White Sox: Reynaldo Lopez Has Strong Start to Earn 1st Win of Season
White Sox win first series at home this season behind strong start of young right-handed pitcher. South Siders have now won four of last seven games.
The Chicago White Sox hadn’t won a series at home this season until Sunday. Behind a strong performance from starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez, the Sox were able to defeat the Texas Rangers 3-0. The win gave the Sox its first series win at home this season.
Lopez pitched a career-high eight innings while recording eight strikeouts and allowing no earned runs against the Rangers. After a quality start from Lucas Giolito on Saturday, Lopez followed with his best start to date in a Sox uniform. The 24-year-old ended his day with a strikeout of Shin-Soo Choo in the eighth inning with a runner on first base.
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As the Sox have struggled early this season, the team has started to play better as of late. The Sox have won four of their last seven games and had some impressive wins at home this weekend. Lopez was able to have the longest outing of his career on Sunday after an unimpressive start last Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Sox were able to provide early run support for Lopez on Sunday, something they haven’t done consistently this season. Welington Castillo hit a solo home run in the second inning off of Rangers starting pitcher Mike Minor to put the Sox ahead 1-0.
Leury Garcia would help extend the Sox lead to 3-0 in the third inning with a single that scored both Adam Engel and Tim Anderson. This would be all the runs that Lopez needed as he cruised to a strong performance on the mound. Jace Fry closed out the game for the Sox with a 1-2-3 ninth inning to earn his first career MLB save.
Next: Reviewing White Sox at 40-ish game mark
The Sox will begin a four-game series with the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night to conclude their current eight-game homestand. Baltimore currently has a 14-32 record and sit in last place in the American League East division. Hector Santiago is the scheduled starter for the Sox in the series opener against Baltimore on Monday.