Chase DeLauter is swinging a hot bat since returning from the injured list.
The Cleveland rookie will look to extend his torrid stretch on Thursday night when the Guardians open a four-game series against the visiting Chicago White Sox.
DeLauter had an RBI single among his three hits in Cleveland’s 9-4 home victory over Texas on Wednesday. The victory salvaged the series finale vs. the Rangers and allowed the Guardians to move within one game of the American League Central-leading White Sox, who fell 6-1 to the host Baltimore Orioles earlier in the afternoon.
“Bummed about today, but we’ll regroup and be ready for a big series against (Cleveland), which obviously we’re very excited about,” Chicago manager Will Venable said.
The White Sox will need to pitch carefully to DeLauter, 24, who is 8-for-18 (.444) with four RBIs in four games since returning from a rib injury. He also is 16-for-40 (.400) during a 10-game hitting streak.
“I think Chase looks the same as he’s looked all year,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “It’s just fun to have him back.”
Unfortunately for the Guardians, DeLauter was not in the lineup when the team dropped two of three road games against the White Sox from June 22-24.
Cleveland’s Slade Cecconi (4-6, 4.18 ERA) did not pitch in that series either, but he will start on Thursday against fellow right-hander Davis Martin (9-3, 3.00).
Cecconi scattered three hits over six-plus scoreless innings in a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday. The win was the first for Cecconi since May 18, though he posted a 1.88 ERA across 28 2/3 innings in five starts during June.
“It’s amazing,” Vogt said of Cecconi’s turnaround. “Slade’s such a competitor and he’s so dedicated to his craft. He kept telling us, ‘I’m going to get it. I’m going to get it. I’m going to get it.’ And he is getting better as the season goes on.”
Cecconi, 27, is 0-1 with a 7.27 ERA in two career appearances (both starts) vs. the White Sox.
Like Cecconi, Martin also is coming in off a scoreless outing. He allowed four hits in 5 1/3 innings of a no-decision against the Kansas City Royals on Saturday. The White Sox won 2-1.
Martin, 29, is 1-3 with a 6.63 ERA in four career appearances (all starts) against the Guardians.
The White Sox had won six of their eight previous games before falling flat on Wednesday.
Sam Antonacci deposited the second pitch of the game over the wall in right-center field. He added another hit, but Chicago mustered just two others in the setback.
“A nice way to start the game with (the home run by) Antonacci there, and then just really couldn’t get anything going,” Venable said. “A couple of pivotal plays, the play by (Baltimore’s Tyler O’Neill, who made a diving catch in right field with two on to end the fourth inning), really big play there by him, a great play. We’d score at least one there, and maybe things look a little different.”
Despite the result, the White Sox aren’t getting down.
“If people are doubting us or thinking this is a fluke, I think all of that should be out of the window since we’re in July now,” Colson Montgomery said, per the Chicago Sun-Times.
–Field Level Media
