Chicago White Sox: Dallas Keuchel is exactly what they needed
The Chicago White Sox really needed a guy like Dallas Ke1uchel in their rotation.
The Chicago White Sox were coming off a very disappointing first game of the season when they took the field on Saturday. Getting off to an 0-2 start would be a very bad look. The Minnesota Twins are going to be the toughest team that the White Sox faces this season which makes it a little bit easier to understand but you have to eventually beat the best to start becoming the best. Well, they played a very good game against them on Saturday to earn the 10-3 victory.
A large reason as to why they played such a good game was the pitching of Dallas Keuchel. He kept the very good Minnesota Twins lineup off the board so that the White Sox offense could finally get it going with much less pressure. That type of performance was exactly what the doctor ordered for the Sox in this game. You might remember Mark Buehrle and his style of play and that is the type of pitching that Dallas Keuchel is going to bring this year.
He might not be the Cy Young level pitcher that he was a handful of years ago but he is a massive upgrade over what the White Sox have had in previous years. He is also a good rock there to be in the second spot of the rotation behind Lucas Giolito. In games that Giolito isn’t as good as he normally is, like in the opener, Keuchel is the perfect guy to go to in the next game looking for a rebound.
This game had some offensive thrills as well. Yoan Moncada and Eloy Jimenez each look like guys who can be legit MVP contenders as soon as this year. There are some phenomenal players in the American League so their time might have to wait but if these two games are any indication of anything, it is that these two are some of the league’s best already.
Edwin Encarnacion also had his first home run of the season in this one. It was a nice way for him to get going in this 2020 season. The White Sox signed Encarnacion with the intention of him doing these kinds of things and here we are. If he can remain a big bat in the middle of the lineup, this team remains even more dangerous.
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The standout player in this game was Leury Garcia. He was awful defensively at second base on Opening Night and you can argue that some of his mistakes really cost the White Sox the game. Well, he came out with a vengeance in this game and hit two home runs to add insult to injury on the Twins. It was a good day for him, a good day for Keuchel, and a great day for the White Sox.