Paxton was sharp against Oakland on July 7, striking out nine while allowing two runs on two hits over seven innings.

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1 WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF JULY 10, 2017 Avisail, Sox to welcome M's to open 2nd half Fabian Ardaya, MLB.com Melky breaks through to spare Sox vs. Freeland Scott Merkin, MLB.com Sox avoid no-no, but not defeat vs. Rockies Thomas Harding & Scott Merkin, MLB.com Kopech strikes out Moncada in Futures Game Jordan Bastian, MLB.com Sox reliever Jones set to be re-evaluated Scott Merkin, MLB.com Cooper: Sox starters haven't done enough Scott Merkin, MLB.com White Sox propsects Michael Kopech, Yoan Moncada enjoy friendly competition in Futures Game Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago White Sox prospect Zack Collins enjoys celebrity status in return home Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago White Sox pitching prospect Michael Kopech has eyes on possible promotion Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago White Sox come two outs away from getting no-hit by Colorado s Kyle Freeland Staff, CSN Chicago Emotional toll of friend s sudden death continues to weigh on Tim Anderson Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago Michael Kopech bests fellow White Sox prospect Yoan Moncada in Futures Game Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune Breaking up no-hitter 'moral victory' as White Sox head break at Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune All-Star break not coming at good time for White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune White Sox prospect Michael Kopech shows off arm in Futures Game Staff, Chicago Sun-Times David Robertson heads into break still a White Sox pitcher Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times Kyle Freeland s no-hit bid ends in ninth vs. White Sox Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times Avisail Garcia awaits reward for strong half-season Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times White Sox snap no-hitter, lose to Rockies Pat Graham, Associated Press Avisail, Sox to welcome M's to open 2nd half By Fabian Ardaya / MLB.com July 9th, 2017 James Paxton will get the ball looking to build on a strong start to 2017 as the Mariners open the second half of the season with a three-game set against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on Friday. The hard-throwing left-hander, who is one of the premier fire-balling starters in the Majors with an average fastball velocity of 96.1 mph, went 7-3 with a 3.21 ERA through 14 starts before the All-Star break. Those seven wins already mark a career high, and he's been impressive in drawing swings and misses this season on his way to an average of 10.1 strikeouts per nine innings. Paxton was sharp against Oakland on July 7, striking out nine while allowing two runs on two hits over seven innings. "We saw a different James Paxton in the last two innings," Seattle manager Scott Servais said after Paxton's last outing. "He just went and turned up the dial, and that's what top of the rotation starting pitching does. We hadn't seen that out of him the last few starts." This will be Paxton's third career start against the White Sox, and first in Chicago struggled after a surprising April, going and in May and June and dropping as far down as 11 games below.500 on July 7. With prospects such as Yoan Moncada waiting in the wings and several trade options looming, there's a strong chance they'll have a completely different look by the end of the month. Three things to know about the game Entering Sunday's first-half finale, the White Sox rotation was last in the American League in quality starts, with its total of 29 also being the third-worst in the Majors. Entering Sunday, Chicago first baseman Jose Abreu was hitting.433 with the tying or winning run on base, the fourthbest mark in the Majors. The White Sox as a whole were the fourth-best team in baseball in such situations, hitting.287.

2 Mariners slugger Nelson Cruz entered Sunday tied for first in the Majors with 68 RBIs this season. If he enters the break with at least a share of the AL lead (New York's Aaron Judge had 66 entering Sunday), it'll be the fourth time in club history a Mariner has done so, joining Brett Boone (2001), Edgar Martinez ('00) and Ken Griffey Jr. (1997). Melky breaks through to spare Sox vs. Freeland By Scott Merkin / July 9th, 2017 DENVER -- Melky Cabrera's single to left off Colorado starter Kyle Freeland with one out in the ninth inning Sunday afternoon at Coors Field certainly didn't affect the outcome of a 10-0 Rockies victory over the White Sox to close out the first half of the 2017 season. So why was there such a momentary raucous reaction from the White Sox dugout when Cabrera connected on a 2-2 fourseam fastball slightly up and out of the zone? That single over the head of third baseman Nolan Arenado also happened to stand as the White Sox first and lone hit of the contest. "We would never like that," said Cabrera through interpreter and catcher Omar Narvaez about being no-hit. "Thank God, I could get the base hit." "Exciting on our end," White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson said. "It's all cheers for him. He pitched a heck of a game. Congrats to him." Prior to Cabrera's solid connection, the closest thing to a White Sox hit came from Yolmer Sanchez's blooper to left field leading off the eighth. Left fielder Gerardo Parra got a good jump on the ball, which hung up for a bit, and Parra made a diving catch for the inning's first out. Gerardo Parra breaks in on a sinking liner from Yolmer Sanchez and lays out for the great catch, keeping Kyle Freeland's no-hit bid alive Parra pumped his fist in celebration. The Rockies' crowd put forth a reaction usually reserved for postseason moments. Narvaez and Willy Garcia struck out to end the frame, putting the White Sox three outs from the 14th no-hitter thrown against them and the first since Minnesota's Francisco Liriano on May 3, "I thought I had a little bit of a chance for the ball to fall," Sanchez said. "At this ballpark, it's big. But Parra made a good play. [Freeland] controlled his pitches. He controlled the zone. It was his day today. Sometimes the pitcher comes with his best day." "It was all Freeland today," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "It seemed like he pulled up some energy at the end and grinded it out. We weren't really able to do anything, string anything together. We had a couple of guys on through a walk or a hit by pitch. We had a few line drives, but other than that, really not a whole lot." Jose Abreu was hit by a Freeland pitch, and Abreu, Todd Frazier and Narvaez drew walks off the rookie. That bat work and Cabrera's single summed up a rough conclusion to the first half for the White Sox. The no-hitter became noticeable to the White Sox in the fifth or sixth, per Sanchez. History was avoided thanks to Cabrera, who couldn't remember breaking up a no-hitter this late in a game. "You have to give a lot of credit to the pitcher," Cabrera said. "He was locating everything. I wasn't thinking about anything else -- just to get a good pitch to hit." Sox avoid no-no, but not defeat vs. Rockies By Thomas Harding and Scott Merkin / MLB.com July 9th, 2017 DENVER -- Rockies rookie Kyle Freeland established himself Sunday as king of the hill at Coors Field -- his hometown ballpark. Freeland held the White Sox hitless until Melky Cabrera's single with one out in the ninth inning while lifting the Rockies to a much-needed 10-0 victory over the White Sox as the Rockies won the final series before the All-Star break. Freeland, 24, who grew up in Denver, went to Thomas Jefferson High School and was the team's top pick in the 2014 MLB Draft out of the University of Evansville. He struck out nine and dictated nine groundouts. Cabrera's hit, a liner over the glove of leaping third baseman Nolan Arenado, came on his 126th and final pitch. He doffed his cap as a sellout crowd of 36,541 roared.

3 "Around the fifth or sixth inning was when I realized I was really settling into my groove," Freeland said. "I'm throwing well, my team's playing well, we've got a lead. Just go out there, pitch to contact, get quick outs and get back in." The 8 1/3 hitless innings, before Jordan Lyles finished up, was the longest no-hit bid for a Rockies pitcher at Coors. The only Rockies pitcher to take a no-hitter longer was Ubaldo Jimenez, who completed his at Atlanta on April 17, The only pitcher to take a no-hit bid longer at Coors was the Dodgers' Hideo Nomo, who finished his no-no on Sept. 17, "He pitched inside extremely well, both in off the plate and for strikes," said Rockies manager Bud Black, who watched Freeland put an 0-3, 7.27 ERA slump in his previous three starts behind him. "His slider/cutter was much better than it's been the last four starts. The fastball away had great action." The Rockies got home runs from Charlie Blackmon and Pat Valaika, who finished with a career-high five RBIs. They go into the All-Star break in the second National League Wild Card position. But Sunday's Freeland-powered win was just their fifth in the last 18 games. Cabrera, who connected on a fastball inside for the White Sox's lone hit, said in Spanish, with teammate Omar Navarez interpreting, "I wasn't thinking about anything else -- just to get a good pitch to hit." The biggest defensive play of the near-no-no came to lead off the eighth, when left fielder Gerardo Parra -- who went 3- for-4 with two RBIs offensively -- rushed forward and dived to snag Yolmer Sanchez's line drive. Freeland finished the frame with a filthy 92-mph cutter to freeze Willy Garcia for a strikeout. White Sox starter Carlos Rodon gave up six runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings. Blackmon's homer was just the third Rodon had yielded to a left-handed hitter in his career. The others were to the Red Sox's David Ortiz and the Mariners' Robinson Cano. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Seventh heaven: Freeland worked around his first jam in the seventh after sitting through the Rockies' 26-minute, 5-run sixth inning. The rookie walked Jose Abreu and Todd Frazier to open the seventh inning. All-Star Avisail Garcia then grounded into a double play and Tim Anderson, Saturday night's hero, flied out to end the inning. Ground balls are Freeland's forte, as he entered Sunday with a 56.6 ground-ball percentage, good for fifth in the Majors. "We weren't really able to do anything, string anything together," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "We had a couple of guys on through a walk or a hit by pitch. We had a few line drives, but other than that, really not a whole lot." Kyle Freeland keeps up his bid for a no-hitter through seven innings by retiring Tim Anderson for the final out of the frame Not getting caught in the squeeze: Freeland's most stress came in the sixth. Thinking he had a strikeout on a 2-2 slider to inning leadoff man Narvaez, Freeland visibly reacted when plate ump Greg Gibson's call didn't go his way. Narvaez took a walk on the next pitch, moved to second on Rodon's sacrifice bunt, and then to third on Adam Engel's grounder. But Freeland escaped by forcing a Cabrera fly to center. "I thought I had it, I think [catcher Ryan Hanigan] thought we had it, but you're going to get those calls," Freeland said. "You're going to get balls you think are out of the zone, and it goes the other way sometimes. Take that, throw it away and move on." SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Freeland was born May 14, 1993, in a Denver hospital days after the inaugural game in Rockies history. CHUCK GOES YARD Rodon appeared to have settled in after allowing two runs in the second inning, but he got a rude awakening in the sixth as Blackmon, who will participate in Monday's T-Mobile Home Run Derby (8 p.m. ET, ESPN), launched a fastball a Statcast-projected 477 feet into right-center field to make it 3-0 Rockies. It was Blackmon's longest home run since Statcast was introduced in 2015, and the longest by a Rockies player this season. It was the third-longest by any Rockies player since the introduction of Statcast, and was tied for the third-longest by a left-handed hitter off a lefthanded pitcher since "I went down and in, it was 1-0, and that's his spot right there," Rodon said. "He hit the ball 470 feet. He just got it. He's a good hitter."

4 QUOTABLE "I threw a no-hitter against George Washington High School. We 10-runned them, so it was a five-inning no-hitter." -- Freeland, recalling his only previous no-hitter, while in high school WHAT'S NEXT White Sox: The White Sox will send Garcia to his first career All-Star appearance before opening the second half of their season Friday against James Paxton and the Seattle Mariners at Guaranteed Rate Field. First pitch of the three-game series is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. CT. Rockies: Four Rockies will travel to Miami for Tuesday's All-Star Game presented by Mastercard -- Arenado, Blackmon, DJ LeMahieu and Greg Holland. The Rockies open the second half in New York vs. the Mets on Friday at 5:10 p.m. MT. Jon Gray (2-0, 3.75 ERA) will make his third start since coming off the disabled list with a foot injury. Kopech strikes out Moncada in Futures Game White Sox prospects face off in third inning as U.S. beats World By Jordan Bastian / July 9th, 2017 MIAMI -- Michael Kopech got his wish. A few hours before Sunday's SiriusXM Futures Game began, the hard-throwing pitcher said he wanted to take on fellow White Sox prospect Yoan Moncada. It would be a chance to pit Kopech's highoctane fastball against Moncada's potent bat. "If I strike him out," Kopech said, "I'm going to talk to him about it after the game." They can now have that conversation. The stars aligned in the third inning of the United States' 7-6 victory over the World team at Marlins Park in the 19th Futures Game. Kopech breezed through the first two World hitters that he faced and was then tasked with taking on Moncada, who is not only Chicago's No. 1 prospect, but the No. 1 prospect in baseball, per MLBPipeline.com. Kopech and Moncada -- acquired from the Red Sox in December as part of the blockbuster trade that sent Chris Sale to Boston -- are key parts of the future core for the White Sox. With Chicago catching prospect Zack Collins (No. 7 on the team's Top 30 prospects list) also on the U.S. roster, the White Sox were one of four teams to have three players in the annual showcase event. "That's something that makes you feel proud," Moncada said through an intepreter. "You have three guys here that are trying to do their best, not just for us, but also for the organization, just to represent the organization in a good way." In the third inning, Kopech represented the White Sox with a powerful display. The 21-year-old righty started off with a slider, which tailed low and inside to Moncada, who danced out of the way of the dirt-bound pitch. From there, Kopech challenged the White Sox second baseman with only fastballs. The first one buzzed in at 99 mph, and Moncada swung through it for strike one. Next, Kopech fired a 100 mph fastball low and away -- on the corner for a called second strike. The knockout punch came courtesy of a 101-mph four-seamer, which was elevated away, but enticing enough to generate another swing and miss from Moncada. Kopech spun around on the mound, hiding his reaction from Moncada, who walked back to the first-base dugout. "I never thought I'd be able to get a fastball by him," Kopech said with a smile. "So, to be able to do that was exciting.... I'm going to go talk to him here in a minute and give him a little crap for it. We'll see how it goes." Kopech's strikeout pitch clocked in at mph, specifically, according to Statcast. For perspective, there have been only six Major League pitchers this season to record a swinging strikeout with a pitch of mph or faster. That short list includes Aroldis Chapman, Edwin Diaz, Joe Kelly, Felipe Rivero, Trevor Rosenthal and Enny Romero. Moncada, 22, has hit.282 with 11 home runs, 16 steals, 23 extra-base hits, 33 RBIs, 54 runs and an.831 OPS in 73 games this season for Triple-A Charlotte. He missed some time in May with a left thumb injury, but said he is fully recovered from that issue. Moncada added that he is trying not to think too much about a potential promotion to Chicago. "This is a process,"said Moncada, who went 0-for-2 in the Futures Game. "I'm just getting ready for when the team decides to make that call. I will be ready for that call. I feel ready."

5 Through 16 starts for Double-A Birmingham this season, Kopech has piled up 101 strikeouts against 53 walks in 78 1/3 innings, posting a 4.02 ERA. The righty is Chicago's No. 2 prospect, as well as the 11th-ranked prospect in all of baseball. Kopech said he was thrilled to be included in the Futures Game, especially because it gives him a glimpse of his ultimate goal. "We all get to kind of experience big league lifestyle for a day," Kopech said. "That's all we really want to experience out of this, is kind of get a taste of the big leagues. It kind of makes us a little more hungry for the real thing." Sox reliever Jones set to be re-evaluated By Scott Merkin / July 9th, 2017 DENVER -- White Sox reliever Nate Jones will be re-evaluated over the All-Star break after feeling uncomfortable while throwing off of flat ground on Friday at Coors Field. The right-hander, on the disabled list with right elbow neuritis, has not pitched since April 28. "We'll see what the evaluation is, and we'll determine at that point what the protocol will be for him," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "He must be frustrated. "He's gone through the process of feeling really good, starting to throw again, feeling irritation. We shut him down, he continues to do whatever they do to help him feel comfortable. Feel really good, go back out and throw and feel a little irritation." Jones was placed on the disabled list retroactive to May 1 but had started to throw bullpen sessions before being shut down in mid-june due to similar irritation. He was given the all-clear to throw at the start of the last homestand on June 23, although the White Sox were taking it slowly to make sure he was at 100 percent when he resumed bullpen sessions. "It's frustrating for everybody," Renteria said. "We're just trying to find out what it is that's going on, and with that next visit he's going to make, they'll give it a look, see what's happening, make a determination, and we'll see how we proceed." Garcia ready for Miami After a two-game absence due to a sprained middle finger on his right hand, Avisail Garcia returned to the lineup Sunday. He returned with great excitement for a first career All-Star appearance, with his wife and daughter already waiting for him in Miami. "Forget about everything, and just enjoy the moment," said Garcia of what he wants to take from the All-Star experience. "And have fun with my family and enjoy it, because that's what we have to do. Cooper: Sox starters haven't done enough By Scott Merkin / July 9th, 2017 DENVER -- The words "subpar" and "pitching" rarely have found their way together during Don Cooper's highly successful 15-year-tenure as White Sox pitching coach. This 2017 campaign has been the anomaly, struggles Cooper quite possibly envisioned with the team beginning a fullfledged rebuild. But he probably didn't budget for the problems faced by the starting pitchers through the first half. Chicago's rotation entered Sunday's first-half finale in Colorado with the second-most losses in all of the Majors at 40, trailing only the Giants' 43. Its 4.89 ERA over 86 starts placed them 26th, while the one-time quality-start machine entered Sunday having produced 10 over the past 44 games and sitting 28th in the Majors with 29. There are some legitimate excuses for these issues. Carlos Rodon made start No. 3 of 2017 to close out the first half Sunday, missing most of the first three months due to biceps bursitis. James Shields and Miguel Gonzalez missed time on the disabled list, and replacements such as Mike Pelfrey and David Holmberg, who performed admirably, had to be built up on the fly to get deeper into games. Cooper acknowledges those reasons but won't hide from the struggles. "Starting pitching is not close to being good enough, not close to what we are used to," Cooper said. "Putting a lot of pressure on the bullpen to go a lot.

6 "We've had too many games where our starters are not giving us length, either through poor performance or unable to be stretched out. It's all part of the building process, and the building process can be trying. Some of the games we've had have been miserable. [Friday] night was a miserable game." Tommy Kahnle, Anthony Swarzak and closer David Robertson top a strong bullpen unit that entered Sunday ranked fifth in the AL in ERA (3.86), opponents' average (.228) and WHIP (1.24). But as Cooper knows, a good staff begins with quality starting pitching. "Everybody says you have to have a good bullpen. Well this is a perfect example why they are wrong," Cooper said. "You have to have a good bullpen, a couple of guys out there. I always thought a starting staff, a good one, leaves little or nothing to the bullpen. "But again, some of it is poor performance for sure. Some of it is injuries and some is we are stretching guys out at the Major League level with Holmberg, who was pitching one inning an outing or two in relief and now we have to get him up to five. That's not easy. Pelfrey, who basically came from his house after one or two starts in Triple-A. "It used to be a challenge to say we are up by a lot here or... down by a lot in the game, piece a game together," Cooper said. "We are doing this a lot of times, and that's due to what I said. The starting pitchers' performances have not been nearly enough." White Sox propsects Michael Kopech, Yoan Moncada enjoy friendly competition in Futures Game By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago July 9, 2017 MIAMI They only faced each other once on Sunday afternoon, but somehow Michael Kopech struck out Yoan Moncada twice. Hours after Kopech said he wanted to face Moncada and strike him out in the All-Star Futures Game, the top two White Sox prospects got a chance to square off against one another. Kopech pitched for Team USA in the third inning of the contest and delivered a quick, scoreless inning. If plate ump Nate Tomlinson had his way it would have been even faster. Kopech earned a called strike on a 1-1 pitch to Moncada after which Tomlinson signaled strike three, confusing everyone in attendance at Marlins Park aside from the batter and hitter. Moncada and Kopech stayed locked in for one more pitch until the right-hander blew a fastball by the second baseman for a strikeout. I think I punched him out twice according to the umpire, Kopech said. I think me and him both knew it was only strike two. It kind of lightened the mood for us out there. I never thought I d be able to get a fastball by him. The main pieces in the Chris Sale trade, Moncada and Kopech played together in 2015 at Single-A Greenville. Moncada is the No. 1 prospect in baseball while Kopech is ranked 11th, according to MLBPipeline.com. Kopech said was amped up a little more than normal coming out of the bullpen and later facing Moncada, who was the MVP of the 2016 Futures Game in San Diego. But Kopech was able to on the 1-2 offering. It was more fun than anything, Kopech said. He actually looked up and smiled and I gave him a little wink afterward. Having a little friendly competition, it was a lot of fun. Moncada didn t mind the opportunity, either. The second baseman is in the midst of an All-Star campaign at Triple-A Charlotte. He also looks forward to when the two can play together for the White Sox. You have to enjoy this moment when you re able to face a teammate, Moncada said. We haven t played together yet, but this was fun. White Sox prospect Zack Collins enjoys celebrity status in return home By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago July 9, 2017 MIAMI -- Zack Collins had a microphone in his face everywhere he turned on Sunday afternoon. The University of Miami-product was one of the most popular players at Marlins Park as he returned home for the All-Star Futures Game. The White Sox catching prospect grew up in nearby Pembroke Pines, Fla and attended American Heritage High School in Plantation. Collins, who s in his first full professional season, hoped he d be considered for the contest as far back as last year when he learned Miami would host the 2017 exhibition. Collins went 0-for-1 with a strikeout.

7 It was always in the back of my mind, Collins said. I knew the All-Star Game and the Futures Game were going to be here. That was one of my main goals was to get here. It feels great to be back home again. Collins is hitting.211/.369/.411 with 11 home runs and 33 RBIs in 314 plate appearances at Single-A Winston-Salem. While his average is down, Collins has improved his catch and throw. He s thrown out 35 of 86 stolen-base attempts (41 percent) after nailing only three of 18 in his first season. Collins, who had a number of family and friends in the stands, said he emphasized defense and isn t very concerned by his offensive performance. This year I was pretty much mainly focused on getting the defensive side better because I know the hitting is going to come around, Collins said. Some people are kind of worried about my hitting, but I m not worried about it. It has been great so far. I feel like I ve done great defensively and keep swinging it and everything will come together. A lifelong Marlins fan, Collins was excited to have a temporary stall in the home clubhouse. He spent time in front of the memorial locker left in place for Jose Fernandez, who died in a boating accident last September. Collins made a trip to The U on Friday afternoon to see his old coaches. Then on Sunday he seemingly spoke to every local reporter in a series of interviews on and off the field. It s been overwhelming, but definitely good to be back home, Collins said. I was able to go home for a little bit and stop by the school and stuff. It has been an amazing weekend. White Sox pitching prospect Michael Kopech has eyes on possible promotion By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago July 9, 2017 MIAMI Though temporarily distracted on Sunday by possibly facing Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech said he can t help but to think about his next promotion. The pitching prospect said before the All-Star Futures Game that he hoped to face the only farmhand ranked higher than him in the White Sox system (Moncada) and wanted to strike him out. Kopech is the No. 11 rated prospect in baseball, according to MLBPipeline.com, while Moncada is No. 1 overall. But Kopech also wonders when he ll be on the move again; he hopes for a promotion to at least Triple-A Charlotte if not the big leagues. I'd be lying if I said it was easy to just not think about being promoted, Kopech said. But for the most part, you've got to take it day-by-day. If I can win the day, then I can win the week. And if I can win the week, I can win the month. And if I can win the month, I'll get promoted eventually. Right now, I'm trying not to think about that too much. I'm just trying to take it day-by-day. Kopech won the day at the Futures Game with a perfect inning in relief. He also earned some serious bragging rights when he struck out Moncada the top prospect in baseball on four pitches. Kopech s fastball touched 101 mph on the radar gun and sat between mph. Though he s struggled recently, the performance is indicative of the type of season Kopech has had at Birmingham. Kopech has 101 strikeouts and a 4.02 ERA in 78 1/3 innings pitched. He has walked 53 batters. His performance has earned him honors as the franchise s minor league pitcher of the month in April. He also earned an All-Star at Double-A Birmingham as well as the Futures Game appearance. I've had some ups and downs, Kopech said. Luckily for me, more ups than downs. But, I'm comfortable with what I've been doing, the way I've been pitching and the pitches I've been throwing. If I can just continue and pick up back where I left off in the first half, then I'll be satisfied with the year. White Sox come two outs away from getting no-hit by Colorado s Kyle Freeland By CSN Staff / CSN Chicago July 9, 2017 Colorado rookie Kyle Freeland nearly made history on Sunday. The Rockies pitcher took a no-hitter into the ninth against the White Sox, but Melky Cabrera broke it up with one out. Cabrera had a sharp single to left field. No controversy, no questionable fielding, just a solid hit.

8 He entered the ninth with a high pitch count at 116 and was going up against the top of the White Sox order. He struck out Adam Engel, but Cabrera drove a 2-2 pitch for a single to break up the no-hitter. He was taken out of the game after that hit. The White Sox hadn't been no-hit since May 3, 2011, when Francisco Liriano got a no-hitter for the Twins at U.S. Cellular Field in a 1-0 game. The White Sox have been no-hit 13 times in club history. The only no-hitter in Coors Field history was Hideo Nomo against the Rockies when he was with the Dodgers on Sept. 17, Ubaldo Jimenez has the only no-hitter for the Rockies, which was on April 17, 2010, at the Braves. Emotional toll of friend s sudden death continues to weigh on Tim Anderson By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago July 9, 2017 DENVER The past two months of Tim Anderson s life have been much more difficult than he ever could have imagined. It s a complete turnaround from the previous two months when Anderson was riding high after he signed a sixyear contract extension in spring training. But everything ground to a halt for the White Sox shortstop on May 7 when he learned of the shooting death of one of his closest friends, Branden Moss. Anderson, 24, had never before experienced the death of someone close. He d never had to handle the series of wideranging emotions one experiences when a loved one passes. On the field, the second-year player had never experienced struggles similar to what he has in the first half. He d never gone more than a few days as a professional athlete without something going right. Dealing with the two matters simultaneously has been difficult for Anderson, who said this weekend he hasn t played like he knows how. While he s coped as best as possible, Anderson whose solo home run Saturday lifted the White Sox to a 5-4 victory at the Colorado Rockies admits he still hasn t mastered the art of detaching from the emotions of his personal life when he steps onto the field. Anderson thinks he can only grow from what he s endured and already has. But that hasn t made the reality of the situation any easier. It s definitely not easy to separate, Anderson said. Baseball doesn t stop. I lost my friend, but I m right back in it. It doesn t stop. It doesn t slow down. It doesn t stop for anyone. For me to go through those times was a learning experience and a maturing experience. I feel like I ve been growing off the field as I ve been going through these times. On the field, things happen. There s going to be good years and bad years. I m learning and continuing to put in work. Anderson hasn t played up to his own standards in the first half. The 2013 first-round draft pick entered Sunday s first-half finale hitting.243/.266/.372 with nine home runs and 28 RBIs. His 19 errors are also the most in the majors. A year after he produced 6 Defensive Runs Saved and 6.3 Ultimate Zone Rating, according to fangraphs.com, those figures have dropped to minus-6 DRS and a minus-9.9 UZR. Anderson has also produced minus-0.7 f-wins Above Replacement. I m definitely not where I want to be, Anderson said. Feel like I m a whole lot better than what I ve been playing like. Not to put it on anything, but it has been tough for me. I ve kind of been dragging things off the field on the field with me. I ve been showing frustration. It has been up and down. This has been one of the toughest times of my life. But I feel like I m learning and getting better each and every day. Teammate Todd Frazier sees the difference. He s been next to Anderson s side on the field since he arrived in the majors last June. The veteran third baseman has seen Anderson s frustration surface more often than it did during his carefree 2016 rookie season. Frazier isn t surprised his young teammate has struggled given what he s experienced. Once you play baseball and you get up here, you understand you ve got to try and separate the two, which is very hard to do, Frazier said. You can have family problems, death in the family, a little argument, anything. It s very tough to separate. But you get with your second family and you have to find a way to separate. For him, it s been hard. I can see it. I can see it in his face and the way he goes about himself. He works hard. But for some it s just a little harder to get by during the days and I think he s still trying to figure it out. Anderson said the entire experience after Moss was murdered has been eye-opening. He took three days off to attend his friend s funeral and the White Sox allotted him another game after he returned to get back up to speed. Anderson s family

9 has offered him a strong support system since Moss died. But even that can t replace the loss of someone who Anderson grew up with and had learned to trust with almost anything. Someone so close to you for me to lose him was real tough, Anderson said. That was someone talked to about personal things and even on field things. He was my outlet that I talked to about anything and everything. Anderson said none of his struggles are a byproduct of trying to do too much after he signed an extension that could pay him $50.5 million through The money may have changed his life, but Anderson doesn t feel like he s tried to play up to the deal to prove his value. Everything he s endured is a combination of going through his first full season combined with handling the emotional rollercoaster after the death of Moss. With that in mind, Anderson looks forward to the All-Star break. He s headed back to Charlotte for a few days of relaxation with his wife, Bria, and daughter, Peyton. He plans to get away from baseball and unwind. Nobody could blame him. It s been one of the toughest times in my career having not really struggled through my career and losing someone close to me, Anderson said. It has been a learning experience and I feel that God hasn t brought me this far to leave me. It definitely has been something learning experiences and some eye-opening things. On the field things is just really humbling. You re going to go through things and it has really set me up to be great. I m learning and dealing with it and hopefully it s going to help me in the long run. Michael Kopech bests fellow White Sox prospect Yoan Moncada in Futures Game Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune Jul 9, 2017 Yoan Moncada was Twinkied out. After his agent admitted to ESPN in spring training that Moncada sometimes ate as many as 85 Twinkies a week, the White Sox prospect has been repeatedly asked about his affection for the creme-filled snack. Is he tired of them yet? "Si," he replied. No translation or elaboration was necessary. Moncada, of course, is much more than a Twinkie-eating machine, as evidenced by his ranking as the top prospect in baseball. It's apparent he's good enough to be playing for the White Sox right now, but the Sox are in no hurry to bring him into a clubhouse that general manager Rick Hahn is trying to unload at the trade deadline, so Moncada patiently awaits his chance while toiling away at Triple-A Charlotte. Moncada led off for the World Team at Marlins Park on Sunday in the 19th annual All-Star Futures Game, going 0-for-2, including a strikeout against future Sox teammate Michael Kopech, a U.S. Team reliever who threw a perfect inning. Kopech, who is pitching at Double-A Birmingham, said before the game he wanted to face Moncada just to try to strike him out. "I told him to just leave the bat on his shoulder," Kopech said after the game. "He swung, but it worked out for me a little bit better. I'm going to make sure to give him a little grief in a minute." Was there anything on the line? "No," Kopech said with a grin. "We don't bet on baseball." Oh, that's right. With a triple-digit fastball in his arsenal, Kopech said his teammates told him beforehand they wanted him to hit 100 mph on the radar gun.

10 "I was saying I might let one eat, and other than that I'm going to just try and pitch," he said. After Kopech threw a 99 mph fastball past Moncada for strike two, the plate umpire mistakenly thought it was strike three and signaled a punchout. But Moncada got another chance, and Kopech reared back and threw a 100 mph fastball that Moncada swung at and missed. "I think I punched him out twice according to the umpire," Kopech said. "I think me and (Moncada) both knew it was only strike two. It kind of lightened the mood for us out there.... I never thought I'd be able to get a fastball by him. To be able to do that was exciting." Moncada shrugged off the brief encounter, and didn't seem to mind being upstaged by his future Sox teammate. "You have to enjoy this moment when you're able to face a teammate," he said. "We haven't played together yet, but this was fun." Three of the Futures Game's previous four MVPs are in the Cubs or Sox organizations. Matt Davidson won in 2013 when he was a Diamondbacks prospect, Kyle Schwarber earned the honor in 2015, and Moncada won last year when he was still in the Red Sox organization. Moncada and Kopech were joined by the Sox's Class-A catcher Zack Collins, who struck out in his only at-bat. The Cubs were represented by Class-A outfielder Eloy Jimenez, who was 0-for-2. Moncada was the focal point, of course. He,said he and Sox first baseman Jose Abreu have been trading texts, with Abreu telling him to "stay motivated." The closer Moncada and Kopech get to a call-up, the more the anticipation grows on the South Side. Last September, Moncada had a brief stint with the Red Sox and didn't fare well, with four hits in 19 at-bats. He may be ready now, but Moncada said it's not difficult still playing in Charlotte while knowing he can hit in the big leagues. "No, no, no," he said. "It's not hard. I know I have to keep working hard and do the things I can handle and keep progressing." Kopech is a different story. Obviously he's a level behind Moncada, but the Sox have brought up pitchers from Double-A before, including Jose Quintana Mark Buehrle. Whether Kopech needs to go to Triple-A is a question the Sox have to ask themselves. He's confident he belongs there. "I feel about as close as I can be right now," Kopech said. "Like I said earlier, there is some stuff I can work on, but I feel like the better I fine-tune myself the closer I'll be. I feel pretty confident I can compete there if I need to." Breaking up no-hitter 'moral victory' as White Sox head break at Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune July 9, 2017 With a Coors Field crowd of 36,541 fans hanging on Rockies rookie Kyle Freeland's every pitch Sunday afternoon, White Sox veteran Melky Cabrera spoiled the moment. Cabrera singled to left field to break up Freeland's bid for a no-hitter with one out in the ninth inning. When he reached base, Cabrera turned and applauded, and the crowd roared as Freeland walked off the field after becoming the Rockies pitcher with the longest no-hit bid at Coors Field. Jordan Lyles retired the final two batters in the Sox's 10-0 loss. Freeland struck out Adam Engel to open the inning, but Cabrera sent a 2-2 fastball over third baseman Nolan Arenado's reach. Freeland left after 126 pitches, three walks, one hit batter and one hit. Sox manager Rick Renteria called Cabrera's hit a "moral victory" for his club as they head into the All-Star break "I went to the plate to get a good pitch to hit," Cabrera said through an interpreter. "You have to give a lot of credit to the pitcher. He was locating everything. I wasn't thinking about anything else just to get a good pitch to hit."

11 Ubaldo Jimenez owns the only no-hitter in Rockies history, at the Braves in The Dodgers' Hideo Nomo pitched the only no-hitter at Coors Field in The White Sox have been no-hit 13 times, most recently by the Twins' Francisco Liriano on May 3, Sox second baseman Yolmer Sanchez said it began to dawn on players in the fifth that Freeland was making a no-hit bid, and by the seventh, they were locked into what was happening. Freeland walked two to open the seventh, then prompted Avisail Garcia to hit into a double play and Tim Anderson to pop out to right field to leave a runner on third. There was only one close call against Freeland before Cabrera's hit. Sanchez led off the eighth with a short fly ball to left field, where Gerardo Parra charged in and made a diving catch. Freeland then struck out Omar Narvaez and Willy Garcia to head to the ninth at 116 pitches. "I thought I had a little bit of a chance for the ball to fall but Parra made a good play," Sanchez said. "You don't want to lose, and you don't want to get no-hit. (Cabrera's hit) was really important. We feel good even though we lost We feel good he got that base hit." Rockies 10, White Sox 0 Photos from the game on July 9, 2017, in Denver. The Rockies drafted Freeland, a 24-year-old lefthander, eighth overall out of Evansville in Carlos Rodon, whom the Sox selected third in that draft, allowed six earned runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings. Freeland, a Denver native, was 8-7 with a 4.19 ERA in his first 17 career starts and never had pitched more than seven innings in an MLB game before Sunday. "His stuff was good," Renteria said. "He stayed on the inner half to all of the righties tight, off, down, underneath. We just didn't make a whole lot of adjustments. His ball had some action, had some run. Tip your cap to him. It was all him today." Freeland said he felt in a good groove from the first pitch and thought he could do "something special" from about the fifth inning until Cabrera got his bat on the ball. "He's a strong guy," Freeland said. "I got that fastball in there, but he was able to get enough barrel on it to pop it over Nolan's head. The whole game was a battle. That lineup can hit, as we saw (Saturday) night, but it was a fun battle." All-Star break not coming at good time for White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune July 9, 2017 Carlos Rodon isn't exactly excited for the All-Star break. The White Sox left-hander recently returned to the team after three months away recovering from left biceps bursitis. He made his third start of the season Sunday against the Rockies at Coors Field, allowing six earned runs on five hits with three walks and four strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings in a 10-0 Sox loss. "These guys deserve the break," Rodon said of his teammates. "They've been going at it a long time. Me, not so much." Rodon said Rockies counterpart Kyle Freeland, who threw 8 1/3 no-hit innings, was "nasty." But Rodon didn't feel the same way about himself after his ERA jumped from 1.59 to Mark Reynolds walked and Gerardo Parra doubled off Rodon to open the second inning. Reynolds scored on a groundout, and Parra went home on catcher Omar Narvaez's errant throw to third. Charlie Blackmon hit a solo homer to lead off the sixth and, after two walks, Parra hit an RBI single that ended Rodon's day. Pat Valaika hit a three-run homer off reliever Chris Beck, with two of the runs charged to Rodon. "It's a good-hitting team, man," Rodon said. "I tried to stay aggressive, (but) not much of anything was working. "I was kind of inconsistent in and out of zone. The slider wasn't there, but I tried to make things happen. They make you pay."

12 On to Miami: Avisail Garcia had ice on his hand and ankle after Sunday's game, but he was all smiles as he readied to take off for his first All-Star Game. Garcia returned to the lineup Sunday after sitting out two games with a sprained middle finger on his right hand, and he said he would be fine to play Tuesday in Miami. His wife, daughter and some friends will attend. "I know I'm going to be a little bit busy, but we have to enjoy that moment," Garcia said. "You never know if you are going to make it again. Hopefully I make it 14 more times." Injury report: Reliever Nate Jones, who is recovering from right elbow neuritis, felt discomfort while throwing Friday in Denver and will be examined again by a doctor over the break. It is the second time since he was put on the disabled list May 1 that Jones has had to be slowed down after starting a throwing program. "It's frustrating for him," manager Rick Renteria said. "It's frustrating for everybody. We're just trying to find out what is going on." Extra innings: Third-base coach Nick Capra will have surgery over the All-Star break to repair a herniated disc in his back. The Sox outrighted right-hander Michael Ynoa to Triple-A Charlotte on Saturday. He was designated for assignment Thursday.... Outfielder Willy Garcia will be optioned to Charlotte on Monday, and a corresponding move will be made Friday. White Sox prospect Michael Kopech shows off arm in Futures Game Sun-Times Staff July 9, 2017 MIAMI Touted White Sox prospect Michael Kopech, acquired in the Chris Sale deal and pitching for Class AA Birmingham, made quite an impression in Team USA s 7-6 victory over Team World in the All-Star Futures Game on Sunday. Kopech threw nine pitches in a perfect third inning, including a mph fastball to strike out fellow Sox minor-leaguer Yoan Moncada, ranked as the sport s No. 1 prospect, to end the inning. He threw seven pitches 99.3 mph or faster. I never thought I d be able to get a fastball by him, so to do that is exciting, Kopech said. I m going to go talk to him in a minute and give him some grief for it. Said Moncada through an interpreter: It was a fun at-bat. When you re able to face a teammate, you have to enjoy the moment. Moncada, who is at Class AAA Charlotte, went 0-for-2 leading off for Team World, and he made a wild throw from second base that led to an unearned run. He was the Futures Game MVP last year. Cubs farmhand Eloy Jimenez hit sixth (0-for-2, two strikeouts) and started in right field for Team World, while Sox farmhand Zack Collins entered as a substitute at catcher and went 0-for-1 for Team USA. Brazilian right-hander Thyago Vieira also surpassed 100 mph. RAYS HONEYWELL WINS MVP More than two hours after pitching in the All-Star Futures Game, Tampa Bay Rays prospect Brent Honeywell was still thinking about delivery and location. Where should his newly won MVP trophy go? Honestly, I don t know, Honeywell said as he held the hardware at his locker. My parents are probably going to have to play rock-paper-scissors for it. Honeywell, the only pitcher to throw more than one inning, struck out four in two scoreless innings Sunday to help a wellbalanced U.S. side. Honeywell was the first of 10 pitchers for the United States, and the group combined for 11 strikeouts. The first one came on the only screwball Honeywell threw to Alex Verdugo of the Dodgers.

13 I had thrown him everything else, said Honeywell, a right-hander who is with Triple-A Durham. I thought, If I m going to do it, I m going to do it right here. And it was a really good one. Verdugo agreed. I had faced him before and knew he had the screwball, Verdugo said. It dropped down into the zone. Sometimes you just have to tip your hat. U.S. TEAM STARTS FAST By the fourth inning the U.S. team had nine hits, one by every starter. The World team had only one baserunner until the fifth, and by then the score was 7-0. Josh Naylor of the Padres drove in the World team s first run with a single in the fifth. Regardless of how you do, it s a unique experience a taste of the big leagues, Naylor said. The World team scored twice in the ninth before A.J. Puk of the Athletics got the final out for a save. The United States won for the seventh time in the past eight years. With the major league trade deadline approaching, plenty of scouts were on hand for the showcase of top minor league prospects, which included 16 first-round picks. Derek Fisher scored the first run and hit a two-run double, and Kyle Tucker hit an RBI double. Both are with the Astros. Chance Sisco of the Orioles tripled and scored in the U.S. team s two-run second inning. Lewis Brinson of the Brewers doubled home a run. Yadier Alvarez of the Dodgers pitched the first inning, allowed one run and took the loss. Second baseman Brendan Rodgers and first baseman Ryan McMahon, both of the Rockies, made fine defensive plays for the U.S. team. You don t really realize how big this game is until you look down, Rodgers said. It s the first time I ve played with USA across my chest. Being able to do that is a lot of fun. TEEN PROSPECT Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Blue Jays, at 18 the youngest player in the game, singled twice and scored twice. It was a good experience, Guerrero said through an interpreter. We have so many Dominicans in the majors and the minors. It was an honor to follow in their shoes. You learn from this experience. BLANKED The home run sculpture at Marlins Park sat motionless all evening. It was the first Futures Game without a homer since David Robertson heads into break still a White Sox pitcher Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times July 9, 2017 DENVER David Robertson s save against the Rockies on Saturday demonstrated why the Nationals have been eyeing him to fulfill their need for a closer. In order, Robertson got Alexi Amarista on a grounder, struck out Charlie Blackmon looking and fanned pinch hitter Carlos Gonzalez swinging. Washington is going to get a closer, and I don t think [Nationals general manager Mike] Rizzo cares what he gives up, a former major-league executive said Sunday. He ll make a deal. Look at what Theo [Epstein] did last year, when he got [Aroldis] Chapman, which basically won the World Series for the Cubs, in my opinion. They need a closer. If I was Rick Hahn, I d be on the phone every day with Rizzo.