Field Level Media
13 Jun 2021, 16:25 GMT+10
Bad news for the Chicago White Sox. After this weekend, they won't get to play the Detroit Tigers again until next month.
The White Sox are 7-2 against their American League Central Division rival and have taken the first two games of a three-game series in Detroit. They'll try to complete the series sweep on Sunday afternoon.
Chicago won an extra-inning thriller on Friday, then pounded the Tigers 15-2 on Saturday. The White Sox scored three runs in the first, five in the second and five more in the fifth.
"Didn't see that coming," manager Tony La Russa said. "Usually after a game like (Friday) night, it's a tussle, but the one thing our guys have done consistently (is) we don't throw at-bats away."
No one could have seen Brian Goodwin's outburst coming on Saturday. He was just brought up from Triple A Charlotte this week after Nick Madrigal was placed on the 60-day injured list. Goodwin doubled, homered and drove in five runs in his White Sox debut.
"It was great to have a chance to show my new teammates that I'm going to be able to help them win games," he said.
The White Sox starter on Sunday, Carlos Rodon (5-2, 1.96 ERA), will be seeking his first victory since May 7. He has three no-decisions and two losses since collecting wins in his first five starts.
In his last outing, Rodon gave up one run on six hits in five innings on Tuesday. Despite walking only two batters, he required 106 pitches to get through those innings.
"I've had games like that when I'm out in the second inning with nine runs and I'm hitting the showers," Rodon said. "Pitching in games like that before, I think I've learned a few things on how to get out of those jams."
Rodon piled up 12 strikeouts in his first start against Detroit this season. He held the Tigers to one run on two hits in six innings on April 29.
In seven career starts against the Tigers, the 28-year-old left-hander is 3-2 with a 6.00 ERA.
Detroit will use a series of relievers to get through the game. Manager AJ Hinch decided to give some of his starting pitchers an extra day of rest.
Kyle Funkhouser will make his first major league start after 26 relief appearances but he won't go long. Funkhouser (0-0, 2.70 ERA) hasn't been asked to go more than 2 1/3 innings in any of his 13 appearances this season.
"It's not ideal in such a short period of time," Hinch said. "But we're comfortable with it given the need to give our other guys rest."
Funkhouser has a 6.00 ERA in five career relief appearances covering six innings against the White Sox.
The debacle on Saturday forced Hinch to use two position players, Jake Rogers and Harold Castro, for one inning apiece to save his bullpen arms for Sunday.
"It was an ugly day from the beginning," Hinch said. "We bounced back in the bottom of the first, which was a good sign, then we couldn't sustain anything on the mound and didn't really threaten with the bat. So it was a bad day, an ugly day and we took a beating."
--Field Level MediaGet a daily dose of Detroit Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Detroit Star.
More InformationMOSCOW, Russia: This week, Russia became the first country to officially recognize the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan since...
CAIRO, Egypt: This week, both Hamas and Israel shared their views ahead of expected peace talks about a new U.S.-backed ceasefire plan....
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The Trump administration has made public a visa decision that would usually be kept private. It did this to send...
MADRID, Spain: Liverpool footballer Diogo Jota and his younger brother, André Silva, have died in a car accident in Spain. Spanish...
LONDON, U.K.: An unrelenting heatwave sweeping across Europe has pushed early summer temperatures to historic highs, triggering deadly...
President Donald Trump's plans to build a space-based Golden Dome missile defense shield have drawn immediate criticism from China,...
(Photo credit: Gary C. Klein/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) Scott Dixon extended a remarkable...
(Photo credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images) Trey Sweeney and Riley Greene each belted homers in the 10th inning and Tarik Skubal threw...
(Photo credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images) The Washington Wizards completed a three-team trade on Sunday, acquiring guard CJ McCollum,...
(Photo credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images) Cleveland Guardians outfielder Lane Thomas returned to the 10-day injured list on Sunday because...
(Photo credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images) Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal's quest for a second straight American League Cy Young...
(Photo credit: Patrick Breen/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images) Arizona's Corbin Carroll was 0-for-5 in his return...