Nothing about the 2024 season has been easy for the Chicago White Sox.
For two nights in a row, however, excellent pitching has led to a rare winning streak for the club ahead of a Saturday afternoon game against the visiting Colorado Rockies.
A day after the White Sox blanked the Atlanta Braves 1-0, rookie pitcher Drew Thorpe led Chicago to a 5-3 win over Colorado in the opener of a three-game series on Friday. The result gave the White Sox consecutive victories for the first time since they beat the Boston Red Sox on June 7 and 8.
After the Rockies took a 2-1 advantage in the top of the sixth inning, Chicago produced four runs in the bottom half of the frame to grab a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
“One thing we did really well was that we answered,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said.
Aided by six innings of two-run ball from Thorpe, Chicago improved to 15-28 at home — still the worst home record in the majors.
The White Sox’s pitching staff has allowed 421 runs this season, the second-high total in the majors — behind just the Rockies’ 477.
Chicago will look to continue its rare good fortune on the mound on Saturday when Jonathan Cannon (1-2, 4.59 ERA) gets the start.
The 23-year-old rookie, entering his seventh career start, will look to rebound from his worst outing. He lasted just one-plus inning against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday, allowing eight runs (five earned) on seven hits. Prior to that, he dazzled in a June 18 win over the Houston Astros, throwing 8 2/3 scoreless innings.
As for Colorado, what looked to be a strong start from Dakota Hudson was soured in the sixth inning on Friday. The right-hander wound up charged with five runs in five-plus innings while taking his major-league-leading 11th loss. Hudson also walked five batters as the Rockies fell for the fourth game in a row and for the sixth time in the past seven.
“You can’t walk guys,” Colorado manager Bud Black said. “(Hudson) will be the first to tell you when you talk to him. … We felt good about him going out there for the sixth and potentially the seventh, but it just didn’t happen.”
The Rockies’ offense mustered just three hits — two of them solo homers from Brenton Doyle and Michael Toglia — and struck out nine times. Colorado has scored only seven runs over the past four games.
“Just having the three hits, it was a good thing we got the two homers,” Black said. “But we couldn’t solve the changeup. The first time you face a fella, the advantage always goes to the pitcher. I’ve said that repeatedly over the last couple of decades.”
The trend will continue on Saturday, as Black’s squad faces Cannon for the first time.
The Rockies will send Cal Quantrill (6-5, 3.50 ERA) to the mound, with the 29-year-old right-hander looking for his first win since June 11 at Minnesota. Familiar with Chicago from his time with Cleveland, Quantrill is 2-2 with a 3.89 ERA in 11 career appearances (seven starts) against the White Sox.
–Field Level Media
