Still undefeated!!! The Sox are a powerful 2-0, with total series of 19-3. Can we call it a season now?
The A’s decided not to play any major league regulars in their first Cactus League game and the White Sox took advantage, scoring five runs in the first three innings, largely thanks to Edgar Quero’s excellent sense of direction. He arrived with the bases loaded in the first, thanks to a double by Chase Meidroth and two walks, and hit a small looper to left:
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That was good for two races, then he got to the third with runners on second and third and decided that if one mistake is good, two are even better:
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So, four RBIs on two bloops that were barely 83 mph, but as coaches teach kids, you put the ball in play and good things can happen. Quero had a solid hit, a 98 mph double, but that was with the bases empty. He also threw out a would-be base stealer and correctly questioned a call on a ball strike. Okay, maybe he misplayed a pitch that led to the A’s run, but let’s not quibble when he’s having a day like this.
The Sox’s only other run by a player eligible to be in the majors this year came via Brooks Baldwin showing off his big power in the second:
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John Schriffen, brilliant as always, repeatedly referred to it as Baldwin’s first home run of the spring; that was pretty inevitable, because it was Baldwin’s first at-bat of the spring.
Luisangel Acuña struck out looking for his first time as a member of the White Sox, but then hit a double. There were no plays in the center that could determine if he can play there, the only one was a double to the wall that there was no way to reach.
Chicago’s other six runs came late, as Sox hitters, who will play primarily in Double-A at the start of the season, faced A’s pitchers who will be lucky to make it to Single-A. Minor leaguers had half of the club’s 14 hits, with William Bergolla Jr. and Dru Baker getting two each. The A’s also added terrible fielding and poor base running to keep the score well distributed.
On the pitching side, Chris Murphy was the first of seven Sox pitchers to exit the game with just two runs, just one earned, despite allowing 11 hits and walking four. The complete lack of opposition from the major leagues and very little opposition from the upper minors no doubt contributed to this. In addition to the aforementioned base malfunction.
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The White Sox stay at Camelback Ranch tomorrow to host Milwaukee. That match will also be televised, giving fans their first chance to see Munetaka Murakami. First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 pm central time.