White Sox Morning BP: Thoughts on starting pitching

Jun 22, 2014; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher

John Danks

(50) pitches in the first inning against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Did you know the Chicago White Sox have just one starting pitcher this season that has an ERA of under 3.00?

That pitcher is of course left-hander Chris Sale, the ace of the staff. Sale this season has a 6-1 record in 11 starts (71.1 IP) with 18 earned runs and 11 walks. He’s held the opposition to a .197 average with 78 strikeouts.

OK, there was the best for the starting rotation.

Now for the rest.

The current White Sox starting rotation besides Sale consisting of Jose Quintana, Hector Noesi, John Danks and the combo of either Scott Carroll or Andre Rienzo have been up-and-down this season. There have been a few others make starts, but these are the most current White Sox pitchers to be starters.

Jun 25, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Hector Noesi (48) throws in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports

Here are the ERA’s, WHIPs, innings pitched and strikeouts of those players as starters (No. of starts are in parenthesis):

• Quintana (16): 3.69, 1.32, 97.2, 83

• Noesi (11): 4.26, 1.42, 63.1, 47

• Danks (15): 4.34, 1.39, 93.1, 63

• Rienzo (11): 5.97, 1.55, 57.1, 43

• Carroll (6): 6.61, 1.95, 23.2, 13

For the most part Quintana’s numbers this year have been respectable with a 4-7 record (at times very little run or bullpen support) and the ERA under 4.00.

Looking at his past 10 starts (5/5 through 6/24) Quintana has pitched 61.2 innings, and what is maybe his most productive stat is he’s allowed three earned runs or less in eight of those 10 starts.

His worst two games in that span were on June 8 and 13 where he allowed four earned runs to Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and six earned runs to the Kansas City Royals.

It is hard to be upset with that type of overall production.

Danks was on a nice role before his most recent start. Against the Minnesota Twins he only went five innings where he allowed six earned runs. Before that, in his previous five starts, he allowed a total of six earned runs, with no earned runs a month ago against the New York Yankees.

Compared to others on the staff, I feel the top three are pretty dependable and I don’t have a problem with their production for the past month or so.

As for the back end of the rotation, that’s where some of the woes begin before the bullpen even enters the game.

Carroll showed on Thursday night against the Toronto Blue Jays why he was demoted to the bullpen during this season after being called up as a starter. Thursday’s start (his first since the demotion) resulted in five innings, where he allowed five earned runs on nine hits and two walks.

The season ERA of Carroll is 4.76 as he is 2-4 overall, with that win coming in relief against the Cleveland Indians on May 27. As a starter, Carroll is 1-4 with opponents having a .365 batting average.

Rienzo was demoted as a starter in favor of Carroll this week, so that tells you what you are about to read isn’t good news. When making starts, the ERA of Rienzo is 5.97 with a 4-5 mark. Opponents have the .275 batting average against him.

With runners on first and second this season, Rienzo has allowed 10 earned runs.

Noesi is coming off a very solid seven inning outing against the Baltimore Orioles on June 25 where he allowed two earned runs on nine hits. For him, that’s solid.

In fact, for Noesi he’s either allowed four earned runs or two earned runs his past four starts, but one of those two earned run games he pitched just 3.2 innings where he allowed eight hits.

That seems to be a problem of Noesi … the hits allowed, as his past four starts he has allowed six or more hits.

When I watch him pitch I’m never fully confident, but I’ll give him some credit he does have his good days, but again, he does have an ERA nearly 6.00 for a reason.

What are your thoughts on the starting rotation? Besides improving the No. 5 spot, what else would you like to see the White Sox do with this rotation, or are you content with what you see?