte on Tuesday, a day after Carlos Rodon s short outing against the Los Angeles Angels taxed the bullpen and prompted the club to bring up an extra pitcher. Outfielder J.B. Shuck was optioned to Charlotte after Monday s game, in which Rodon failed to finish the first inning. Manager Robin Ventura described the Shuck send down as brutal, knowing Rodon s uncharacteristic bad outing prompted it. Johnson, a starting pitcher, is 0-1 with a 4.22 ERA (five earned runs over 11 2/3 innings) and 12 strikeouts for the Knights. He went 3-1 with a 3.34 ERA and 30 strikeouts in six starts with the Sox late last season but had a rough spring, following an uneven performance pattern. He s going to have to work out of the bullpen and he s ready to go, Ventura said. He s there for a security blanket of eating innings. After yesterday s game you need innings. The Sox will stay with 13 pitchers probably through the homestand, which ends Sunday against the Texas Rangers. Johnson owns a 7-4 record and 4.17 ERA over parts of three major-league seasons. He was Most Valuable Pitcher in the International League last season, when he went 11-8 record with a 2.37 ERA. A former second-round draft pick, the Sox projected Johnson as a rotation piece and they potentially will need one down the road if left-hander John Danks doesn t show more in the final year of his contract but he ll need to show more with consistency to be there. I felt like I was still getting my feet under me [during camp], Johnson said. After getting sent down and taking that down to the back field, I felt like I really came into my own and really stepped it up. I am where I need to be. Day in and day out The extra bullpen arm was a no-brainer considering the Sox are in a stretch of 19 consecutive games without a day off. They had one scheduled off day in April (the day after the Minnesota Twins home opener), tied with the Arizona Diamondbacks for fewest in the majors. The New York Mets have six off days and the Kansas City Royals have five. The Sox bullpen led the major leagues with a 1.72 ERA going into Tuesday s game. This and that Todd Frazier took early extra batting practice Tuesday with hitting coach Todd Steverson looking on. We need it, Ventura said. You like it. If you feel like you need it you should come out here and take it. Sometimes you do it when it doesn t mean anything and it becomes a waste. But if you feel like you need it to get yourself mentally ready for that day, you do it. *Wednesday afternoon starter Chris Sale (3-0, 2.35) is 4-0 with a 1.64 ERA and a.158 opponents average in seven career games (five starts) against the Angels. Sale did not win his fourth game until May 28 last season.

17 Latos helps Chicago White Sox snap three-game losing streak By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald April 19th, 2016 Mat Latos continued his early push for American League Comeback Player of the Year honors Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field. Trying to fully recover from left knee surgery and knocks on his character the past two seasons while bouncing from the Cincinnati Reds to the Miami Marlins to the L.A. Dodgers to the L.A. Angels, Latos was still on the market in February. A week before spring training opened, the Chicago White Sox signed the veteran starting pitcher to a one-year, $3 million contract. Three starts into the season, it's looking like a shrewd deal for the Sox. "He's doing great," manager Robin Ventura said after Latos sparked the White Sox to a 5-0 win over the Angels on Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field. "I don't know, surprised might not be the right word. But he's just commanding the strike zone, up and down, in and out. He's able to spin one in there when he needs to. It would be one thing if it was four innings, but he's done it over a period of a few games here." Using a mixture of sliders, sinkers, curveballs and changeups against Los Angeles, Latos (3-0) allowed just 2 hits over 6⅓ innings. The right-hander had a no-hitter going until catcher Carlos Perez reached on an infield single with one out in the fifth. In 18⅓ innings this season, Latos has allowed just 1 earned run (0.49 ERA) on 6 hits. "I go out there every fifth day and I think that nobody can touch me," Latos said. "That's the way you've got to look at it. If I go out there and I'm scared and I'm thinking I've got to be too perfect, you wind up walking a bunch of people or give up hits and make mistakes. Knock on wood. I'm throwing the ball really well. "Fastball command's been there, the slider's been really good. I've said time and time again, as long as I'm able to at least get a slider over for a strike, it helps out with the fastball a lot. I had a really good slider today, along with the fastball. I was able to make pitches when I needed to. A couple walks there kind of hurt my pitch count a little bit. I would have liked to have gone deeper into the ballgame and give the bullpen a little bit of a break, but I won't complain about this one." Latos got early run support on solo home runs from Todd Frazier in the second inning and Jose Abreu in the fourth. The Sox broke the game open and snapped a three-game losing streak with 3 runs in the eighth inning, 2 scoring on Melky Cabrera's triple. Latos didn't pitch well in spring training, but he's been the real deal in the regular season. "Spring training is completely different," Latos said. "It's tough going out to the back fields and not really pitching with adrenaline and facing a lot of your own hitters. My gameplan hasn't been a secret. It's always pitch inside, and the last thing I want to do in spring training pitching against my own guys is run a two-seamer in on somebody's hands and hurt somebody. I'm not trying to hurt anybody." Latos lowers ERA to 0.49; White Sox beat Angels 5-0 By Mike Cranston / Associated Press April 19th, 2016 CHICAGO -- Mat Latos has been slowed by knee trouble. He pitched for three teams last season. He didn't sign with the Chicago White Sox until February, then struggled in spring training.