WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF JUNE 22, 2017 Wednesday's best: Giolito flirts with no-hitter Mike Rosenbaum, MLB.com Quintana aims to break through against Twins Patrick Donnelly, Special to MLB.com White Sox blessed with starter prospects Scott Merkin, MLB.com White Sox sign second-round pick Sheets Patrick Donnelly, Special to MLB.com White Sox stumble after quick start vs. Twins Shane Jackson and Patrick Donnelly, MLB.com White Sox Sign Top Two Draft Picks Gavin Sheets and Jake Burger Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago What Avisail Garcia Has Learned from Watching Jose Abreu, Miguel Cabrera Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago Jose Berrios Gave the Twins Exactly What the White Sox Could Use Most Right Now Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago White Sox announce details for Mark Buehrle's day at Guaranteed Rate Field Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune White Sox sign first-round draft pick Jake Burger for $3.7 million Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune Young Twins starter Jose Berrios ties White Sox hitters in knots Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune White Sox announce signing of first-round pick Jake Burger Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times Past tense: Controlling pressure a boost for Matt Davidson Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times White Sox sign 1st-round pick Jake Burger for $3.7M bonus Associated Press Berrios' arm, Sano's bat key Twins over White Sox 4-2 Dave Campbell, Associated Press 56 fast facts on former Chicago White Sox ace Mark Buehrle Scot Gregor, Daily Herald White Sox Release Details For Mark Buehrle s Jersey Retirement Saturday CBS Chicago Wednesday's best: Giolito flirts with no-hitter By Mike Rosenbaum / MLB.com June 21, 2017 With one no-hitter already under his belt this season, Lucas Giolito made a bid at a second one on Wednesday for Triple- A Charlotte. Starting game two of a doubleheader versus Gwinnett, Giolito, the White Sox No. 4 prospect (No. 30 overall), tossed four no-hit frames before permitting a leadoff single in the fifth inning. He would ultimately allow three earned runs on four hits in the frame before departing the game after 79 pitches (50 strikes). And despite struggling in his final inning of work, the 22-year-old still missed his share of bats, compiling eight strikeouts against two walks in the performance. Gioltio has shown more consistency since tossing his no-hitter -- also in a seven-inning game -- against Syracuse on May 25. Since then, he's registered a 3.80 ERA with 24 strikeouts and one home run allowed in 21 1/3 innings spanning four starts. In his first season in the White Sox system after coming over from Washington in the December Adam Eaton trade, Giolito has pitched to 4.95 ERA in 14 starts totaling 72 2/3 innings. He's punched out 75 batters while walking 37. The rest of the best performances from top prospects Wednesday Angels' No. 3 prospect Brandon Marsh filled out the stat sheet by going 4-for-6 with three runs scored, two RBIs and a stolen base in Rookie-level Orem's rout of Ogden. It was just the second career game for the 2016 second-rounder, who went 1-for-5 and scored two runs in his professional debut on Monday. A's No. 10 prospect Yairo Munoz connected on his sixth home run, a solo shot in Midland's loss against Frisco. While an injury delayed the start of Munoz's season until early May, the 22-year-old infielder has made up for much of that lost time by hitting.308/.338/.552 with 24 extra-base hits and 11 steals in 45 games. Braves' No. 17 prospect Dustin Peterson went 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and a season-high four RBIs to help lead Gwinnett past Charlotte in game one of a twin bill. A broken hamate delayed the start of the 22-year-old outfielder's season until May 19, and he's batted.254 with eight doubles and 18 RBIs in 32 games since being activated.
Indians' No. 10 prospect Yu-Cheng Chang's two-run homer in the top of the ninth inning accounted for all of Double-A Akron's scoring in a loss against Reading. The homer was Chang's fourth in eight games, and with 15 home runs in 62 games, the impressive 21-year-old shortstop has already topped his previous career high of 13 homers, which he achieved over 109 games in 2016. On the season, he's hitting.220/.296/.502. Pirates' No. 11 prospect Taylor Hearn received a no-decision for Class A Advanced Bradenton despite throwing five hitless innings. The 22-year-old lefty found the zone with 52 of his 86 pitches, as he recorded six ground-ball outs, while striking out four and walking four. Though walks have been an issue of late, Hearn continues to showcase bat-missing potential with 78 strikeouts in 65 2/3 innings (10.7 strikeouts-per-nine). Nationals' No. 5 prospect Andrew Stevenson turned in his fourth multihit effort in his last nine games for Triple-A Syracuse, going 3-for-5 with one run scored, one RBI and a season-high three stolen bases. After a strong start to his season at Double-A Harrisburg, Stevenson, 23, has hit.237/.275/.289 over 46 games in the International League. Rangers' No. 6 prospect Jose Trevino and Scott Heineman (No. 24) both went 3-for-5 and combined for five RBIs in Double-A Frisco's win over Midland. Trevino's performance included a double and two RBIs, while Heineman belted his sixth home run, a two-run shot, en route to driving in three. They're hitting.254 and.285 this season, respectively. Yankees' No. 18 prospect Nick Solak improved his season average from.298 to.310 behind a season-high four hits for Class A Advanced Tampa. The 22-year-old second baseman went 4-for-5 with three runs scored, three RBIs and one stolen base in the contest, which was his third straight with multiple hits. Solak's performance, meanwhile, helped Tampa secure the Florida State League North Division first-half title. "I was asked the other day to describe [Solak] in one word, and it's tough to do, but I'd say he's a baseballer," Tampa manager Jay Bell told MiLB.com. "He's someone who just loves playing the game and being on the field. He takes pleasure every time he walks into the clubhouse until he leaves. He does nothing but enjoy the fact that he's a professional baseball player. I would take nine of him every night." Quintana aims to break through against Twins By Patrick Donnelly / Special to MLB.com June 22, 2017 Left-hander Nik Turley will makes his third Major League start as the Twins go for a series sweep against lefty Jose Quintana and the White Sox on Thursday at Target Field.. After surrendering 15 earned runs in back-to-back starts against Arizona and Boston in late May, Quintana (3-8, 5.07 ERA) has rebounded with three strong efforts. He picked up his third win of the season at Toronto on June 16, allowing two earned runs in seven innings. However, he's 0-4 in his last five starts against the Twins. Turley (0-1, 12.46), 27, is coming off his first big league loss, in which he allowed eight runs on nine hits across 4 2/3 innings. He given up at least four runs and eight hits in each of his first two outings with the Twins. Three things to know about this game While Quintana posted a solid line in his last outing at Toronto, his 94.1-mph average exit velocity allowed was a season high, as was his 55.6-percent hard-hit rate (balls hit 95-plus mph). Statcast estimated his expected batting average allowed at.301 based on the quality of contact against him. Twins second baseman Brian Dozier has just 11 hits in 49 career at-bats against Quintana, but four are home runs. White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu is 16-for-38 with seven extra-base hits and 10 RBIs in his last nine games. White Sox blessed with starter prospects Chicago intends to contend in near future by measuring growth and issuing role to rotation By Scott Merkin / MLB.com June 21, 2017 CHICAGO -- Pick almost any day of the week during the 2017 Minor League season, and the White Sox figure to start a couple of Top 20 pitching prospects from within their organization. Right-handed pitchers Lucas Giolito (No. 30 prospect overall per MLBPipeline.com), Reynaldo Lopez (No. 38 overall) and Carson Fulmer (No. 61 overall) work with Triple-A Charlotte. Michael Kopech (No. 11 overall) and his 100 mph fastball reside in Birmingham with the Double-A Barons, along with Spencer Adams (No. 12 among White Sox prospects) and Jordan Stephens (No. 14 White Sox).
Dane Dunning (No. 11 White Sox) practices his craft for Class Advanced Winston-Salem, while Alec Hansen (No. 10 White Sox) and Bernardo Flores (No. 19 White Sox) sit atop Class A Kannapolis' starting five. These talented Minor League rotation members in the present provide a Major League question for the future. Who will comprise the White Sox rotation when the team should be ready to contend for a World Series championship in 2019 or 2020? This list doesn't even include Carlos Rodon, 24, who is close to a return to the Majors after battling biceps bursitis all season. It doesn't include Jose Quintana, 28, who could be the franchise's biggest trade chip in the upcoming weeks leading into the non-waiver Trade Deadline or continue as the staff ace. It doesn't include strong candidates outside of MLBPipeline's Top 20. Manager Rick Renteria explained how every organization has set parameters to determine the role for a given player. "You allow starters to be starters as long as they can until they qualify or quantify or identify that they'd be better served in a different role," Renteria said. "I don't know we have reached that point with any of those men mentioned. Most guys end up starting out as starters first before they become relievers." Hard-throwing reliever Nate Jones backs up that Renteria point, having made 51 starts in the Minors before all of his 238 White Sox appearances came out of the bullpen. Lincoln Henzman (fourth round) and Tyler Johnson (fifth round) did their collegiate work in relief, but these White Sox selections from the 2017 MLB Draft will begin as starters. Some of the pitchers from this group could wind up as part of future trades as the White Sox move closer to their goal of sustained success, but those who don't make the rotation are more likely to play valuable roles out of the bullpen. And pitchers such as Andrew Miller and one-time White Sox Minor Leaguer Chris Devenski have proven the value of extended quality relief work. "When you take them as an amateur you spend time getting to know them more and you present them with additional challenges," White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said. "Then you sort of respond to the level of success they're having. "How their stuff holds up over the course of a start, and how they physically hold up over the course of a long season. You reassess the situation in the offseason and sort of make up a plan for next year." White Sox sign second-round pick Sheets By Patrick Donnelly / MLB.com June 21, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- The White Sox added a second-generation Major League player to their organization on Wednesday by signing second-round Draft pick Gavin Sheets, a first baseman out of Wake Forest, according to Jim Callis of MLB.com. Sheets signed for a $2 million bonus, which is over the slot price of about $1.4 million for the 49th pick in the Draft. The club has not confirmed the signing or terms of the deal. Sheets is the son of former outfielder Larry Sheets, who played for the Orioles, Tigers and Mariners in a career that spanned from 1984-93. Gavin Sheets was among the top power-hitting prospects in this year's Draft. As a junior, he slashed.322/.429/.634 with 20 home runs in 227 at-bats. He also walked 44 times and struck out just 33, a stellar ratio for a longball specialist. Sheets bats and throws left-handed, and he checks in at 6-foot-5, 235 pounds -- that's one inch taller and five pounds lighter than White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia, if you're looking for a comparison. White Sox stumble after quick start vs. Twins By Shane Jackson and Patrick Donnelly / MLB.com June 22, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- Twins right-hander Jose Berrios spun eight innings of two-run ball and Miguel Sano homered for the second time in the series in leading the Twins to a 4-2 victory over the White Sox on Wednesday night at Target Field. Both runs scored against Berrios came in the first three innings, including an RBI single by Avisail Garcia. Berrios didn't give up another hit until the eighth, and at one point, he retired 12 in a row. Berrios finished with eight strikeouts and one walk, while allowing just four hits. Closer Brandon Kintzler notched his 19th save with a shutout ninth, as the Twins will go for the series sweep on Thursday after winning their fourth straight against the White Sox.
"Tonight, I tried to attack the hitter in on the plate," Berrios said. "I wanted to get ahead in the count and use secondary pitches. So that's what I got and it was a successful night." The White Sox obviously were impressed with their first look at Berrios in 2017. "You can see his pitches had action and life," manager Rick Renteria said. "He was locating. We did the best we could to try to generate something." The Twins' offense provided enough support. All four runs (two earned) were off White Sox starter David Holmberg, who took the loss after logging just 3 1/3 frames. Brian Dozier recorded an RBI double in the second, while Max Kepler drove in a run on a base hit during a three-run third inning. Sano sparked the outburst by clubbing his team-leading 18th homer on a 3-0 offering from Holmberg. It was Sano's second career 3-0 homer and first since Sept. 3, 2016. He is the first Twins hitter to record 18 homers before the All-Star break since Dozier hit 19 in 2015. MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Oppo taco: Sano took Holmberg deep to lead off the third inning, which helped jumpstart a three-run rally. After striking out on three pitches in his first at-bat, Sano watched a pair of breaking balls and a heater miss his next time up. Sano then belted a 3-0 fastball to right-center. According to Statcast, the ball traveled a projected 414 feet, his longest oppositefield home run since Statcast was introduced in 2015. Of his 59 homers during that span, only nine have gone the opposite way. "Not too many guys go oppo at 3-0, because they are looking to yank," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "I give him a green light most of the time, but leading off an inning, sometimes I might make him take once in awhile. But he's kind of in scoring position when he's at the dish, so we will let him swing." Turn two: The White Sox appeared poised for a big third inning when Adam Engel doubled down the left-field line and Alen Hanson followed with a single, putting runners at the corners with none out. Berrios buckled down and induced consecutive groundouts, including a 4-6-3 double play by Melky Cabrera, to keep the deficit at just one run. Entering Wednesday, Berrios had posted a ground-ball rate of 45 percent, after posting a 38 percent rate with Minnesota all last year. "He just uses that two-seamer a little bit, which gets that movement and more top of the ball," Molitor said. "He's got a enough four-seamer to elevate for strikeouts, but the two-seam works and that's how you keep your pitch count down." SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Ehire Adrianza logged three stolen bases for his first career multi-steal game. He is the first Twin to swipe three bases in a game since Darin Mastroianni did it on July 5, 2012, at Detroit. UPON FURTHER REVIEW White Sox third baseman Matt Davidson came to the plate as the potential tying run in the ninth. Kintzler got Davidson to roll into a chopper to second for the final out. After a White Sox challenge and a brief review, the out call was confirmed. WHAT'S NEXT White Sox: Lefty Jose Quintana (3-8, 5.07 ERA) will try to win consecutive starts for the second time this season when he faces the Twins at 12:10 p.m. CT on Thursday at Target Field. Quintana held the Blue Jays to two runs over seven innings in his last start, a win on Friday at Rogers Centre. Twins: Left-hander Nik Turley (0-1, 12.46) is slated to make his third Major League start in Thursday's series finale at 12:10 p.m. CT. Turley took his first loss last time out, in which he gave up eight runs over 4 2/3 innings against Cleveland. Watch every out-of-market regular-season game live on MLB.TV. White Sox Sign Top Two Draft Picks Gavin Sheets and Jake Burger By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago June 21, 2017 The White Sox signed second-round draft pick and Wake Forest-product Gavin Sheets on Wednesday afternoon.
The Demon Deacons baseball program s Twitter account released a photo of Sheets wearing a White Sox hat and posing with a signed contract. The White Sox could make the news about Sheets, who hit 20 home runs for Wake Forest this season, official as soon as Thursday. Sheets reportedly received an overslot deal worth $2 million, according to BaseballAmerica.com. He was selected No. 49 overall in the 2017 amateur draft, which has a slot value of $1,392,200. The club also officially announced earlier Wednesday that it has signed first-round pick Jake Burger to a $3.7 million deal. Burger and Sheets will both first head to the team s complex in Glendale, Ariz., but ultimately are expected to start their pro careers at Single-A Kannapolis. We got two we were really excited about, amateur scouting director Nick Hostetler said last week. Both of them more walks than strikeouts. Both of them home runs in the 20s. Both of them with advanced hitting approaches. We were very excited. We were sweating a few picks. We weren t sure he would get to us. Contact with the agent finally got him to us, and we were very happy about it. What Avisail Garcia Has Learned from Watching Jose Abreu, Miguel Cabrera By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago June 21, 2017 Avisail Garcia likes to observe teammate Jose Abreu whether it s in the batting cage, on the field or in the clubhouse. Having played with Miguel Cabrera in Detroit, the White Sox outfielder knows firsthand what a great hitter looks like. He sees in Abreu a perfect model from which to learn. And while he likes to see how the opposition pitches Abreu to get a sense for how they may attack him and has viewed the first baseman s daily preparation, perhaps the most critical aspect for Garcia is seeing how his veteran teammate handles himself in good times or bad. Rebounding quickly has been one of the most prominent traits this season for Garcia, who hasn t gone more than three full games without a hit in all of 2017. His routine, Garcia said. He works hard every day and he never gives up. Whatever happens happens and he s always going to do his best. Garcia has been one of the best in the American League so far this season, even better than his teammate. Entering Wednesday, Garcia is among the AL leaders in average (first at.339), three-hit games (first, 11), multi-hit games (third, 27), RBIs (fourth, 50), hits (fourth, 87). He s also top 10 in total bases, OPS and slugging. But it s the lack of a lengthy slump something previously unavoidable for Garcia that truly has stood out. Whereas in past seasons Garcia could go weeks at a time without a good game, now it s days. Last month, Garcia went 13 at-bats without a hit from May 21-26, a stretch that ended with a 3-for-5 effort against the Detroit Tigers. Following a 1- for-11 series in Toronto this weekend, Garcia bounced back on Tuesday night by reaching base four times, including a monster two-run home run, his 11th. He s a totally different person than last year hitting-wise, Abreu said through an interpreter. It s fun what he s doing right now and I m very glad he s with us. You can see he has the confidence as the results have (come in). Successful or not, Garcia has learned how to take each day for what it is and move on to prepare for the next. He s experienced good stretches and is even more familiar with the bad times. Perhaps that s where watching Abreu has helped the most. Last year, Abreu struggled for four months before he took off in August. Seeing a hitter he thinks as highly of as he does of Cabrera struggle seems to have registered. You that know those days are going to come, are going to happen, Garcia said. That s normal in this sport. I think in all of sports everybody has a bad day. We ve got to keep working. Abreu said Garcia is a good person, he s been working hard. Garcia is appreciative he has Abreu to learn from. He feels fortunate to have played with both Abreu and Cabrera and doesn t see a whole lot of separation between their hitting abilities. He just hopes to incorporate a little of what each does well into his own game.
This season he has. I feel grateful and thankful, Garcia said. I m just trying to do my part, trying to do my best and trying to learn from the best. I m happy to be with him here and trying to share what we can fix and what we can get better. I always (watch his at-bats). I see how they attack Abreu and I know they re going to do the same or something close to that to me and try to be ready, try to be focus and try to be positive. Jose Berrios Gave the Twins Exactly What the White Sox Could Use Most Right Now By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago June 21, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS Jose Berrios gave the Minnesota Twins exactly what the White Sox could use most right now on Wednesday night: a deep, dominant outing. The young Twins pitcher overcame a slow start to deliver eight sharp innings as the struggling White Sox fell 4-2 in front of 33,316 at Target Field. Starter David Holmberg lasted only 3 1/3 innings for the White Sox, losers of three straight. It was the 23rd time in 28 games a White Sox starter has failed to deliver a quality start. These guys are trying to give us length, manager Rick Renteria said. It just hasn t happened. I get it. I don t anticipate that s what s going to continue to happen as we move forward. I don t think anybody could sustain over a long haul using your starters for three or four innings. It s impossible. You would wear out your arms in the pen. Today we were fortunate in that we just used two guys for quite a few innings and outs. They did a very nice job. That type of work is unsustainable. There are many reasons why the White Sox rotation has struggled through the first 70 games of the season. Injuries to four starters is the most significant factor, the biggest being to Carlos Rodon. The White Sox were hopeful their third-year starter would step into the rotation and deliver 33 starts and 200 innings. But Rodon is only now nearing a potential return to the majors and his first start of the season after he went on the disabled list in March with bursitis in his left shoulder. James Shields, Miguel Gonzalez and Dylan Covey, who originally replaced Rodon, have also been placed on the DL. While replacements Mike Pelfrey and Holmberg have pitched well enough, neither starter has gone deep into games. The pair is averaging 5 1/3 innings in 16 starts with two six-inning performances by Pelfrey marking the longest efforts to date. Combine those figures with the inconsistent performances of Derek Holland and Jose Quintana and you have a White Sox bullpen working overtime. Holmberg limited the Twins to a run through the first two innings. But a combination of hard-hit balls four straight registered at 95 mph or better to start the inning and shoddy defense helped Minnesota pull ahead for good in the third. Miguel Sano blasted a game-tying solo shot, Max Kepler singled in a run and Ehire Adrianza s fielder s choice brought in another as the Twins made it 4-2. Mixed in was a Tim Anderson error, a liner that Jose Abreu didn t catch and a bobbled turn of a potential inning-ending double play by Anderson. Holmberg recorded only 10 outs before he gave way to Gregory Infante and Michael Ynoa, who pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings. Feel like I got behind a couple guys, had to make a pitch a few times, Holmberg said. Labored through some innings. I would have like to get some quick outs and gone a little deeper into the game. Ultimately it s up to Ricky. He s going to do what s best for the team. But that goes hand in hand with performance. We get some quick outs, quicker through the order, that ll tie in. The White Sox scored in the first and third innings against Berrios before he began to find a rhythm. In the first, Avisail Garcia singled in Alen Hanson, who led off the game with a walk, to give the White Sox a 1-0 lead. Then in the third, Melky Cabrera grounded into a double play to score Adam Engel, who started the inning with a double. But that was all the White Sox would get against Berrios, who has allowed 34 hits in 54 innings this season. Berrios retired 14 of 15 hitters after Hanson singled in the third inning. The only man to reach was Garcia on an error in the fourth inning.
Berrios didn t allow another hit until Omar Narvaez singled to start the eighth inning. He allowed two runs and four hits in eight innings with eight strikeouts and one walk. It was a performance of which the White Sox are desperately in need. Through 70 games, the team s rotation has also only had a pitcher go at least seven innings eight times. Jose Quintana was the last to do so on Friday. Before that it was Gonzalez on May 28. Over their last 28 games, White Sox starters are averaging a tick over 4 2/3 innings. Renteria is confident the trend will turn. Quintana starts on Thursday and has been good in two of his last three outings. Shields just returned from the DL and Rodon is right around the corner, if he stays on track. But Renteria also knows his bullpen can t keep this up and hope to remain effective. It s not sustainable, Renteria said. It just isn t. White Sox announce details for Mark Buehrle's day at Guaranteed Rate Field By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune June 21, 2017 Tickets are still available for Mark Buehrle s day at Guaranteed Rate Field on Saturday, when the White Sox will retire the former pitcher s No. 56 jersey before a game against the Athletics. The Sox announced Wednesday details of the event, which will be hosted by Sox broadcaster Ken Hawk Harrelson. The team encouraged fans to be in their seats by 12:15 p.m. for the pregame ceremony. Buehrle is expected to throw out the ceremonial first pitch, and his son, Braden, will perform the national anthem. Many of Buehrle s former teammates and friends are scheduled to attend, including Joe Crede, John Danks, Jon Garland, Scott Podsednik and Frank Thomas. Buehrle pitched 16 seasons in the majors, including 12 with the Sox, and was a five-time American League All-Star. During his time in Chicago, he owned a 3.83 ERA, 27 complete games, eight shutouts and 1,396 strikeouts over 390 appearances. He pitched a no-hitter on April 18, 2007, and a perfect game on July 23, 2009, and he made four playoff appearances during the Sox s run to the 2005 World Series championship. From the outside looking in, I thought he probably gave you everything he had every outing he went out there to try to keep you in the ballgame and to win, Sox manager Rick Renteria said. I m an admirer, just as a baseball person, of what he was able to do over the years he was in the game. The Sox announced during spring training that he would become the 11th Sox player and 12th player overall to have his number retired by the club. CSN Chicago will air coverage of the ceremony beginning at noon on Saturday. It also plans to re-air Buehrle s no-hitter at 3:30 p.m. on June 22 and 11 p.m. on June 23, and his perfect game at 10 a.m. on June 24. White Sox sign first-round draft pick Jake Burger for $3.7 million By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune June 21, 2017 The White Sox announced the signing of first-round draft pick Jake Burger to a $3.7 million signing bonus on Wednesday. Burger, a third baseman out of Missouri State was selected 11th overall last week. He hit.328 with 22 home runs, 65 RBIs, 69 runs, 43 walks, a.443 on-base percentage and.648 slugging percentage in 63 games in his junior season. He has a great mix of power and discipline at the plate, Sox general manager Rick Hahn said in a statement. And he is a high-character guy who will fit nicely into the organization going forward. Burger was a Baseball America first team All-American, and the Missouri Valley Conference player of the year and a semifinalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award. The Sox also signed New Mexico outfielder Luis Gonzalez, a third-round pick, for $517,000, and South Carolina righthander Tyler Johnson, selected in the fifth round, for $390,000, according to MLB.com s Jim Callis.
Wake Forest also tweeted that second-round pick Gavin Sheets, a first baseman, signed. Callis reported his bonus will be $2 million. Some of the other Sox draft picks are still finishing their college careers. Louisville right-handers Lincoln Henzman (fourth round) and Kade McClure (sixth) and outfielder Logan Taylor (16th) and TCU catcher Evan Skoug (seventh) are playing in the College World Series this week. The teams will meet Thursday night in an elimination game. Young Twins starter Jose Berrios ties White Sox hitters in knots By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune June 22, 2017 At first mention of Jose Berrios late Wednesday night, White Sox manager Rick Renteria let out a sigh of reluctant praise for the 23-year-old Twins pitcher who shut down his team for much of a 4-2 loss at Target Field. "Woof," Renteria said. "Pretty good arm, a good sweeping breaking ball. Good fastball life, and he kept it down. He's all legs and arms and was pretty deceptive. He kept us off balance." After giving up two runs on three hits in the first three innings, Berrios retired 12 straight from the fourth through the seventh innings. He didn't allow another hit until Omar Narvaez singled in the eighth. But Adam Engel then recorded the Sox's eighth strikeout of the night before Alen Hanson hit into a double play to cap Berrios' eight innings. Brandon Kintzler pitched a scoreless ninth to pick up his 19th save. Meanwhile, a Sox starter failed to complete four innings for the second straight night. Left-hander David Holmberg gave up four runs two earned on seven hits with two walks and four strikeouts over 3 1/3 innings. That came on the heels of Derek Holland's start that lasted 2 2/3 innings Tuesday. It's a trend Renteria said could use correcting. "I don't think anybody could sustain over a long haul using your starters for three or four innings," Renteria said. "It's impossible. You would wear out your arms in the pen." Brian Dozier's RBI double gave the Twins their first run in the second inning. Miguel Sano led off the third with a home run, and Robbie Grossman reached on a Tim Anderson error. Kennys Vargas then singled, and Max Kepler's single knocked in Grossman. Kepler scored on Ehire Adrianza's fielder's choice that could have been an inning-ending double play, but Anderson couldn't make the throw to first in time. "Maybe a couple of tough breaks," Holmberg said. "But they were putting the ball in play hard and putting pressure on the defense, and I was pitching from behind in the count." Good road: Jose Abreu didn't know until informed Wednesday he had set a Sox record by hitting his first 12 home runs of the year on the road, surpassing Tom Paciorek's mark of 11. He also didn't know why the power numbers have been better away from Guaranteed Rate Field beyond the fact the Sox have played 43 of 70 games on the road. "When we get back to Chicago, more opportunities are going to come there," Abreu said through a team interpreter. Saturday's festivities: Gates will open at 11:10 a.m. Saturday and fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 12:15 p.m. as the Sox retire former pitcher Mark Buehrle's No. 56 jersey before the game against the Athletics. Sox broadcaster Ken "Hawk" Harrelson will emcee the event, and Joe Crede, John Danks, Jon Garland, Scott Podsednik and Frank Thomas are among the former players scheduled to attend. Buehrle will throw out the ceremonial first pitch, and his son, Braden, will perform the national anthem. Draft signings: The Sox announced the signing of first-round draft pick Jake Burger to a $3.7 million bonus Wednesday, below the slot value of $4.2 million. Burger, a third baseman out of Missouri State, was selected 11th overall last week.
Wake Forest also tweeted that second-round pick Gavin Sheets, a first baseman, signed. MLB.com's Jim Callis reported his bonus will be $2 million. White Sox announce signing of first-round pick Jake Burger The White Sox announced the signing of their first-round draft pick, third baseman Jake Burger, on Wednesday By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times June 22, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS The White Sox announced the signing of third baseman Jake Burger, their first-round draft pick, on Wednesday. Selected No. 11 overall out of Missouri State, Burger agreed to an under-slot bonus of $3.7 million. The Sox, who put an emphasis on impact bats with their early picks, also signed Wake Forest first baseman Gavin Sheets to an above-slot deal. Burger has a great mix of power and discipline at the plate, and he is a high-character guy who will fit nicely into the organization going forward, general manager Rick Hahn said. Burger was the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and was a semifinalist for the USA Baseball Golden Spikes Award. A likely scenario is an introduction to the media in the next few days, perhaps Monday, followed by a short stint in the Arizona League and then on to Kannapolis, the Sox low-class A affiliate. Playing professional baseball for the team I grew up rooting for is truly a dream come true, said Burger, from Chesterfield, Missouri. I am extremely fortunate to wear the White Sox uniform and excited to begin the next phase of my baseball career. The Sox save some money with the Burger signing. The slot value for that pick was $4,199,200. Sheets, though, signed above slot for $2 million, according to Baseball America. The slot for that pick (49th) was $1,392,200. Third-round center fielder Luis Gonzalez and fifth-round right-hander Tyler Johnson of South Carolina also signed. Not a Chicago homer Jose Abreu hasn t homered at home yet, but he stands a good chance of getting one at Guaranteed Rate Field with the longest homestand of the season, 10 games, starting this weekend. Abreu hit his 12th homer Tuesday at Target Field, breaking Tom Paciorek s club record of 11 on the road to start a season. His last homer at home was Sept. 15 against the Indians. The Sox will have played 27 of their first 71 games at home when they get back to Chicago on Friday. Abreu has hit 57 homers on the road and 46 at home in his career, but he has hit for a higher average (.315 to.287) and OPS (.894 to.855) at home. Aside from the low number of games at Guaranteed Rate Field, a hitters park, Abreu can t explain why he hasn t homered there. Baseball is hard, and they re going to come soon, he said. When we get back to Chicago, more opportunities are going to come. Abreu took a six-game RBI streak, tied for his career high, into the game against the Twins and had reached base in 16 consecutive games. This and that Infielder-outfielder Grant Green was signed and assigned to Class AAA Charlotte. Green appeared in 40 games for the Syracuse Chiefs this year and has played in 129 games in parts of five seasons with the Nationals, Angels, Giants and Athletics. Probables for the A s series this weekend: Friday, Mike Pelfrey; Saturday, James Shields; Sunday, Derek Holland. Mark Buehrle s 9-year-old son, Braden, will sing the national anthem Saturday, when Buehrle s No. 56 will be retired. Past tense: Controlling pressure a boost for Matt Davidson
Matt Davidson is controlling his emotions, and tension, and leading the White Sox in home runs By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times June 22, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS When you see a wide grin come across Matt Davidson s face, it won t stay for long. Davidson will get it together and get back to that emotional middle ground that works best for him. I am enjoying it and it s fun, but if I show my emotion, I can unravel a little and lose my focus, Davidson said Wednesday. It is the good start Davidson is having in his first full season in the majors. On a team with long-ball threats Jose Abreu, Avisail Garcia and Todd Frazier, Davidson leads the Sox with 16 home runs, including six in his last nine games. Davidson is also prone to strikeouts in bunches, as he demonstrated with three against tough right-hander Jose Berrios (7-1, 2.67 ERA) in the Sox 4-2 loss to the Twins at Target Field. Davidson is batting.255 and ranked sixth in the American League with an 11.75 home-run ratio going in, a number that signals danger to opposing pitchers every time he steps in. The big thing, he said, has been keeping tension out of his body when he s at the plate. He has done a better job of that this season. I would get tense, not from a stress standpoint but from trying to do too much, and that makes me make bad decisions, Davidson said. Trying to get the tension out of my shoulders and arms and just try to be in my hands. When I get long or slower or tense up, I will foul those pitches off or swing through them. He s still chasing too many pitches out of the strike zone, and his K s against sweeping curveballer Berrios (eight innings, two runs, four hits, one walk, eight strikeouts) gave him 82 whiffs in 213 plate appearances. The number doesn t concern hitting coach Todd Steverson as much as the bad strikeouts that elevate that total. If I strike out two or three times a day and I go out of the zone all two or three, that s my fault, Steverson said. He s starting to get it did he strike me out or did I strike myself out by giving him two strikes, and then I have to face something dirty later. Davidson is working on it. He doesn t buy the notion that his home runs and RBI (37, fourth on the Sox) offset the strikeouts. He wants more. Put the ball in play more, make better decisions, he said. It comes down to hitting pitches when I get good pitches to hit. The league has definitely taken notice that I will swing myself into bad counts. That s what I m focused on, not the success. I m not beating myself up over it, but I don t want to throw away at-bats. There s a consistency level I want to take to the next level. The Sox level of play behind left-hander David Holmberg who allowed plenty of hard contact and four runs and seven hits in 3 innings in the latest abbreviated outing for a Sox starter was shaky. Shortstop Tim Anderson s 16th error on a sharp grounder led to two unearned runs. On another play, he was late to second, then hesitated on the throw to first. Instead of an inning-ending double play, the Twins scored their fourth run. We needed that double play, manager Rick Renteria said. A pop foul that fell between catcher Omar Narvaez and Abreu didn t cause damage, but it wasn t a good look. You have to play clean baseball, said Renteria, whose 31-39 team lost its third consecutive game. We just didn t play clean baseball. Garcia (.341) singled for his 51st RBI and lined another single off the right-field wall in the ninth to put the tying run on for Davidson with two outs against closer Brandon Kintzler. Davidson hit a one-hopper behind second that was turned into the final out.
White Sox sign 1st-round pick Jake Burger for $3.7M bonus By Associated Press June 21, 2017 CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox have signed third baseman Jake Burger, their first-round pick in the amateur draft. Burger, the 11th overall selection, received a $3.7 million bonus in the deal Wednesday. The recommended value by Major League Baseball for his slot was just under $4.2 million. Burger batted.328 with 22 home runs, 65 RBIs, a.443 on-base percentage and a.648 slugging percentage in 63 games for Missouri State this season. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Burger received the received the Joe Carter Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year award. Burger is a native of Chesterfield, Missouri. Burger marked the first non-catcher position player taken by the White Sox in the first round since Tim Anderson in 2013. Berrios' arm, Sano's bat key Twins over White Sox 4-2 By Dave Campbell / Associated Press June 21, 2017 MINNEAPOLIS -- Jose Berrios won his fourth straight start for Minnesota and Miguel Sano homered for the second straight game as the Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 4-2 on Wednesday night behind two of their brightest young stars. Berrios (7-1) finished eight innings for a second consecutive turn in the rotation where he's quickly become the ace, striking out eight with just four hits and one walk against him. The White Sox had one single over their last 18 at-bats against the 22-year-old right-hander, who lowered his ERA to 2.67. Sano hit his 18th home run, tying the game to start the third inning against David Holmberg (1-1) with an opposite-field drive to right-center. The 24-year-old Sano, who took a break from third base to serve as the designated hitter, is third in the AL with 52 RBIs. Brandon Kintzler pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the second straight night, notching his 19th save in 22 opportunities. AL batting leader Avisail Garcia put the White Sox in front with an RBI single in the first inning, and Adam Engel came home during a groundball double play in the third inning after a leadoff double. But Berrios was in command the whole time, as he's been in most of his appearances since being summoned from Triple- A. He threw his lively fastball in the right places at the right times and sent many a White Sox hitter walking slowly back to the dugout after a swing and a miss at his exceptional curveball. The Twins improved to 7-3 against the White Sox this season, using their last-place rival for a much-needed lift this week following a four-game sweep here over the weekend by division-leading Cleveland. Holmberg lasted only 3 1/3 innings, his shortest of five starts after being promoted from the bullpen. The left-hander gave up seven hits and two walks while striking out four. Two of the four runs he allowed were unearned, due to a fielding error on shortstop Tim Anderson on Robbie Grossman's grounder following Sano's homer. Max Kepler added an RBI single in that decisive third inning, and Ehire Adrianza drove in a run with a fielder's choice grounder. Brian Dozier had an RBI double for the Twins and reached base three times. TRAINER'S ROOM White Sox: 3B Todd Frazier was on the bench and Garcia was the DH for rest, with the team having begun on Tuesday a stretch of 16 straight days with a game. Twins: LHP Glen Perkins (shoulder strain) felt discomfort after throwing in extended spring training on Monday. He was diagnosed with biceps tendinitis and shut down for a week, when he'll be re-evaluated.... Both LHP Hector Santiago (shoulder strain) and RHP Phil Hughes (shoulder weakness) pitched for Triple-A Rochester on Wednesday to begin rehab assignments without trouble. Santiago will join the Twins in Cleveland on Friday. UP NEXT
White Sox: LHP Jose Quintana (3-8, 5.07 ERA) will take the mound on Thursday afternoon, coming off one of his best starts of what's so far been his worst of six major league seasons. Quintana, an All-Star in 2016, is 0-4 in his last five appearances against the Twins. Twins: LHP Nik Turley (0-1, 12.46 ERA) will take another turn in the rotation in the series finale, despite 17 hits, four walks and 12 runs allowed over 8 2/3 innings in his first two major league starts. 56 fast facts on former Chicago White Sox ace Mark Buehrle By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald June 21, 2017 Mark Buehrle returns to the South Side on Saturday, and the Chicago White Sox are retiring the starting pitcher's uniform No. 56. If Buehrle has any say, it's going to be a quick ceremony. A workhorse starter for the Sox from 2001-11, Buehrle might be best known for his rapid pace on the mound. 1. Cut from his high school team, Francis Howell North in St. Charles, Mo., as a freshman and sophomore. 2. Drafted by White Sox in 1998 on the 38th round out of Jefferson (Mo.) Junior College. 3. Debuted with the Sox on July 16, 2000. Relieved James Baldwin and allowed 1 run on 2 hits and 1 walk in 1 inning. 4. Made his first start for White Sox on July 19, 2000. Allowed 2 runs in 7 innings to earn his first major-league win. 5. Made 1 relief appearance in the Sox's 2000 playoff appearance vs. Seattle. 6. Joined the team's rotation full-time in 2001 and was 16-8 while ranking fourth in American League with a 3.29 ERA. 7. Led the AL with a 1.066 WHIP in 2001. 8. In 2002, won a career-high 19 games. 9. Played on the major-league all-star team in Japan at the end of the 2002 season. 10. In 2003, made 33 starts that averaged 2 hours, 33 minutes per game. Three starts were played in under 2 hours. 11. Led the AL with 245 ⅓ innings pitched in 2004, the most by a Sox starter since Wilbur Wood's 359 ⅓ in 1973. 12. Made his second All-Star Game appearance in 2005, pitching 2 scoreless innings and was AL's winning pitcher. 13. Posted a career-best 3.12 ERA to help the 2005 White Sox to their first World Series championship in 88 years. 14. Led the AL with 236 ⅔ innings pitched in 2005. 15. Was fifth in AL Cy Young voting in 2005, the highest finish of his career. 16. Pitched in 4 postseason games (3 starts) in '05 and was 2-0 with a 3.47 ERA and 1 save. 17. Pitched the first of four straight complete games by Sox starters in ALCS vs. Angels. 18. Recorded a save in Game 3 of the World Series, a 7-5 win at Houston that ran 14 innings. 19. In 2006, became the first pitcher to be on the mound for two triple plays in a season since Washington's Bruce Howard in 1968. 20. On April 18, 2007, pitched a no-hitter vs. the Rangers, the 16th in White Sox history. 21. On July 8 of 2007, signed a four-year, $56 million contract extension with the Sox. 22. Led the AL with 24 quality starts in 2008. 23. Made 1 start in 2008 ALDS, losing Game 2 vs. Rays.
24. Pitched the 18th perfect game in major-league history on July 23, 2009, vs. the Rays. 25. The perfect game was one of three in White Sox history, after Charles Robertson (1922) and before Philip Humber (2012). 26. Appeared on "Late Show With David Lettermen" four days after his perfect game. 27. Won first of four Rawlings Gold Glove Awards in '09. 28. Hit his only home run on June 14, 2009, at Milwaukee. 29. In 2010, led the majors with 11 pickoffs while winning his second straight Gold Glove. 30. On April 5, 2010, made an incredible defensive play, flipping a ball between his legs to first baseman Paul Konerko for a putout. 31. Pitched his final season for the Sox in 2011, going 13-9 with a 3.59 ERA. 32. Recorded at least 10 wins, 30 starts and 200 innings for 11th straight seasons. 33. His ninth Opening Day start in '11 set franchise record. 34. In 2011, allowed 3 runs or less in 18 straight starts, a franchise record. 35. Ranks sixth in White Sox history with 161 wins. 36. Is seventh in Sox history with 2,476 ⅔ innings pitched. 37. Ranks fourth in franchise history with 231 quality starts. 38. Was four-time all-star with White Sox. 39. Is one of only two Sox pitchers (Doc White 1903-13) to win at least 10 games in 10 straight seasons. 40. After the 2011 season, the 32-year-old Buehrle followed former Sox manager Ozzie Guillen to Miami, signing a fouryear, $58 million contract. 41. In his only season with Miami, pitched at least 200 innings and allowed fewer than 61 walks for the 12th straight year. Per Elias, Cy Young was the only other pitcher in history to accomplish the feat. 42. In November 2012, he was sent to the Blue Jays in a 12-player trade. 43. Went 12-10 with a 4.15 ERA in 2013, his first season with Toronto, pitching at least 200 innings for the 13th straight year. 44. Posted a 3.39 ERA for Jays in 2014, ranking 16th in the AL. 45. Made fifth and final All-Star Game appearance in '14. 46. On April 10, 2015, beat Orioles for 200th career win. 47. Ended the 2015 season with 198.2 innings, snapping his streak of 200 or more innings pitched at 14 years. 48. Pitching on one day's rest, lasted just two-thirds of an inning in the final start, the shortest outing of his career. 49. In 16-year career with Sox, Marlins and Jays, pitched in 518 games (493 starts) and never went on disabled list. 50. Made 4 starts vs. Sox for Toronto (1-2 with a 2.28 ERA). 51. In his final start vs. White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field, opposed Chris Sale on July 6, 2015, and lost 4-2.
52. Pitched 33 complete games during his career. 53. Pitched 10 complete game shutouts. 54. In 15 full seasons as a starter, won at least 10 games every year. 55. According to Baseball Reference, ranks 62nd all-time with 59.2 career WAR. 56. Retired with 214-160 record and 3.81 ERA. White Sox Release Details For Mark Buehrle s Jersey Retirement Saturday By CBS Chicago June 21, 2017 (CBS) Frank Thomas, Joe Crede, John Danks, Jon Garland, Scott Podsednik are among the former White Sox players who will be attendance to support Mark Buehrle when the organization retires Buehrle s No. 56 jersey Saturday at Guaranteed Rate Field. The ceremony for Buehrle will take place ahead of the afternoon game between the White Sox and Athletics, and fans are encouraged to be in their seats by 12:15 p.m. Broadcaster Hawk Harrelson is set to emcee the event, and Buehrle s son Braden will perform the national anthem. Parking lots open at 10:10 a.m., while gates open at 11:10 a.m. Tickets are still available at whitesox.com. Buehrle will become the 12th player to have his jersey number retired by the White Sox. The last such honor came in 2015, when the team retired Paul Konerko s No. 14 jersey. Buerhle s place in White Sox history will be remembered for his heroics in the World Series run of 2005, in which he made four appearances and three starts. He pitched a complete game in Game 2 of the ALCS and earned the save in Game 3 of the World Series. Buehrle also pitched a no-hitter against the Rangers in 2007 and a perfect game against the Rays in 2009. Buehrle s 161 wins are sixth in White Sox history.