WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF

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1 WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF April 8, 2017 Holland takes loss in season debut vs. Twins Rhett Bollinger & Scott Merkin, MLB.com Miscues in fourth prove costly for White Sox Scott Merkin, MLB.com Gonzalez hopes to pick up where he left off in season debut Rhett Bollinger, MLB.com Moncada among top prospect performers Mike Rosenbaum, MLB.com Sox lose challenge on fan-interference call Scott Merkin, MLB.com White Sox Prospects off to a rousing start Scott Merkin, MLB.com Knights Pound Out 17 Hits in 11-4 Friday Staff, charlotteknights.com Derek Holland solid in first White Sox start, but still takes loss Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune White Sox rookie Jacob May confident in bright future Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune Friday's recap: Twins 3, White Sox 1 Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune Holland s strong debut not enough for Sox Tom Musick, Chicago Sun-Times Moncada s fast start draws attention Tom Musick, Chicago Sun-Times Derek Holland sharp, but White Sox fall to Twins Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago Chicago White Sox Minor League Update: Yoan Moncada has strong debut in Charlotte Paul Roumeliotis, CSN Chicago Tyler Saladino hopes to set tone atop White Sox lineup Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago Holland makes good first impression in White Sox's loss to Twins Scot Gregor, Daily Herald Top Sox prospect Moncada off to strong start in Triple-A Scot Gregor, Daily Herald Holland takes loss in season debut vs. Twins By Rhett Bollinger and Scott Merkin / MLB.com April 7, 2017 CHICAGO -- Phil Hughes, making his first start since June 9 of last season, allowed one run over six innings and the Twins won their fourth straight to start the 2017 season with a 3-1 victory over the White Sox Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. It's the Twins' first 4-0 start since they won the first four games of their 1987 World Series championship season. Hughes missed the final four months of the '16 season after undergoing surgery due to thoracic outlet syndrome. He allowed three hits with one out in the first inning, including Jose Abreu's RBI single, but was almost untouched from that point forward. Hughes fanned three and didn't issue a walk. "Especially with the starts we've gotten off to the last few years, a 4-0 start is a step in the right direction," Hughes said. "For me personally, I felt like last year was tough, mentally and physically. So I'm happy to start off this year on a good note." The White Sox could have gained early control of this contest if not for great Twins' outfield defense. Byron Buxton, who plays a shallow center, took away extra-base hits from both Tyler Saladino and Cody Asche in the first, a frame in which the White Sox scored once. The hit probability on Saladino's blast was 71 percent and it jumped to 82 percent on Asche. The catch probability was 76 percent and 63 percent, respectively. "We might've won it with our defense in the first inning, particularly our center fielder," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "The first play of the game and with two outs making that catch he did. It's hard to believe he outran that ball and got to the wall so quickly." In the fifth, Max Kepler made a diving catch near the right-field line on Tim Anderson's two-out bid for extra bases. If the ball had gotten by Kepler, the speedy Anderson had a chance for an inside-the-park homer. It had a catch probability of 58 percent. Derek Holland made his debut for the White Sox and was solid over 6-plus innings. He struck out five and walked one, hitting 94 mph with his fastball, but allowed three runs (two earned) and took the loss. "It was a good first start, a good way to get things going," Holland said. "I did everything I could. The guys were out there battling and making plays. Next time we just have to finish. That's what we will do."

2 Minnesota has outscored its opponents by a 24-6 margin to start the season. The bullpen has yet to allow a run in 13 innings. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Timely hitting: There wasn't a great deal of offense for either team Friday, but Minnesota got the hits when it needed them. With one out in the sixth and the game tied at 1-1, Miguel Sano laced a double off of Holland to right-center and scored Robbie Grossman with the go-ahead run. Grossman opened the inning with a single and had two hits on the night. "It was a great at-bat," Molitor said. "Just to foul off as many pitches as he did. He stayed on that ball on 3-2 and used the whole field." E-9: Minnesota might have saved this contest with its airtight outfield defense, but a big defensive miscue by right fielder Avisail Garcia cost the White Sox in the fourth. With Grossman on third and one out, Sano hit a fly ball to right that didn't appear deep enough to score the run. Garcia moved on it, while first baseman Abreu and second baseman Saladino raced out, but the ball hit Garcia's glove and fell to the ground for an error, allowing the game-tying run. It was Garcia's second missed catch of the year and had a 98 percent catch probability per Statcast. "Actually Avi got to the ball," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "it just deflected off of his mitt or he snow-coned it a little bit. He ran a long ways and just dropped it." QUOTABLE "I don't think he's too worried about that, neither am I. I think that those two plays, the play today, and the play the other day he lost the ball right off the bat, it was in twilight. That happens. They happen to be in consecutive days, but I'm not worried about his defense." -- Renteria on Garcia SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Buxton's catch to end the first and Kepler's catch to end the fifth were both rated as three-star plays by Statcast. For context, Buxton and Kepler both make three-star plays look routine, as Buxton was 19-for-21 on three-star opportunities last year and Kepler was 13-for-17. REPLAY REVIEW The White Sox lost a challenge in the seventh, when Chris Gimenez doubled down the left-field line with Eduardo Escobar at first, but a fan interfered with the ball. Escobar, though, was awarded home by the umpires, as it was deemed he would have scored, despite the interference, and the White Sox challenged the play, only for it to be confirmed. WHAT'S NEXT Twins: Rookie left-hander Adalberto Mejia is set to make his second career start Saturday against the White Sox at 1:10 p.m. CT. Mejia surprisingly won the competition to be Minnesota's fifth starter with a strong spring. White Sox: Miguel Gonzalez makes his season debut for the White Sox. His start was moved back by a day due to Wednesday's postponement with the Tigers. First pitch for the right-hander is 1:10 p.m. CT, as the White Sox play their third day game out of four 2017 contests. Miscues in fourth prove costly for White Sox By Scott Merkin / April 8, 2017 CHICAGO -- A pair of fourth-inning White Sox defensive miscues certainly didn't decide the outcome of Minnesota's 3-1 victory Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field. They simply illustrated one of the main differences in Minnesota's fourth straight win to start the season and the White Sox falling to 1-2. Robbie Grossman opened the frame with a double off of White Sox starting, and losing, pitcher Derek Holland. He then moved to third on an errant pickoff throw into center from Holland. There still was a chance for the White Sox to escape unscathed when Miguel Sano hit a fly ball down the right-field line, which appeared short enough to hold Grossman at third. Right fielder Avisail Garcia, second baseman Tyler Saladino and first baseman Jose Abreu all converged, but the ball hit off Garcia's glove and fell fair for his second missed catch error in two games and Grossman raced home. According to Statcast, Sano's fly ball had a 98 percent catch probability. "Actually Avi got to the ball, it just deflected off of his mitt or he snow-coned it a little bit," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "He ran a long ways and just dropped it."

3 "With the infield playing in, you look for those plays as a runner at third to potentially tag, even if an infielder makes the catch, because it's difficult to make the throw with the momentum," said Twins manager Paul Molitor, who added the wind blew the ball fair. "Garcia came in at the last minute and tried to make the play, but Robbie was able to take advantage." Holland took responsibility for the pickoff play at second, mentioning he had put on a sign and thought Saladino had seen it. Saladino made an acrobatic lunge to corral the errant throw. The White Sox defense made some solid plays behind Holland, with third baseman Todd Frazier actually taking a hit away from Brian Dozier on the first play of the game. But the fourth-inning errors directly produced Minnesota's first run, and a trio of great plays from Minnesota center fielder Byron Buxton and right fielder Max Kepler probably saved three or four for the Twins. So it's up to Renteria's crew to clean up those key miscues as they move forward. "Learn from it, figure it out, talk about it afterwards and clear things up," Saladino said. "You can be frustrated about it, but it's also part of the game. You just move on to the next inning." "We battled," Holland said. "You have to tip your hat to the Twins. They had a lot of great plays out there. They needed the big hit and they got it. We have to improve each time out." Gonzalez hopes to pick up where he left off in season debut By Rhett Bollinger / MLB.com April 7th, 2017 Rookie left-hander Adalberto Mejia surprisingly won the fifth spot in the Twins' rotation with an impressive spring, and he'll get his first start of the year on Saturday against the White Sox and right-hander Miguel Gonzalez at Guaranteed Rate Field. It'll be the second career start for Mejia, who made a spot start against the Royals last year, allowing two runs in 2 1/3 innings. But he won the competition in spring with a 1.88 ERA in six appearances (one start), while also showing good velocity, with a 95 mph fastball. "I focused more on the slider and the sinker," Mejia said through a translator. "The slider inside to righties and the sinker in to lefties. I know hitters up are here are better. That's the biggest thing I've worked on." Gonzalez is a five-year veteran coming off a solid season with the White Sox, posting a 3.73 ERA in 24 outings, including 23 starts. He has a career 3.80 ERA in 715 1/3 innings. Things to know about the game With Mejia starting for the Twins, Matt Davidson is expected to serve as designated hitter Saturday. Davidson had three RBIs in Chicago's 11-2 win Thursday. The Twins opted to rest catcher Jason Castro and first baseman Joe Mauer against lefty Derek Holland on Friday, but both will be back in the lineup on Saturday against Gonzalez. Castro is off to a hot start offensively, going 3-for-6 with six walks, while Mauer is 1-for-11. Moncada among top prospect performers Rangers' No. 16 prospect continues torrid start to season By Mike Rosenbaum / MLB.com April 8, 2017 It's been some start to the season for Jairo Beras. After hitting a game-winning two-run home run in his final at-bat for Class A Advanced Down East on Thursday night, Beras, the Rangers' No. 16 prospect, opened Friday's contest against Salem by driving in six runs between his first two at-bats. He recorded a bases-clearing double in the first inning and followed with a three-run homer in the second before finishing 2-for-4 at plate. However, the Wood Ducks' bullpen would go on to squander a six-run lead, as Salem chipped away with one run in both the seventh and eighth innings before erupting for six runs in the ninth to complete an 11-10, walkoff victory. Beras has accrued eight RBIs in his first nine at-bats for Down East, during which he's collected three extra-base hits -- including two home runs -- but has also struck out four times. The 22-year-old outfielder is looking to build on a breakout 2016 campaign that saw him set career highs in home runs (22), RBIs (78) and OPS (.817) while playing in 107 games for Class A Advanced High Desert in the California League. The rest of the best performances from top prospects Friday

4 No. 2 overall prospect Yoan Moncada (White Sox No. 1) recorded the first four-hit game of his career as Triple-A Charlotte's offense pounded out 17 hits to defeat Norfolk, The 21-year-old has gone 7-for-11 at the plate (all singles) in his first two games as a member of the White Sox. On the mound, right-hander Carson Fulmer (White Sox No. 5, No. 69 overall) tossed six innings of two-run ball to pick up the win for the Knights. No. 26 overall prospect Ian Happ (Cubs' No. 2) and Jeimer Candelario (Cubs' No. 4, No. 93 overall) both hit home runs and drove in a combined six runs to propel Triple-A Iowa past Oklahoma City, 7-5. Candelario got the scoring started with a first-inning grand slam and later added an RBI triple. Making their respective full-season debuts for Class A Lansing, No. 32 overall prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays' No. 1) and Bo Bichette (Blue Jays' No. 9) both hit opposite-field home runs and went 5-for-9 at the plate, with two runs scored and two RBIs apiece, to pace the Lugnuts in a season-opening win over Great Lakes in game one of a doubleheader. Tigers No. 6 prospect Kyle Funkhouser was dominant in his full-season debut for Class A West Michigan, racking up nine strikeouts in five scoreless innings and allowing just one hit to lead the Whitecaps in an Opening Day shutout of South Bend. Funkhouser, the Tigers' fourth-round Draft pick last June, issued one walk and threw 43 of his 69 pitches for strikes en route to his first professional win. Mariners No. 6 prospect Max Povse ultimately allowed two hits in seven scoreless innings for the Double-A Arkansas Travelers after carrying a no-hit bid for 5 2/3 frames in his organizational debut. The 6-foot-8 right-hander notched five strikeouts -- he struck out the side in his final inning of work -- against one walk and recorded nine of his outs via groundballs. Catcher Tyler Marlette (Mariners' No. 27) did plenty to support his battery mate by going 3-for-3 with a triple, a double and three RBIs. D-backs No. 8 prospect Jon Duplantier, whom Arizona selected in the third round of the 2016 Draft out of Rice, was brilliant in his full-season debut, yielding one hit in five scoreless innings as Class A Kane County blanked Clinton, 3-0. The 22-year-old right-hander found the zone with 47 of his 74 pitches, striking out eight and walking two. Dodgers No. 11 prospect Mitchell White (4 IP, 3 BB, 5 K) and Alex Hermeling (3 IP, K) combined to hurl a seven-inning no-hitter for Class A Rancho Cucamonga against Stockton in the nightcap of a doubleheader. It also marked the first nohitter in the Quakes' 25-year franchise history. Rockies No. 13 prospect Forrest Wall enjoyed his second three-hit performance in as many games for Class A Lancaster, finishing 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored. He's gone 6-for-10 and scored five runs in those two games, both of which he's started in center field. Picking up where he left off last season at Double-A Biloxi, Jorge Lopez kicked off his 2017 campaign by tossing six scoreless innings in his return to the Shuckers' rotation. The Brewers' No. 13 prospect scattered six hits and fanned seven while throwing 55 of his 81 pitches for strikes. Most notably, the right-hander did not issue a walk after struggling with his control last year. Braves No. 24 prospect Bryse Wilson faced one over the minimum in his full-season debut for Class A Rome, allowing one hit and striking out five in five scoreless innings. Following his selection in the fourth round last June, Wilson, 19, posted a 0.68 ERA and a.172 opponents' average over 26 2/3 innings in the Rookie Gulf Coast League. Brewers No. 29 prospect Trey Supak carried a no-hit bid into the sixth inning for Class A Wisconsin and combined with two other hurlers to throw a five-hit shutout against Quad Cities. The 20-year-old right-hander ultimately surrendered one hit in 5 2/3 innings, issuing one walk and striking out seven while also generating seven ground-ball outs. Outfielder Monte Harrison (No. 22) connected on his first home run of the season -- a solo shot with two outs in the top of the eighth inning that would prove the game winner. Sox lose challenge on fan-interference call By Scott Merkin / April 8, 2017 CHICAGO -- The White Sox lost a manager's challenge in the seventh inning of Friday's 3-1 loss to the Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field. And in the process, the Twins gained a run, extending a one-run lead to the final margin of two. Chris Gimenez doubled just fair down the left-field line off of Nate Jones, marking the first batter the right-handed reliever faced, and Eduardo Escobar scored from first as a fan grabbed the ball while it was live. In that scenario it is up to the umpires' discretion on whether the run would have scored. They decided he would have, prompting a challenge from White Sox manager Rick Renteria.

5 The review determined that interference had, in fact, taken place and that the runners were properly placed, giving Minnesota a 3-1 lead. "Basically it's an umpire's judgment call in terms of whether they believe he's going to be able to score or not, depending on where he was at when the action took place," Renteria said. "It's a reviewable play. "We were in the seventh inning, so I thought, 'Let's go ahead and review it; let's give it a look.' We thought that we might have a chance. Obviously they decided that no, he would have scored, but it was worth us taking an opportunity to eliminate that run." Minnesota manager Paul Molitor pointed out this instance represented one of the new rules on replay. "You can challenge via replay the placement of runners after fan interference," Molitor said. "A few things happened on that play. "Escobar ran hard the whole time. Gene [Glynn] had him going the whole time as the ball got close to the rail. They called the run good originally, and the challenge was to put Escobar back at third, but whatever they saw confirmed that they couldn't deny him that he would've scored so the run stood." White Sox prospects off to a rousing start By Scott Merkin / April 7th, 2017 CHICAGO -- It was a pretty good 24-hour-period for the White Sox as an organization Thursday. The big league team cruised past Detroit, 11-2, with 26-year-old Matt Davidson homering, tripling, driving in three and scoring three. Later in the evening, the future took over in the present at the Minor League level. Yoan Moncada, the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com, had three hits in Triple-A Charlotte's season-opening 9-8 win over Norfolk. Reynaldo Lopez, the team's No. 4 prospect and 44th overall, fanned five in three innings during his Opening Day start for the Knights. Zack Burdi, checking in at No. 7 on the White Sox prospect list, fanned three over 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief for Charlotte, while catcher Zack Collins, the No. 6 White Sox prospect, had three hits and a walk for Class A Advanced Winston-Salem. Collins also threw out Kyle Tucker trying to steal a base. Players such as Moncada and Lopez, who both had big league experience in '16, seemed happy with their White Sox debut. "I hit the ball with authority throughout the whole field," said Moncada, through interpreter Billy Russo. "My legs were loose and ready to run, I took every opportunity to make an impression and to help my team. I was anxious to start the season. I was excited before the game started. It was a very exciting experience with the fans and my teammates." Lopez told Russo that his pitches all were working over the first two innings. But by the third inning, the right-hander couldn't feel his hand because of the cold and started to have some complications. "Overall, I felt good," Lopez said. "It was a great experience to pitch the Opening Day, but pitching in that weather was really challenging." This list didn't even include two hits from Micker Adolfo for Class A Kannapolis, or two hits from Jameson Fisher in that same lineup. Adolofo is one of the organization's top international signees, moving into his fourth Minor League season at the ripe old age of 20, while Fisher is part of the team's solid '16 Draft class. For the past five years or so, the White Sox have been able to watch their Minor League affiliates live from the ballpark thanks to a camera setup. They might have even greater interest in the prospects they have performing this season. "We keep track of all that stuff. There are a lot of things that we keep our eye on," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "Obviously, we try to make sure we're focused on what we're doing here, but yes, we keep an eye on what's going on down there. "How guys are pitching, how guys are taking their at-bats, how they're defending. And then beyond that, the reports that we get that are connected to those numbers, to see if they correlate." Knights Pound Out 17 Hits in 11-4 Friday Moncada, Fulmer Shine in Commanding Win By Charlotte Knights April 8, 2017 Chicago's top prospect, Yoan Moncada, ripped a game-high four hits, Tyler Ladendorf and Roberto Pena chipped in with three hits apiece, and the Charlotte Knights beat the Norfolk Tides by a score of 11-4 on Friday in game two of their four-

6 game series from BB&T Ballpark. In all, the Knights pounded out 17 hits and have now recorded a total of 35 hits in two games this season. Charlotte has also scored 20 runs over the two-game stretch. (UPTOWN CHARLOTTE, NC) -- A night after recording 18 hits, the Charlotte Knights continued their early-season offensive power surge on Friday. Chicago's top prospect, Yoan Moncada, ripped a game-high four hits, Tyler Ladendorf and Roberto Pena chipped in with three hits apiece, and the Charlotte Knights beat the Norfolk Tides by a score of 11-4 on Friday in game two of their fourgame series from BB&T Ballpark. In all, the Knights pounded out 17 hits and have now recorded a total of 35 hits in two games this season. Charlotte has also scored 20 runs over the two-game stretch. Charlotte RHP Carson Fulmer (1-0, 3.00) allowed just two runs over six solid innings en route to his first win of the year. Fulmer, Chicago's top pick in the 2015 draft, struck-out five batters while tossing 99 total pitches (63 for strikes). The Vanderbilt University product earned his third career Triple-A victory on Friday in just his fifth career start with the Knights. The 23-year-old right-hander is ranked by Baseball America as the seventh best prospect in Chicago's system. The Knights scored early and often in Friday's contest, shelling out at least one run in each of the first four innings. Moncada, the number two prospect in all of baseball as rated by Baseball America, recorded his first four-hit game in his American professional baseball career. The 21-year-old Cuban native finished the night 4-for-5 with an RBI and is now 7- for-11 with two runs scored and a stolen bases in two games this season with Charlotte. He's batting.636 in his first two games of the 2017 campaign. Other key contributors on Friday included Danny Hayes (2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI), Nicky Delmonico (2-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI), and Willy Garcia (1-for-2 with three runs scored, an RBI, and three walks). As a team through two games, the Knights are hitting.389. Charlotte reliever Brad Goldberg got the final out in the top of the ninth inning to close the door on the commanding seven-run win. Before the game, Saturday Night Live announcer and comedian, Darrell Hammond, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. After the game, the Knights welcomed their two-millionth fan to the field in just their 214th regular season Knights game in BB&T Ballpark history. The winning fan was Melanie Gordon of Gastonia. After the announcement, the Knights capped off the evening with thrilling post-game fireworks courtesy of BB&T and News Talk 1110 WBT. The two teams will continue their four-game series on Saturday night at BB&T Ballpark with game three of the set. RHP Lucas Giolito gets the nod for the Knights against LHP Chris Lee for the Tides. Gates open at 6:00 p.m. and first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. from Uptown Charlotte. Derek Holland solid in first White Sox start, but still takes loss Paul Skrbina / Chicago Tribune April 7, 2017 Derek Holland jokingly made a confession before his first start Friday night for the White Sox. The left-hander, whose obsession with professional wrestling is no secret, said he was near tears when former WWE superstar Rey Mysterio lost a match and was forced to take off his famous mask and reveal a face seldom seen by fans. I almost started crying, Holland said with a grin before the Sox fell to the Twins 3-1 in front of an announced crowd of 14,004 at Guaranteed Rate Field. Holland can relate. He has spent the better part of the last three seasons trying to rediscover his identity after various injuries cost him major portions of those years, including one that involved tripping over his dog Wrigley. The White Sox took a one-year, $6 million free-agent flyer on the 30-year-old soon after they traded Chris Sale to the Red Sox in hopes that he would reclaim his health and the form that helped him lead the American League with four shutouts in 2013, when he also had a career-high 189 strikeouts and a 16-5 record. He s a horse. He s kind of a resilient guy, White Sox manager Rick Renteria said before Friday s game. I think some of the things that have happened to him the way he works, the way he prepares, he s always trying to minimize, like any pitcher, what might happen to him from a physical standpoint.

7 Holland s new beginning was off to a splendid start Friday. Before he took the mound, WWE superstar A.J. Styles theme song blared through the near-empty South Side stadium. No, they don t want none. They looking scared, No, they don t want none. We some southern boys, With the farmer strength, Ain t nobody man enough to feel the pain. Holland s past pain was eased after his first pitch found its way into the glove of a diving Todd Frazier, who fired to Jose Abreu to retire Brian Dozier. That was the first of six in a row Holland sent down before he hit Eduardo Escobar in his left arm with a pitch to start the third. Chris Gimenez followed with a single before a Tim Anderson-to-Tyler Saladino-to-Abreu double play ended the threat. Because baseball rules don t allow it, one of the two earned runs charged to Holland in his six-plus innings was not charged to the fan who interfered with a ball in the seventh inning, allowing Escobar to score on Gimenez s double down the left-field line. Holland didn t help himself in the fourth, when his pickoff attempt of Robbie Grossman sailed into center field after a miscommunication. Grossman soon scored on another miscue, this one by right fielder Avisail Garcia, who committed his second error of the season. Twins 3, White Sox 1 Photos from the White Sox-Twins game on Friday, April 7, 2017, at Guaranteed Rate Field. Holland took the blame for his wild pitch into the outfield. I thought he saw my sign, Holland said of second baseman Tyler Saladino. Unfortunately it didn t go my way. Still, Renteria, like Holland, was encouraged by the pitcher s performance. I thought it was a good first start, Holland said. I m glad it s over with. I did everything I could. The guys were making plays for me. Hats off to them for that. Next time we have to finish. The Twins were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Holland s final line: six innings pitched, four hits, three runs (two earned), one walk and five strikeouts. And no injuries. Holland strained his left shoulder one inning into the 2015 season and was out until August. He spent nearly two months on the disabled list with right shoulder problems last season. Torn knee cartilage suffered after he said he tripped over his dog cost Holland half of the 2014 season. I don t worry about the stuff I ve gone through, Holland said. You have to turn the page and focus on the now. White Sox rookie Jacob May confident in bright future Paul Skrbina / Chicago Tribune April 7, 2017 Jacob May carefully cleaned the lenses of his sunglasses Friday afternoon. The White Sox and May, of course hope his future is bright enough to merit shades. The rookie outfielder's major-league career was five days and two games old going into Friday's contest against the Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field. What stood before him as he stood before his locker jerseys with his name on them wasn't lost on the 25-year-old who was born in Williamsport, Pa., the birthplace of Little League Baseball. This is the major leagues, where his great-uncle, Carlos May, played for the White Sox. Where his grandfather, Lee May, played for the Reds. Where May earned his spot after Peter Bourjos was traded a week before the season began. "You gotta envision yourself here," May said. "Growing up, I rested my head at night thinking about being a big-leaguer. I did see myself here, but it wasn't something I stressed about. You gotta dream and you gotta dream big."

8 Rain didn't rain on May's parade, either, when Opening Day was postponed Monday. He walked the tunnel toward the dugout with eyes wide for what he called his biggest moment so far. "Todd Frazier told me, 'Hey, man, soak this all in. It's something you worked for your whole life. Enjoy it,'" May said. "When they're calling our name out there and we're under the lights. I know we didn't get to play, but it was a great feeling to hear your name called. That was my first real feeling like, 'This is amazing.'" May's sacrifice bunt Thursday was his second big-league RBI and drove in the first off 11 White Sox runs. May was hitless in six at-bats going into Friday. But he has a feeling his time is coming. "Hopefully I can stay here and help this team win," he said. Hit man: Yoan Moncada, the prized piece acquired by the White Sox in the trade that sent Chris Sale to the Red Sox, had three singles Thursday in his debut for Triple-A Charlotte. He followed that Friday with four singles in five at-bats. "I hit the ball with authority throughout the whole field," Moncada said before Friday's game through a White Sox interpreter. "I took every opportunity to make an impression and help my team. I was anxious to start the season." Friday's recap: Twins 3, White Sox 1 Paul Skrbina / Chicago Tribune April7, 2017 Three consecutive singles in the first inning produced the White Sox s only run Friday during a 3-1 loss to the Twins at Guaranteed Rate Field. Tim Anderson, Melky Cabrera and Jose Abreu accounted for those hits, with Abreu driving in Anderson for an early 1-0 lead that lasted until the fourth. The Twins, who lost nine in a row to start last season, are 4-0 for the first time since 1987, when they won the World Series. The White Sox are 1-2. At the plate: Cabrera had two hits for the White Sox, who managed just four after the first inning. On the mound: Holland allowed three runs (two earned), four hits, one walk and struck out five for the White Sox. In the field: White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier made a diving play to his left on Holland s first pitch to retire Brian Dozier. Right fielder Avisail Garcia made his second error of the season in the fourth, when Holland also made one, to allow the Twins their first run. Abreu was charged with an error in the fifth. He said it: For me to start thinking that far ahead wouldn't be prudent. White Sox manager Rick Renteria on calling up Yoan Moncada, who has seven hits in his first two minor-league games. Up next: Vs. Twins, 1:10 p.m. Saturday, CSN. RH Miguel Gonzalez (5-8, 3.73 in 2016) vs. LH Adalberto Mejia (0-0, 7.71 ERA in 2016). Holland s strong debut not enough for Sox Tom Musick / Chicago Sun Times April 7, 2017 Left-hander Derek Holland is high-energy no matter what day it is. So when he made his White Sox debut against the Twins, his inner drive hit another gear. Holland knew he needed to channel his nervousness into nastiness on the mound. I ve pitched in big games before, Holland said. To worry about that kind of stuff is nothing. You have to stay focused no matter what. The big thing is attack the zone and let the defense make the plays. Try to, at least. If not for Holland, the outcome would ve been more lopsided. He limited the Twins to three runs (two earned) in six-plus innings. He allowed four hits, walked one and fanned five to earn a quality start. He helped minimize the damage, manager Rick Renteria said. He did a nice job. He kept us in the ballgame.

9 Until Friday, Holland had pitched all 179 games of his career for the Rangers. He racked up 16 wins, including four shutouts, as a 24-year-old in 2011, which ended with a trip to the World Series. But injuries to his left knee and left shoulder caused Holland to miss significant portions of the last three seasons. The Sox signed Holland to a one-year, $6 million contract in December. The deal was a good fit for a team looking for a short-term commitment and a pitcher seeking an opportunity to revive his career. I don t sit and worry about stuff I ve gone through, Holland said. I m focused on the now. These guys have done a good job of keeping me where I need to be. The Sox gave Holland a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by Jose Abreu in the first inning. But the advantage was short-lived as the Twins capitalized on an errant pickoff throw by Holland and a dropped fly ball by Avisail Garcia to even the score in the fourth. He ran a long ways and just dropped it, Renteria said. Minnesota pulled ahead 2-1 on a hard-hit double by Miguel Sano in the sixth. Renteria removed Holland after he walked Eduardo Escobar to lead off the seventh. Holland received a warm ovation from an announced crowd of 14,004, and teammates greeted him with high-fives in the dugout. Moments later, the walk proved costly. Reliever Nate Jones surrendered a double down the left-field line to Chris Gimenez, and the umpires allowed Escobar to score from first base after a fan clutching a beer reached over the railing and grabbed the fair ball with his free hand. Renteria asked for a video review, which confirmed the ruling and made it 3-1. We thought that we might have a chance, Renteria said. Obviously, they decided that he would have scored [without fan interference]. But it was worth us taking an opportunity to eliminate that run. Holland said he had command of all his pitches with the exception of the one that hit Escobar in the third. He blamed himself for miscommunicating with Tyler Saladino on a pickoff throw to second base that was not covered. It was a good first start, way to get things going, Holland said. I m glad it s over with, too. I did everything I could. The guys were out there battling and making plays. Next time, we just have to finish. Moncada s fast start draws attention White Sox top prospect Yoan Moncada is off to a hot start at Class AAA Charlotte. Tom Musick / Chicago Sun Times April 7, 2017 The 21-year-old second baseman went 3-for-6 with a walk and two runs scored in his season debut Thursday for the Knights. He followed that performance with a single in his first at-bat Friday. It didn t take long for Moncada s minor-league reports to reach Sox manager Rick Renteria. We keep track of all that stuff, Renteria said. There are a lot of things that we keep our eye on. Obviously, we try to make sure we re focused on what we re doing here. But we keep an eye on what s going on down there, how guys are pitching, how guys are taking their at-bats, how they re defending. Right-hander Reynaldo Lopez allowed two earned runs in three innings in his debut at Charlotte. Meanwhile, 2016 firstround pick Zack Collins went 3-for-4 with two doubles at Class A Winston-Salem. Renteria downplayed a question about whether Moncada s fast start made him more eager to see the talented switch hitter called up to the majors. I m glad that he got three hits, Renteria said. I m glad that he s moving forward. I think for me to start thinking that far ahead wouldn t be prudent. I think it doesn t serve me in any way, shape or form at this particular time with what we re trying to do with the guys that are here.

10 Moncada said he felt good after his first game at Charlotte. I felt really good with my bat, with my swing, Moncada said through an interpreter. I hit the ball with authority throughout the whole field. Different view Rookie Jacob May embraced a bench role Friday after making back-to-back starts in center field to open the season. It s a little bit different, said May, 25, who played 359 games in the minors before making his major-league debut Tuesday. You ve got to stay loose and keep your legs warm. I got a little bit of experience [coming off the bench] this spring, so that helped a lot just getting used to staying in the game mentally and in between innings making sure you are stretching and stuff like that. Throughout my career, I ve pretty much started. But I ll do anything to help the team win. Leury Garcia started in center field against the Twins. Obviously, you re not a golfer Several hours before the first pitch, third baseman Matt Davidson stopped in front of the clubhouse television and watched a couple of minutes of the Dodgers-Rockies game. Why not watch the Masters tournament? Some of them like to watch it, Davidson said of his teammates. I don t watch golf. That thing bores me to death. Davidson smiled when he was asked for a pick to win the tournament. I couldn t even tell you who s leading the Masters right now, he said. Here s a hint: It s not Davidson. I play golf about once a year, and I shoot about 150, he said. Derek Holland sharp, but White Sox fall to Twins By Dan Hayes / Chicago Sun Times April 7, 2017 The White Sox couldn't have asked for much more from Derek Holland on Friday night. Their defense, that's a different story. Holland looked sharp in his 2017 debut, but the Minnesota Twins played great defense and the White Sox didn't as they fell 3-1 in front of 14,004 at Guaranteed Rate Field. After spending his entire career with the Texas Rangers, Holland allowed three runs (two earned) and four hits in six-plus innings in his White Sox debut. The White Sox made three errors in the loss. "It was a good first start, way to get things going," Holland said. "I'm glad it was over with too, the first start. I did everything I could. "I thought I had good control of everything. One pitch is the only thing that got away, when I hit (Eduardo) Escobar. Other than that, hats off to those guys." The White Sox acquired Holland on a one-year, $6-million deal in December with the idea of helping him rebound and potentially trading him sometime this summer. They had a vacancy in their rotation created by the departure of Chris Sale and were headed towards a rebuild.

11 From the time he signed and throughout the spring Holland said he was excited to pitch for Don Cooper and to find the health that has evaded him since Holland thought the issues that limited him to 38 games (35 starts) were a thing of the past. The left-hander looked pretty convincing in his first turn. Not only was Holland efficient, he worked quickly. He retired the first six batters he faced and then escaped a third-inning jam unscathed with the help of a double play. "(Holland) was throwing the ball well," second baseman Tyler Saladino said. "Made a lot of good pitches, got out of some jams there when we really needed it, too. Some good double plays. Overall, it was a really good game for him." Holland may have done the same in the fourth inning had it not been for his defense. The pitcher allowed a leadoff double to Robbie Grossman before striking out Byron Buxton. Grossman then advanced to third on an errant pickoff throw by Holland one of two consecutive miscommunications by the White Sox. The latter arrived on Miguel Sano's lazy fly ball to right that should have been caught. But with Jose Abreu and Tyler Saladino converging on him, Avisail Garcia dropped the ball, which allowed the tying run to score. Garcia also made an error in Thursday's victory. Sano doubled in the go-ahead run off Holland in the sixth inning. Holland exited after he walked the leadoff man in the seventh, the only free pass he issued. Holland threw strikes on 59 of 93 pitches and struck out five. But Nate Jones couldn't prevent the inherited runner from scoring. Chris Gimenez doubled down the left-field line and a fan interfered with the play. Plate ump Chris Guccione awarded Eduardo Escobar to score from first on the interference. "We had a couple of miscues on our side," manager Rick Renteria said. "But it seemed like (Holland) was able to minimize the damage regardless of those particular situations. "He was attacking the strike zone. I think he helped minimize damage. He did a nice job. He kept us in the ballgame." The White Sox ran into some stellar defense by the Twins outfield. Buxton took hits away from Tyler Saladino and Cody Asche in the first inning. Saladino's ball had a 71 percent chance of becoming a hit and Asche's was 82 percent, according to Baseball Savant. If either had fallen the White Sox may have taken a huge early lead against Phil Hughes. As it were, they scored a run on three straight singles by Tim Anderson, Cabrera and Jose Abreu. Right fielder Max Kepler robbed Tim Anderson of at least a run-scoring double to end the fifth inning with a diving grab. And Eddie Rosario made a leaping catch at the wall in the sixth to take extra bases away from Todd Frazier. At least White Sox five batted balls with better than 40 percent chance of being a hit were caught by the Twins. "That's a heck of a couple plays there," Saladino said. "That's going to happen. (Buxton) can fly, cover ground. "Yeah, it could have gone otherwise, but that's part of baseball." White Sox Minor League Update: Yoan Moncada has strong debut in Charlotte By Paul Roumeliotis / CSN Chicago April 7, 2017 After a strong finish to spring training, Yoan Moncada picked up right where he left off in his Charlotte Knights debut. The No. 2 MLB prospect went 3-for-5 with three singles, two runs, a stolen base and a walk on Thursday in Triple-A Charlotte's 9-8 win in 11 innings over the Norfolk Tides. "It was a good game," Moncada said. "It was a good way to start the season. I felt really good with my bat, with my swing. I hit the ball with authority throughout the whole field. My legs were loose and ready to run, I took every opportunity to make an impression and to help my team. "I was anxious to start the season. I was excited before the game started. It was a very exciting experience with the fans and my teammates."

12 In his final seven spring training games, Moncada went 10-for-22 with three doubles, three home runs and 11 RBIs. It's the kind of production the White Sox are banking on for when he reaches The Show one day in Chicago. Though manager Rick Renteria was thrilled to see Moncada have a nice debut, he isn't thinking ahead about what it d be like to coach the team's top prospect just yet. "I'm glad that he got three hits last night," Renteria said. "I'm glad that he's moving forward. I think for me to start thinking that far ahead wouldn't be prudent. I think it doesn't serve me in any way, shape or form at this particular time with what we're trying to do with the guys that are here." The White Sox No. 4 prospect, Reynaldo Lopez, started Thursday's game and pitched three innings. He allowed three hits, four runs (two earned), a home run and three walks while striking out five. Lopez said he enjoyed the Opening Day experience with his new club, but admitted that playing in cold and windy weather made things challenging for him. "I felt good," Lopez said. "The first two innings I felt all my pitches were sharp, but in the third I couldn't feel my hand because of the cold weather, and then I started to have some complications. But overall, I felt good." Zack Burdi made an appearance for the Knights as well. The Downers Grove-native pitched 1 2/3 innings with three strikeouts and a walk. In Single-A Winston-Salem, Zack Collins had himself a day for the Dash. The 10th overall pick of the 2016 draft went 3- for-4 with two doubles, two runs, and a walk. Luis Alexander Basabe, the team's No. 8 rated prospect, went 0-for-5 with three strikeouts. While Renteria has his own club to manage, he keeps a close eye on how his young talent is doing at the minor-league level. "We keep track of all that stuff," Renteria said. "There are a lot of things that we keep our eye on. Obviously, we try to make sure we're focused on what we're doing here but yes, we keep an eye on what's going on down there, how guys are pitching, how guys are taking their at-bats, how they're defending. "And then beyond that, the reports that we get that are connected to those numbers, to see if they correlate." With the 2016 MLB Draft and the returns the White Sox received from the trades of Chris Sale and Adam Eaton, the team s farm system has vastly improved from this time a year ago. Given that the team is in rebuild mode, it's easy to assume that the White Sox could be following their top prospects closer than usual. But Renteria is approaching it the same way he did in "I can't speak to that because I wasn't in that office doing those things," Renteria said. "I can tell you for most organizations it's pretty consistent, everybody kind of keeps abreast of what's going on within their organization, in their system. I don't think it probably was any different for us than what it's going to be this year." Tyler Saladino hopes to set tone atop White Sox lineup By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago April 7, 2017 Tyler Saladino hasn't consistently hit in the leadoff spot since high school but he remembers the approach he took. The second baseman said before Friday's game that before this week he'd only hit leadoff sparingly at Triple-A Charlotte. But Saladino, who got his third straight start atop the lineup against the Minnesota Twins on Friday, feels comfortable. Through the team's first two games, Saladino had a pair of hits in seven at-bats and walked three times. "I always felt like if I'm getting on base it's setting the tone so I kind of take that into the approach," Saladino said. "Even if the first at-bat is the only time I lead off, I still like to look at it as top of the order. The lineup is coming back up and whether or it's the third, fifth, seven or ninth, still could set the tone for what's about to come through our lineup. I just try to approach it like that and try and be a tough out and make the pitchers work. I figure if I can make them work hard and ultimately get on base after making them work for it then it might feed into how the next guy gets set up."

13 Saladino isn't your prototypical leadoff hitter. While he carried a.351 on-base percentage in the minor leagues, it hasn't translated yet to the majors. Saladino finished the 2016 season with a.315 OBP and stands at.298 for his career. But the White Sox 25-man roster is short on prototypical leadoff types after the trade of Adam Eaton over the winter. Peter Bourjos looked like he might be a candidate before the club traded him last month. And Jacob May potentially could be one, but Rick Renteria isn t ready to put a rookie there just yet. So he arrived at Saladino. "He's a baseball player," Renteria said. "I think if I hit him ninth, he wouldn't care if I hit him ninth as long as he played. He's going to give you as good of an at-bat as anybody can give you regardless of the slot he's hitting in. I think that's where, as baseball players, we have to come to grips with it doesn't matter what slot you hit in in the lineup as long as you go out there and do what you're supposed to do and keep the line moving. I hope that's kind of the mentality that we're looking at trying to develop. But obviously you try to put those guys in the best situation that you possibly can put them in to be advantageous to your club." Saladino learned he'd be the leadoff man when he arrived at the park on Opening Day. He believes it's the byproduct of a spring in which he slashed.365/.431/.692 in 58 plate appearances. "I figure I've been seeing the ball all spring long," Saladino said. "Swinging at good pitches and taking that into account in the approach. Overall once I saw I was leading off 'All right.' It's not unfamiliar. My job was always to be a tough out and go with that." Holland makes good first impression in White Sox's loss to Twins Scot Gregor / Daily Herald April 7, 2017 The Chicago White Sox's offense struggled against the unbeaten Minnesota Twins Friday night at Guaranteed Rate Field, but Derek Holland did not. Debuting with the Sox after spending his first eight seasons with the Texas Rangers, Holland pitched 6 innings and allowed 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits. The 30-year-old lefty had 5 strikeouts and 1 walk. "I thought it was a good first start," Holland said. "Way to get things going. I'm glad it's over with, the first start with a new team. I did everything I could. The guys were out there battling, making plays for me. Hat's off to them for that. The next time we just have to finish, that's all." Holland has been a fixture om the disabled list since 2010, and he missed two months last season with shoulder inflammation. The veteran starter signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the White Sox in mid-december with the hopes of getting his career back on track. "I don't sit and worry about the stuff I've gone through," Holland said. "You've go to turn the page and focus on the now. These guys have done a good job of keeping me where I need to be and Coop (pitching coach Don Cooper) has done a good job of Jose Abreu's RBI single in the first inning off Minnesota starter Phil Hughes gave the Sox the early lead, but after that both defenses played a big role in deciding the outcome. Twins center fielder Byron Buxton made two standout catches early and right fielder Max Kepler and left fielder Eddie Rosario also took away extra-base hits. "They're a very athletic club," manager Rick Renteria said. Errors by Holland and right fielder Avisail Garcia in the fourth inning allowed the Twins to tie the game. Garcia has made fielding miscues in two straight games, but Renteria is not worried. Against the Tigers on Thursday, Garcia failed to pick up a drive off the bat of Nick Castellanos and he dropped the ball for an error. Against the Twins (4-0), Garcia ran a long ways in on a Miguel Sano fly and dropped the ball again. "I don't think he's too worried about that and neither am I," Renteria said.