While the Chicago White Sox were eager to return home after a season-opening 1-5 road trip, they were forced to wait through an extra off day as they try to put the pieces together following a rough start.
The White Sox will play host to the reigning American League champion Toronto Blue Jays for the first of three games beginning Friday afternoon. That is one day later than initially scheduled after inclement weather disrupted their planned home opener Thursday.
The White Sox announced the postponement during Wednesday’s 10-0 loss to the Miami Marlins, one of four defeats by five runs or more in the first week of the season.
“As poorly as it went, these guys have been working extremely hard,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “It’s one of those (times) where I think we can use the day to recharge, reset and be ready to go on Friday.”
Chicago first baseman Munetaka Murakami is set to make his home debut. A marquee White Sox signing in the offseason, Murakami opened his major league career with a five-game hitting streak that included home runs in each of his first three games. He went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts Wednesday.
The Blue Jays are playing their only road series in the middle of a run of 13 home games to start the season. Toronto has won four of its first six games but is coming off a 2-1 loss in 10 innings to the Colorado Rockies.
Toronto was 4-for-24 with runners in scoring position in the series.
“Right now, we’re not stringing together our hits,” Blue Jays outfielder Nathan Lukes said. “But it’s what, six games in? It’s nothing to worry about. Once we’re all clicking, it’s lights out.”
After a dazzling debut with his new team, Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease will face the club that brought him to the major leagues for the first time in 2019.
Cease, who signed a seven-year, $210 million contract with Toronto in December, took a no-decision Saturday in the Blue Jays’ eventual 8-7 home victory against the Athletics in 11 innings.
Cease (0-0, 1.69) set a record for a Blue Jays pitching debut with 12 strikeouts. He gave up one run on three hits over 5 1/3 innings, meaning that all but four outs that he recorded were by something other than a strikeout.
“You know, I still feel like I’m kind of fine-tuning things and trying to find more consistency,” Cease said, “but I mean, I’ll take that, for sure.”
Cease made 123 starts for the White Sox from 2019-23, going 43-35 with a 3.83 ERA. He is 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA in one career start against his former club. Pitching for the San Diego Padres on Sept. 19 last season, Cease allowed four runs and four hits in six innings of a loss to the White Sox while giving up a two-run home run to Miguel Vargas.
Fellow right-hander Sean Burke (0-1, 6.75) is scheduled to start for Chicago. Burke needed 91 pitches to get through four innings against the host Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. He scattered four runs (three earned) and seven hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
A Burke throwing error on an infield single in the second inning helped Milwaukee score a run.
“We’re capable of playing much better baseball than this, on every facet of the game,” Burke said.
Chicago had an MLB-worst run differential of minus-31 entering Thursday’s schedule. No other team was worse than minus-15.
–Field Level Media
