But in analyzing Rodon's dominant performance, one fact needs to be made clear.

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1 WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF JULY 25, 2018 Rodon flirts with no-hitter, strikes out eight Scott Merkin, MLB.com Eager White Sox being patient with Jimenez Scott Merkin, MLB.com Young players honor Negro Leagues in Chicago Max Gelman, MLB.com While baseball world buzzes about Yankees trade for Zach Britton, White Sox have their own closer to deal at deadline Vinnie Duber, NBC Sports Chicago Javier Baez and Yolmer Sanchez win Heart and Hustle award Vince Lovergine, NBC Sports Chicago When future White Sox stud Michael Kopech pitches, you can t look away Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune Carlos Rodon takes no-hitter into sixth, White Sox hang on to beat Angels 4-2 Bob Keisser, Chicago Tribune Column: Isn t it as simple as the White Sox trading Joakim Soria to the Cubs? Steve Rosenbloom, Chicago Tribune Rick Renteria patient as he awaits Jose Abreu breaking out of his slump Bob Keisser, Chicago Tribune 'It was a really good team win:' White Sox win for the 5th time in 8 games Bob Keisser, Chicago Tribune Carlos Rodon dominates in White Sox victory against Angels Doug Padilla, Sun-Times Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia back in lineup after scare Doug Padilla, Sun-Times As deadline nears, veteran pitchers White Sox's best trade chips Scot Gregor, Daily Herald Injuries have allowed Luis Robert time to focus on his biggest challenge: acclimating to life in the U.S. James Fegan, The Athletic TA30: Baseball is back and so are the MLB power rankings, where the highs are high and the lows are low Matthew Kory, The Athletic Eloy Jiménez s mature approach is making Triple-A a breeze. So when will he be in Chicago? James Fegan, The Athletic Sox is singular: Second half same as the first so far for the White Sox Jim Margalus, The Athletic Rodon flirts with no-hitter, strikes out eight By Scott Merkin / MLB.com / July 24, 2018 ANAHEIM -- The Angels entered Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the White Sox with season-long problems against left-handed pitchers. White Sox southpaw Carlos Rodon having great stuff and a complete repertoire at his disposal didn't help that issue. But in analyzing Rodon's dominant performance, one fact needs to be made clear. View Full Game Coverage "Well we have to start from the beginning. He didn't throw any strikes in the 'pen," said a smiling Omar Narvaez of his batterymate's pregame warmup. "No, not at all," Rodon confirmed. "Sometimes it goes like that. When you step on the mound, it seems to turn on." Rodon carried a no-hitter into the sixth, before Andrelton Simmons broke it up with a two-out ground single to center. He settled for two runs allowed over 7 2/3 innings, producing his third straight quality start and the White Sox second straight win in Anaheim to open this four-game series. Jeanmar Gomez had to

2 provide a little eighth-inning help after the Angels scored twice, retiring Justin Upton on a popup to shortstop Tim Anderson to strand the bases loaded. Los Angeles' offense carried a.219 average against lefties, the worst in baseball, and a.661 OPS, the fourth-worst in baseball, entering Tuesday. Rodon mixed a fastball topping out at 97.4 mph with a good changeup and slider to neutralize the Angels. He struck out eight and walked three, getting seven swinging strikes on his slider and two off of his changeup. Rodon was even good enough to strike out Mike Trout twice after walking him in the first. "Everything was working well," said Rodon, who threw 67 of his 111 pitches for strikes. "Days like today, they don't happen often. Sometimes you don't have the changeup or the slider. It was a good day." "He looks free and easy. We were talking about it on the bench," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "He looks like he's feeling pretty good. He took us pretty deep into the ballgame, going in there and taking a no-hitter deep into the game. He did a nice job. We made some nice plays behind him. We were able to score some runs and come out on top." Over his last 21 innings, covering three starts, Rodon has allowed four runs on 10 hits. He has struck out 21 and walked 11. There wasn't big support from the White Sox offense, but then again, Rodon didn't need much. They scored two in the third off of Felix Pena on Jose Abreu's bases-loaded walk and Avisail Garcia's sacrifice fly and added a third on Yoan Moncada's 13th home run in the seventh. Nicky Delmonico completed the scoring with an eighth-inning RBI single, scoring Matt Davidson, who had doubled. They had to hang on during a bottom half of the eighth, when reliever Juan Minaya walked Trout with the bases loaded to force in a run. But Joakim Soria's 16th save sealed Rodon's fourth quality start in his last five trips to the mound. "We changed it with Minny. He was a little erratic," said Renteria of the eighth inning escape with a two-run lead. "Instead of allowing that to just continue to fall apart, Gomey has been around a while. He has experience in those situations. He's calm. Fortunately today, we got the result we needed for that out and got out of there." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Saving the no-no: Kole Calhoun made a bid to end Rodon's no-hitter with a soft line drive to right leading off the sixth. But Garcia ran in and grabbed the ball off of his shoe tops for the first out of the frame. Let Trout lead off: The Angels had a chance to challenge Rodon's command in the sixth inning after a twoout walk to David Fletcher and Simmons' no-hit breaking single to center. Fletcher raced around to third and beat Adam Engel's throw, but Simmons, on an ill-advised attempt to get to second with Trout on deck, slipped between first and second. He was thrown out trying to get back to first, from Engel to Yolmer Sanchez to Abreu. SOUND SMART The White Sox posted their first back-to-back wins at Angel Stadium since May 16-17, YOU GOTTA SEE THIS Trout is 0-for-7 lifetime against Rodon with five strikeouts and three walks. HE SAID IT "I remember walking Trout but I didn't want him to do any damage. Good hitter, man. Tough to pitch to." -- Rodon, on his first inning walk to quite possibly the game's most talented player UP NEXT James Shields (4-11, 4.26) is scheduled to make his 23rd appearance (22nd start) of the season, 10th (ninth) on the road and first against the Angels in Wednesday night's contest with a 9:07 p.m. CT scheduled

3 first pitch. Left-hander Tyler Skaggs starts for the Angels. Shields is 0-6 with a 5.40 ERA over his last eight games (seven starts) on the road. He last won on the road on Opening Day at Kansas City. Eager White Sox being patient with Jimenez Club pleased with development of No. 1 prospect By Scott Merkin / MLB.com / July 24, 2018 ANAHEIM -- If White Sox fans had their druthers, Eloy Jimenez would already be playing every day in left or right field for their team in the Major Leagues. The No. 1 White Sox prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and the No. 2 prospect in all of baseball continues to hit for Triple-A Charlotte, posting a.351 average with five doubles, five home runs, 10 RBIs and a OPS in 20 games since being promoted to the Knights. But the learning and development continues for the talented 21-year-old. "It's going to be continuing to get at-bats under his belt, continuing to get playing time in the field, continuing to experience all the things that go on, on the bases and defensively," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "Then ultimately when the organization feels that he is ready to present here, he will be here. "Then at that point we will have things to go through. But as long as he continues on the positive path which he is currently following, hopefully for all of us, he will be here at some point and time. I can't tell you when, but he's moving in the right direction." Jimenez, who returned from an adductor strain on July 15, has played 44 games in left field this season as he continues to work on all facets of his game. "When you're putting in time there, you're still covering baseball situations, reactions to different types of things that are going on on both sides of the ball," Renteria said. "Certainly we see that he has a definite ability to put the barrel on the baseball. And we also see that he continues to develop as an outfielder. "You want to be multi-faceted as a Major Leaguer. You want to be able to defend, you want to be able to hit the ball, run the bases a certain way. Until he gets here, we won't truly know how evolved he has become. And then when they do get here, obviously, there is a learning curve and things that can be adjusted." Sanchez honored for Heart and Hustle Third baseman Yolmer Sanchez was named Tuesday as the White Sox 2018 Heart and Hustle Award winner by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association (MLBPAA). This award honors active players who demonstrate a passion for the game of baseball and best embody the values, spirit and traditions of the game. The Heart and Hustle Award is also the only award in Major League Baseball that is voted on by former players. "Yolmer brings all the things that embody this award to the field, clubhouse, bus and team plane every single day," said White Sox executive vice president Ken Williams in the press release to announce the honor. "People see how you respect the game and how you play," said Sanchez before Tuesday's game. "More than talent, it's about the passion and the respect about the game. I feel good and proud of myself. I try to show what I can do. I play hard." Sanchez also has fun playing baseball, shown by his humorous interaction with teammates and even his self-celebration for game-winning moments by dumping water on his own head. "I work hard my whole life to get here in the big leagues so I want to enjoy every second of being here," Sanchez said. "I don't know how long I'm going to be here, so I'm going to enjoy every second.

4 "You have to respect your team. You have to respect the other team. Most important you have to respect the fan base. They take time to come to the game. They pay for their tickets. So I think they come here every day to see a good show. You have to give everything you got between those lines and help your team win games and put on a good show." The final winner will be announced on Nov. 8, 2018, at the 19th Annual Legends for Youth Dinner in New York City. Garcia back in lineup Avisail Garcia thought much more of his wife, two children and extended family in Venezuela than baseball when he was experiencing pressure in his chest and a fast heart beat prior to Monday's contest. So he was relieved to receive a clean bill of health and be back in action Tuesday. Garcia actually returned as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning Monday after he ran through tests at a local hospital. "We love baseball but it's something that happens, you have to check it out," Garcia said. "It's not the same, but you see what happened with [Danny] Farquhar. "That's really different. But nobody wants that to happen. At least I had a chance. That's why I say it's different. Nobody wants that to happen, so I feel something weird like that in my chest and my heart so I've gotta go to the hospital. I'm OK now." Young players honor Negro Leagues in Chicago White Sox home park hosts Double Duty Classic, featuring high school standouts from across USA By Max Gelman / MLB.com / July 24, 2018 CHICAGO -- While the White Sox geared up for a game in Anaheim, Guaranteed Rate Field played host to the annual Double Duty Classic on Tuesday. Named after Negro Leaguer Ted "Double Duty" Radcliffe, the event featured some of the best inner-city high school baseball players from across the country, while honoring the history of the Negro Leagues in Chicago. The high school players dressed in retro East-West All-Star uniforms, which paid homage to the Negro League All-Star game that was held regularly at Comiskey Park. "It's a blessing to be in this game and celebrate the Negro Leagues," said Kendal Ewell, an outfielder from Marist High School and commit to Eastern Kentucky University. "Usually, for baseball, we're traveling around a lot, you know, in Georgia, Florida. This is right at home. You can invite anyone you want to here today. People can turn on the TV and watch the game." Catcher and first baseman Angelo Cantelo of Marian Catholic High School won the Minnie Minoso Most Valuable Player Award, boosting the East team to an victory. Before the game, former White Sox outfielder Jermaine Dye and Negro Leagues Museum president Bob Kendrick participated in a panel for the players discussing the legacy of the Negro Leagues in baseball today. The panel, hosted by 670 AM The Score's Laurence Holmes, touched on Dye's playing experience growing up, the history of the East-West All-Star Game, and the stagnant growth of African-American numbers in youth baseball. Former Negro League players Dennis Biddle, Ray Knox and Ernie Westfield attended as well. During the panel, Dye also spoke about the sacrifices made by Negro Leaguers and how they paved the way for him to play in the Majors.

5 "Everything they went through, I don't know if I'd be able to do that today," Dye said. "Even today, there are tough cities to play in -- they'll say stuff to you and try to bring your game down. You've just got to block out things and perform." For the Negro Leaguers to play baseball, "they had to love it just to endure the things they had to endure," Kendrick said. Kendrick added that he considers the Negro Leagues to be "a celebration of the power of human spirit, more than anything else." Kendrick also told the players stories about the swagger that Negro Leaguers would play with, including in the 1942 Negro League World Series, when Satchel Paige purposely walked the bases loaded in order to face slugger Josh Gibson. Per Kendrick, Paige heckled Gibson mercilessly in the at-bat, telling him where he'd throw each pitch, and then struck out Gibson looking on three pitches. That story, as well as Dye's advice to carry yourself professionally on the field, resonated with Ewell, the young outfielder said. "I try to have a certain type of play style and carry myself a certain way, so that boosts my confidence in improving my game that way," Ewell said. "A lot of the younger kids who will watch the game look up to us, they see how we play and they'll probably take that and be inspired to play baseball." While baseball world buzzes about Yankees trade for Zach Britton, White Sox have their own closer to deal at deadline By Vinnie Duber / NBC Sports Chicago / July 24, 2018 Contenders looking for a closer had their attention on Zach Britton. But the New York Yankees were the only team to get him. The last-place Baltimore Orioles are in sell-off mode, dealing Manny Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers and then Britton to the Bronx on Tuesday night after rumors flew all over the place in recent days. Among the non-yankees teams that were reportedly interested in acquiring Britton and his very good track record 139 saves in the last five seasons, including an American League leading 47 of them in 2016 were the Cubs, Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers and Arizona Diamondbacks. Britton's got plenty of value regardless of whether the Yankees, who also employ Aroldis Chapman, want him to close games or not, a lefty who is two years removed from an eye-poppingly low 0.54 ERA. But now that the Britton derby has come to a close, there are still plenty of teams looking for bullpen help, and that's where the White Sox come in. The South Side bullpen isn't packed with attractive trade chips like it was last summer, when Rick Hahn dealt away David Robertson, Anthony Swarzak, Tommy Kahnle, Dan Jennings and Tyler Clippard from his relief corps. It's why the general manager said he expects this to be a quieter deadline than last year for his front office. But that doesn't mean the cupboard is bare, and Joakim Soria could be one of the more attractive options on the market now that Britton has a new team. Soria's been great out of the White Sox 'pen this season, specifically since mid May. He's got a 0.77 ERA in his 24 appearances since May 21, allowing scoring in just one of those outings, when he blew a save against the defending-champion Astros. Take that game out of the mix, and Soria's allowed only 10 hits since May 21, with 31 strikeouts and seven walks in that span. He was back at it Monday in the White Sox series-opening win against the Los Angeles Angels in Anaheim. He didn't work a inning, but he didn't allow any runs to score, either, pitching around Mike Trout with a runner on before striking out Justin Upton to get his 15th save of the season. A quick glance at MLBTradeRumors.com will yield several other possibilities for those teams looking for bullpen upgrades: Raisel Iglesias of the Cincinnati Reds, Felipe Vazquez of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Fernando Rodney and Zach Duke of the Minnesota Twins could all be trade candidates. Is Soria a more

6 desirable addition than those guys? Maybe. Maybe not. But he's included among them, which is good news for the White Sox, clearly a seller this summer as they move along with their rebuilding effort. This seemed like the hoped-for scenario when the White Sox acquired Soria in a three-team trade over the winter. After all that success dealing relievers and bolstering the farm system at last season's deadline, the team acquired a bunch of veteran arms for the bullpen, appearing that the White Sox were trying to replicate the strategy used a summer ago, when they brought prospects such as Blake Rutherford and Ryan Cordell into the organization. So what will the White Sox be able to get for Soria? And could the return package be improved if they're able to package him with one of their other better-performing relievers, Xavier Cedeno or Luis Avilan? A look at some of the already-completed deals involving bullpen arms might or might not be a helpful guide. The San Diego Padres dealt away All-Star relief arm Brad Hand and another bullpen pitcher and received one of the top 15 prospects in baseball. The New York Mets just traded their closer, Jeurys Familia, to the Oakland Athletics and received two prospects, neither of which was highly ranked. Neither of the prospects the Tampa Bay Rays received when they traded their closer, Alex Colome, back in May were highly ranked. The Kansas City Royals traded Kelvin Herrera to the Washington Nationals last month, and two of the three prospects they got back are currently ranked in the top 15 in their system. The Orioles got a couple highly rated Yankees prospects as part of the package for Britton. It's also worth looking back at last summer's trades and looking at those return packages. The multi-player deal with the Yankees that featured Robertson and Kahnle (in addition to Todd Frazier) brought back Rutherford, among others. Swarzak netted Cordell from the Brewers. Jennings went to the Rays in exchange for Casey Gillaspie. The diamond in the rough was Ti'Quan Forbes, the minor league infielder in the midst of a nice season, who was the return piece in the August trade that sent Miguel Gonzalez to the Texas Rangers. Bottom line: There's a wide range of possibilities. But given Hahn's track record of acquiring minor league talent, White Sox fans should have some confidence that he'll be able to help his rebuilding effort in a deal involving Soria. Such a trade could now materialize now that teams outside the Bronx have found themselves sans Britton. Bullpen help is always coveted at this time of year, and this season appears to be no different, especially as the importance of relievers in the postseason continues to increase. Perhaps Soria will play a role this October. Javier Baez and Yolmer Sanchez win Heart and Hustle award By Vince Lovergine / NBC Sports Chicago / July 24, 2018 The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association has announced the 30 preliminary winners of the 2018 Heart & Hustle Award. Javier Baez was the Cubs winner while Yolmer Sanchez won it for the White Sox. The award honors active MLB players who demonstrate a passion for the game of baseball and best exemplify the values, spirit and traditions of the game. And, it s the only award that is voted on by former MLB players. All teams from the American and National League have one representative receive this award, and for the White Sox and Cubs, these were no brainers. Javier plays the game with passion and determination every day, said MLBPAA Chief Executive Officer Dan Foster. He embodies all the qualities the Heart and Hustle Award represents.

7 Yolmer brings all the things that embody this award to the field, clubhouse, bus and team plane every single day, said White Sox executive vice president Ken Williams. Baez and Sanchez will both be honored at an upcoming home game. As the season winds down, all former and active players will vote to select the final winner from the 30 team winners. For the Cubs and White Sox, they ve had current and former players win this award before. Anthony Rizzo won the award in 2015, and former Sox third basemen Todd Frazier won it in The overall winner will be announced on Nov. 8 in New York City. When future White Sox stud Michael Kopech pitches, you can t look away By Teddy Greenstein / Chicago Tribune / July 24, 2018 It s a sultry afternoon in the South, and White Sox minor-league coaches are analyzing Michael Kopech s every movement. As Kopech unleashes pitches in the bullpen at the Durham Bulls ballpark, the sweat stains grow on his workout jersey, turning it dark gray. The sweat drips into Kopech s eyes, briefly halting the side session. It s good for you, ribs Charlotte Knights pitching coach Steve McCatty. Fight through it. Fellow Triple-A reliever Jordan Stephens also is observing the bullets coming from Kopech, who once stated a goal of hitting 107 mph. Cover your ears, jokes Kirk Champion, the Sox s director of minor-league pitching instruction. Champion does not want Stephens trying to compete with the thunderous pop sound. When Kopech s fastball hits the catcher s mitt, it s almost hard to hold a camera phone steady. Kopech completes the session and gets props from all the witnesses. A minute later they re still buzzing. Meanwhile Stephens is a half-dozen pitches into his off-day session. Jordan, we re going to pay attention to you in a minute, Champion says. I promise. Stephens shouldn t feel bad. When Kopech throws, it s hard to look away. He is one of baseball s top 10 prospects and we re guessing that doesn t factor in his Q rating the ripped physique, flowing hair, celebrity girlfriend. In Durham the Knights wore black baseball caps with a K in gold. If you didn t know better, you would have thought they were specifically designed for Kopech both for his last name and his calling card. He leads the International League in strikeouts, with 131 in 94 1/3 innings. Two days after that side session, Kopech dominated the Bulls. He allowed one run on four hits over six innings, striking out 11 with one walk. After the game Trayce Thompson, the 27-year-old outfielder who has shuttled between Charlotte and Chicago this season, compared Kopech to the Mets Noah Syndergaard.

8 When he pounds the strike zone, he s one of the best pitchers in the league and Mike has that potential, Thompson said. It s very exciting for White Sox fans and fans of the game to see a young pitcher like that, as electric as he is. He puts everything into it. I m happy to see a guy with a work ethic like that get results. Indeed, an hour after his sweaty bullpen session in Durham, Kopech politely declined an interview request. He had another pregame workout to complete. Cyborg that s him, said Charlotte s strength and conditioning coach, Shawn Powell. Drop him in a vat of steel and he still might be all right. The next day Kopech patiently answered every conceivable question about his four-pitch repertoire (fastball, slider, curveball, changeup), his favorite pitchers growing up, his girlfriend, actress Vanessa Morgan, and his frustrating stretch from early June to early July. Kopech lasted just two innings in Buffalo on June 2. And two starts later, he walked eight batters in a debacle at Norfolk. There was a reason for Kopech to lack focus. His cousin and close friend, 21-year-old Hunter Suggitt, died from injuries received in a car accident in Texarkana, Ark. It has been tough, tough on the whole family, Kopech said. But I think it has brought us together. We re keeping him in our prayers throughout the season. I know he s watching over everybody. Kopech s final start before the All-Star break was notable because of how angry he got at the home-plate umpire. At one point McCatty approached the mound and told him: Knock that (bleep) off. As McCatty later explained to him: You have to control yourself out there and understand the situation. The pitches you complained about, yes, they could have been strike threes and I thought they were. But you have to remember: You were in 3-2 counts, and who got you there? Kopech leads the International League in walks, with 58. And hit batsmen, with 11. If you re throwing 101 and not throwing strikes, well, it s OK to throw 97, McCatty said. Right now he feels pretty good throwing it hard. If I had a big gun I d want to shoot it too. Two days later, Kopech lived in the mph range at Durham. He threw 96 pitches, 70 for strikes. He was almost as sharp in his most recent start, Thursday against Pawtucket. Again, he walked only one. He struck out nine batters over six innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits. Overall Kopech is 3-7 with a 4.29 ERA. But he seems primed to get a call-up to the Sox. Knights manager Mark Grudzielanek, who played in the majors for 15 seasons, said that Kopech s fire and makeup remind him of Pedro Martinez. He expects to make pitches, Grudzielanek said, and gets upset when he doesn t. Kopech wears No. 34 in honor of a strikeout king, a fellow Texan with a wild streak. But not the one that might have popped in your head. Kerry (Wood) is a great comparison, no question, Grudzielanek says. He came out gunslinging, throwing really hard. Same mentality, a hard-noser who expected the best from himself.

9 Kopech admired Wood, but he actually wears No. 34 because of his dad s favorite pitcher, Nolan Ryan, who switched from 30 to 34 for his time with the Astros and Rangers. Kopech mimicked Ryan s high leg kick in high school, almost touching his knee to his chin. I grew up watching film with my dad, Kopech said. It s how both of us learned about pitching because my dad never played organized baseball. Everything he learned, he read or studied film. I think we watched all seven of Nolan Ryan s no-hitters 10 times apiece. Kopech figures he never will be a control pitcher. Being a guy who may be a little wild at times is how he starts a sentence. But he always will be a guy you can t peel your eyes from. Carlos Rodon takes no-hitter into sixth, White Sox hang on to beat Angels 4-2 By Bob Keisser / Chicago Tribune / July 24, 2018 When a pitcher is throwing as casually brilliant as Carlos Rodon did Tuesday night, it can seem like pitching is the easiest task in sports. The White Sox lefthander never looked taxed early, taking a no-hitter into the sixth and allowing just two hits and three walks before exiting after 7 2/3 innings in the Sox s 4-2 win at Angel Stadium. It was his second straight superb start, coming on the heels of allowing three hits in 7 1/3 innings in a win over the Cardinals. He s now 3-3 after missing the first two months as he rehabilitated from shoulder surgery. It was fun, Rodon said. There were a lot of balls hit at guys and they got me into the eighth. I felt like I was in a groove early. The no-hitter was in my head, but I got a fastball out against (Andrelton) Simmons. Rodon walked Trout in the first and then retired 15 straight before issuing his second walk of the game in the sixth. Simmons then singled up the middle to break up the no-hitter. Rodon allowed a lead-off double to Ian Kinsler in the eighth, got two outs and then exited after issuing his third walk. He was pitching very free and easy, manager Rick Renteria said. He went deep into the game and had a good mix of his pitches. He stayed efficient as the game went on before getting a little tired. Reliever Juan Minaya allowed all three hitters he faced to reach base as two runs to cut the Sox 4-0 lead in half. Jeanmar Gomez got the last out of the eighth and Joakim Soria picked up his 16th save in the ninth. He couldn t throw a strike in the bullpen, catcher Omar Narvaez said with a grin. That s the way it works sometimes. I wasn t worried. He got ahead of hitters early all night. He pretty much did whatever he wanted to do tonight. The White Sox pushed two runs across in the third against Angels starter Felix Pena on singles by Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada, walks to Yolmer Sanchez and Jose Abreu and a sacrifice fly by Avisail Garcia. Moncada homered in the seventh off Angels reliever Noe Ramirez, his 13th of the season, to make it 3-0, and Matt Davidson doubled and scored on Nicky Delmonico s single in the eighth to make it 4-0. After Rodon left with two on and two outs in the eighth, Minaya allowed a run-scoring double by Fletcher, hit Simmons and then walked Trout with the bases loaded to make it 4-2.

10 Column: Isn t it as simple as the White Sox trading Joakim Soria to the Cubs? By Steve Rosenbloom / Chicago Tribune / July 24, 2018 Isn t it just as simple as the White Sox trading closer Joakim Soria to the Cubs? OK, maybe not simple, but it s an option, a legitimate option. Last year s Sox-Cubs trade that sent Jose Quintana to the Cubs for, most notably, Eloy Jimenez and Dylan Cease made all things possible things like the Sox trading a reliever to a Cubs team that desperately needs one. Isn t this why the Sox signed Soria? To trade him? Why, yes. Yes, that s exactly why Sox GM Rick Hahn signed him to a deal that calls for $9 million this season and can be bought out for $1 million next year. Yes, the Sox always planned to flip Soria at the deadline to a team with a chewed-up bullpen, which is every team, and especially the Cubs. It s not that the bullpen is bad. It s that it s overused because the starters can t go six innings. Now, the normal response to that failure is to trade for a starter who can go six innings. Maybe I m being too simplistic here, but that s what I d do. But after paying more than $150 million for starters who shouldn t be starting Yu Darvish at least has the good sense not to, unlike Tyler Chatwood it doesn t appear as if Theo Epstein will go that way, reportedly focusing on the bullpen. OK. Fine. The Cubs need a reliable arm there. Problem is, they re running out of options because other teams prospects appear more attractive than those in the once-lucrative Cubs system that produced a World Series championship and three straight National League Championship Series. READ: Who are the Cubs' primary trade targets? And who can Cubs offer in return?» Zach Britton was a reported target, but the Orioles traded the left-handed closer to the Yankees for three pitching prospects. Brad Hand was a reported target, but the Padres traded the left-handed reliever, too. Of course, the Cubs wouldn t need Britton and Hand as desperately if left-handed reliever Justin Wilson hadn t become a general disaster and Brendan Morrow hadn t become a question mark. And they wouldn t have needed Britton and Hand as much if Kyle Hendricks hadn t joined Darvish and Chatwood as guesswork. But that s where the Cubs are needing an arm, somewhere, anywhere. And there s Soria, rolling. In his last six outings through Tuesday night s save against the Angels, Soria has allowed just three hits while striking out 10 and walking just two. Zooming out over June and July, Soria has allowed 13 hits and six walks while striking out 19 in 20 1/3 innings for a WHIP of He has saved 12 games in 13 chances and allowed no inherited runners to score. Soria s 40 appearances were as many as Brian Duensing and fewer than Steve Cishek, Pedro Strop and Wilson. His 38 2/3 innings are fewer than Cishek, Strop and Wilson. Sounds like a guy the Cubs could use. Sounds like a guy the Sox would trade. Theo, Rick, why don t you two kids get together again. Rick Renteria patient as he awaits Jose Abreu breaking out of his slump By Bob Keisser / Chicago Tribune / July 24, 2018 There hasn t been a moment during the struggles of White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu that manager Rick Renteria felt the need to pull the All-Star aside and talk about the first protracted slump of his career.

11 In a span of 15 games Abreu collected just six hits, a.118 average that belied the talent of someone who had been a consistent force in his first four major-league seasons as well as the entirety of his career in Cuba. The.118 slide is the worst part of a slump that started with a 33-game run in which Abreu hit.200. The respect factor was a big part of Renteria s decision not to provide psychological intervention. Abreu takes his role as a clubhouse leader seriously, and it s not as if he s the only Sox player who has struggled in a difficult season that has led many observers to already start focusing on 2019 and the young crop of standout prospects who might make the roster next season. It was sort of like the elephant in the room, Renteria said. No one has to disguise it. Everybody in baseball goes through a period when their timing is off or they re not seeing the ball very well. He has had slumps previously but not like this one. All we know is that he ll snap out of it. He ll flourish as he always has. Everyone knows that at times like this a hitter just has to slow the game down. Abreu picked up his game Monday night in the Sox s 5-3 victory over the Angels, hitting a first-inning home run and adding an RBI single in the three-run sixth that produced the triumph. He was hoping to build on that Tuesday night against Angels starter Felix Pena, a third-year player who made his first major-league start in June. Abreu is one of three players in Major League Baseball history to hit 25 or more home runs and drive in 100 or more runs in their first four seasons, the others being Joe DiMaggio and Albert Pujols. He s one of five players to have 100-plus RBIs in his first four seasons, along with the aforementioned pair, Ted Williams and Al Simmons. The only slumps in Abreu s career previously came during the month of April a 1-for-25 skid over seven games in 2014, 2-for-30 in 2016 and 3-for-38 in Once those slumps ended, he was as consistent as any major-leaguer could hope to be. Abreu s slump this season is perplexing to him and he is distraught that he hasn t been contributing. He s passionate about his role in the club s success. He s surrounded by a large group of players drafted by the Sox or obtained in trades, all of whom were born in the early 1990s and are just starting their careers. We all have talked about everyone taking good at-bats, and the sixth inning (Monday) was an example of what we have to do: work at-bats and make it tough on the pitchers, Abreu said. It was good to see everyone contribute. It s an important thing to learn as a pro to keep moving forward and do these kinds of things that help you grow as a player. Relief factor: Renteria didn t plan to use five different pitchers in the seventh and eighth innings to get six outs in Monday's victory. It just worked out that way as the bullpen played matchup against an Angels lineup that has a lot of tough outs. It was just circumstances that led us to look at the matchups, Renteria said. It s not the kind of thing you want to do all the time, but it worked out Monday. Left-hander Xavier Cedeno relieved starter Lucas Giolito to start the seventh and retired the first two batters before walking Mike Trout. Renteria went to right-hander Juan Minaya to face Justin Upton, and Upton was caught looking on a 3-2 pitch. Minaya returned to start the eighth, giving up a single to Pujols. The Sox summoned lefty Jace Fry to face left-hander Shohei Ohtani, who had homered earlier, and Fry struck out the Japanese two-way star on a wicked slider. Jeanmar Gomez replaced Fry and got Ian Kinsler to pop up, and Luis Avilan was summoned to face pinch hitter Jefry Marte, striking him out.

12 Four of the six outs the five pitchers recorded were strikeouts. The Sox had 11 on the night. 'It was a really good team win:' White Sox win for the 5th time in 8 games By Bob Keisser / Chicago Tribune / July 24, 2018 There was noise coming from the White Sox clubhouse Monday night, the kind of joyful sounds the club hasn t made much in Thanks to a collective night of good play, the Sox won for the fifth time in eight games with a 5-3 win over the Angels, a pleasant change of course for a team that set a team record for most losses at the all-star break. Jose Abreu had a home run and an RBI single, Lucas Giolito (7-8) pitched tough and composed for the third straight outing, and six pitchers stifled Angel comeback attempts in the last three innings. It was a really good team win, manager Rick Renteria said. Lucas kept his composure and made some good pitches at big moments, and Jose is starting to chip away at it (his slump). I thought everybody did nice job. Abreu came into the game hitting.118 in his previous 15 games but slugged a fastball off Angels starter Jaime Barria in the first inning to give Giolito a lead. He had the big hit, an RBI single, in a three-run sixth that turned a 3-2 deficit into a 5-3 lead. I ve spent many nights thinking of ways to get out of this, said Abreu, who started at first base for the AL in the All-Star game. I have the same routine every day, but it s been difficult. I really felt good about the home run because I really wanted to help the team. Giolito gave up a home run to Shohei Ohtani but the other two runs were the result of shortstop Tim Anderson having a routine grounder skip over his glove for a double by David Fletcher. He battled through a tough fifth a double by Fletcher, intentional walk to Mike Trout and unintentional walk to Justin Upton on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases with two outs. But he got Albert Pujols to ground out and then worked a clean sixth. He allowed five hits and struck out five in his six innings. Joakim Soria gave up a single and walked Trout to put two on with two outs in the ninth, but struck out Upton on a called 3-2 strike to end the game and notch his 15th save. Giolito grew up in L.A. and starred at Harvard-Westlake High School, but until Monday he had yet to throw a pitch as a professional in the state of California. He had a mass of friends and family in the crowd. I definitely wanted it to be a good one, he said. He pitched once at Angels Stadium in a showcase event while in high school. I remember liking the mound, he said. It sits high and it s a good feeling to be on top. Giolito added: I m in a much better place pitching-wise. I m more relaxed and I m not trying to figure things out when I m on the field. The fifth inning was a grind, but I got out of it and got the team back in the dugout. Notes: Outfielder Avisail Garcia was scratched from the starting lineup after feeling sick before the game. He left the park to see a doctor, then returned and played an inning of defense Leury Garcia had a triple and scored in the fifth, and catcher Kevan Smith had two RBIs, on a ground out and when he was hit in the back on a 3-2 pitch in the three-run sixth Renteria used Xavier Cedeno (three batters), Juan Minaya (2), Jace Fry (1), Jeanmar Gomez (1) and Luis Avilan (1) in the seventh and eighth to work around bad matchups while pitching around Trout and Ohtani Trout came to the plate five times but did not have an

13 official at-bat, walking four times and hitting a sacrifice fly. He s only the fourth player in MLB history to go 0-for-0 in a game with two stolen bases (minimum five plate appearances). Carlos Rodon dominates in White Sox victory against Angels By Doug Padilla / Sun-Times / July 24, 2018 ANAHEIM, Calif. Left-hander Carlos Rodon brushed off the Angels on Tuesday much like he apparently has shrugged off surgery on his pitching shoulder less than a year ago. Rodon allowed two runs and two hits in 7 2/3 innings, and the Sox held on for a 4-2 victory to take the first two games of the four-game series. It was fun man; it was a fun night, Rodon said. We had a lot of balls hit at our guys and they made some plays for me. It got me into the seventh and eighth [innings] and catcher Omar [Narvaez] and I just grinded through it. We came out with the win, which was great. Rodon was in control for most of the game, not allowing a hit until Andrelton Simmons two-out single in the sixth. Simmons was thrown out trying to scramble back to first base after his hit. Angels star Mike Trout struck out twice against Rodon, who fanned four consecutive batters spanning the third and fourth. He finished with eight strikeouts and three walks and left with a 4-0 lead. He s actually been throwing the ball pretty well, manager Rick Renteria said. He looks free and easy. We were talking about it in the bench. He looks like he s feeling pretty good. He obviously took us deep into the ballgame, taking a no-hitter deep. He did a nice job. The Angels didn t get their second hit until Ian Kinsler doubled against Rodon to lead off the eighth. After Rodon was lifted with two runners on and two outs, Kinsler scored on a double by David Fletcher against reliever Juan Minaya. Minaya hit Simmons with a pitch on the left hand to load the bases, then walked Trout to cut the Sox lead to 4-2. Jeanmar Gomez got out of the jam when he retired Justin Upton on a pop-up. Joakim Soria then pitched the ninth for his 16th save and second in two nights. After only eight starts, Rodon seems to be getting better and better. He made his 2018 debut June 9 after recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder in September. His bounce-back season has been strong. Rodon yielded five earned runs in a loss to the Rangers on June 30 but otherwise has been solid. The outing against the Angels was the sixth in which he allowed two earned runs or fewer. Rodon, the third overall pick in the 2014 draft, has managed to make his first eight starts of 2018 look a lot like his last seven of He allowed two runs or fewer six times in those starts before his surgery. The Sox did just enough offensively to win. They put Angels starter Felix Pena in an early hole with a tworun third. Jose Abreu gave the Sox a 1-0 lead with a bases-loaded walk, and Avisail Garcia made it 2-0 on a sacrifice fly. With Rodon in control, the Sox added what proved to be some necessary insurance on a home run by Yoan Moncada in the seventh and an RBI single by Nicky Delmonico in the eighth. Moncada s homer, his 13th, just cleared the Angels new lower wall in right. Delmonico drove in his first run since coming off the disabled list Friday. He had been out since May 19 after suffering a fractured hand when he was hit by a pitch from the Rangers Matt Moore.

14 Delmonico s RBI chance was created when Matt Davidson hit a two-out double in the eighth. It was only the 12th extra-base hit for Davidson in his last 35 games. He had 11 homers in his first 34 games. I have just lost a little timing, got out of rhythm and started to try to do too much, said Davidson, who hit 26 homers in 2017, his first full major-league season. That just gets you in a hole you don t necessarily want to go down.... [But] I m feeling good, and hopefully I will have a good second half. Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia back in lineup after scare By Doug Padilla / Sun-Times / July 24, 2018 ANAHEIM, Calif. There might be more decaffeinated coffee in White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia s future after he was a late scratch from the starting lineup Monday against the Angels. Garcia, who was back in the Sox lineup Tuesday and went 0-for-3 with a sacrifice fly, said before the game that a combination of caffeine and the medication he was taking for a recent hamstring injury might have sent his heart racing for a few days. Garcia went to a hospital Monday because of minor chest pains and a rapid heartbeat that he said had plaguing him since the Sox weekend series in Seattle. He returned to Angel Stadium during the game and entered as a defensive replacement in the eighth inning. Everything is good, Garcia said. They take blood tests, everything. Everything is good. After multiple days of discomfort in his chest, Garcia said he thought of his family and was inspired to get checked out by a doctor. He said he also thought about Sox pitcher Danny Farquhar, who suffered a brain hemorrhage during a game April 20 at Guaranteed Rate Field. It s not the same, but you see what happened with Farquhar, Garcia said. That s really different, but nobody wants that to happen. So I went to the hospital to check my heart and see that everything is right. Manager Rick Renteria said he had no hesitation using Garcia late in the game Monday and was happy to have him back in the lineup. I think that anytime anything arises, you have to make sure these guys are doing well, Renteria said. He pushes himself very hard, just like a lot of our guys do, and it was good that he was able to get back in there and show everybody that he was fine. Jimenez making a case After only 20 games at Class AAA Charlotte and barely 100 higher than Class A, outfielder Eloy Jimenez, 21, has made a solid case to join the Sox when rosters expand in September. His promotion to Charlotte sure hasn t fazed him. Jimenez was sporting a OPS with five doubles, five home runs and 10 RBI in those 20 games. As long as he continues on the positive path, which he is currently following, hopefully for all of us he will be here at some point, Renteria said. Gotta have heart Third baseman Yolmer Sanchez was named the Sox Heart and Hustle Award winner, an honor that goes to a player on each team who exemplifies the values, spirit and traditions of the game. The award is voted on by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association.

15 People see how you respect the game and how you play, how you see your talent, Sanchez said. I think more than talent, it s about the passion and the respect for the game. I feel good and proud of myself. I try to show what I can do. I play hard. An overall winner will be announced Nov. 8. As deadline nears, veteran pitchers White Sox's best trade chips By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald / July 24, 2018 At this time last year, Chicago White Sox general manager Rick Hahn was just getting started. In advance of the July 31 trade deadline, Hahn made a monster deal two weeks earlier, sending Jose Quintana to the Chicago Cubs for Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease and two lesser prospects. Before the deadline hit, Hahn made four more trades that subtracted six veterans and added more young talent to the rebuilding effort, headed by outfielder Blake Rutherford (acquired from the New York Yankees). Still looking to deal this year, Hahn is much shorter on quantity and quality. But the Sox's GM does have some veteran pitchers who are attracting interest: starter James Shields and relievers Joakim Soria, Luis Avilan and Xavier Cedeno. "Teams are definitely interested in numerous guys on our roster that could potentially help them win," Hahn said during the White Sox's last homestand. "I don't think there's any club anywhere throughout the league that doesn't feel like they could improve themselves from a pitching standpoint, so that's certainly an area of conversation." After defeating Los Angeles 5-3 Monday night in the first of a four-game West Coast series, the Sox won again 4-2 on Tuesday night behind the pitching of Carlos Rodon. Getting back to the trade market, Shields (4-11, 4.26 ERA) might not have flashy stats, but the veteran right-hander has value. "He has reinvented himself," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said of the 36-year-old righty. "He continues to impress everybody. Little different arm slot now, he has become very comfortable with it. Changes speeds really well out of that slot, couple of different velocities on breaking pitches. "Still is able to work (mph), just continues to attack the strike zone and had a really good idea of how he wants to go after hitters. He continues to show everybody he can pitch." Starting pitching is a prime asset at the deadline, and contenders like the Yankees, Cubs, Brewers and Athletics might make a move on Shields. On the bullpen front, the Seattle Mariners have been scouting the Sox for well over a month, and Soria and Avilan are on their radar. Heading into Tuesday's late game against the Angels, Soria had a 0.77 ERA (2 earned runs in 23⅓ innings) and 11 saves over his last 24 appearances. Avilan was averaging strikeouts per 9 innings, and Cedeno allowed only 2 earned runs in 13⅓ innings since joining the White Sox's bullpen from Class AAA Charlotte on June 7. Injuries have allowed Luis Robert time to focus on his biggest challenge: acclimating to life in the U.S. By James Fegan / The Athletic / July 24, 2018

16 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. As expectations mounted and questions persisted about how quickly Luis Robert could move through the White Sox system if he torched Single-A just as he did Serie Nacional as an 18-year-old, general manager Rick Hahn reiterated that the most important adjustment Robert would make this year would be acclimating to living and working in the United States. Three weeks after being diagnosed with the second sprain of his left thumb this year, and with his hand still bearing a thin black wrap, Robert is filling time with throwing drills and scrutinizing his swing on video in his late hours at home. But his injury hasn t limited his activity with his biggest task. It s definitely been tough adapting but the toughest part is learning the language, Robert said through Latin/cultural development coordinator Anthony Santiago. I m definitely progressing. Every home game that I m here in Winston-Salem, I take my English class. Definitely my teammates always help me out whenever I hear them say anything, I ll ask what does that mean and they ll translate it for me. I think I m learning. Having his uncle nearby has been a godsend for Robert in a year that has not provided nearly as much on-field success to ease his transition as hoped. He s kept in touch as much as he can with Yoán Moncada, José Abreu and Avisaíl García, who christened him with the undeniably cool La Pantera nickname in spring training. He s also leaned on the assistance of bilingual teammates like Micker Adolfo, Luis Basabe, and now Luis González to communicate, and they all insist there s not as much of a shell for Robert to come out of as there might seem. And Robert has definitely appreciated having Omar Vizquel as a manager, even if his knowledge of Roberto Clemente has not taken off like Vizquel might have hoped. But acclimating for Robert doesn t just mean hanging out with the guys who speak the same language or have taken the same path. Vizquel tasked Robert with putting himself out there and being willing to make mistakes in his new language, and to do that Robert has really needed an American partner who is ready to do the same. Luckily, he s found one. Definitely the teammate that s helped me the most with English is [Blake] Rutherford, Robert said through Santiago. Anytime he s not playing and we re here, he ll tell me some words and we ll try to exchange words and he s definitely helped me a lot. Thanks to the Winston-Salem Dash s outfield rotation that sees him regularly in the DH slot or just getting a day off, Rutherford has proven willing and able to exchange words or phrases with his Spanishspeaking teammate, and provides Robert with an outlet for checking on the meaning of anything he s curious about in English. At last check, the phrase Rutherford, a Simi Valley native, had just taught Robert was: I want to go to California. Rutherford has done plenty on the field this season to stake his claim to a spot in Chicago next to Robert in the outfield, but he s also helped Robert become more comfortable sharing the grass with him. I don t think so much on the field it s been too positive, obviously with not playing so much, Robert said through Santiago. But definitely being able to be here in the United States, has definitely been a positive season for me. Back in January hitters minicamp, Robert was lamenting that a pair of minor ailments had kept him from restoring his timing to what it was during his peak in Cuba. By spring training he thought it was finally starting to get there, as evidenced by the towering home run he launched after he had already sprained his thumb, only to be sidelined again. After just 21 games across Kannapolis and Winston-Salem where Robert found himself inside-outing balls more than ever, and hampered by lingering wrist soreness as he tried to unlock his power against a level of pitching he says outstrips what he faced in Cuba now he s just trying to slow the slip away from his rhythm that he was starting to build. For that, he watches video of when he was at his best in Serie Nacional and picks apart the differences between that and what he did during his three weeks of action in