Chicago White Sox: Yermín Mercedes takes mound for first time (with video)

It’s been a season of firsts for Yermin Mercedes of the Chicago White Sox. He hit his first career home run on April 2nd. He became the first player to open a season with eight consecutive hits. He is the first player with three or more hits in a game three times in his first four career starts since Roy Campanella in 1948. He is also the first White Sox player with three hits or more in a game three times in his first four games of a season. The list goes on.

You can now add another first to the list. When Yermin Mercedes entered the game to pitch in a 10-4 blowout at Fenway Park, he became the first player to pitch and DH in the same game since Adam LaRoche back in 2015. Funny enough, the opposing starter in both games was Nathon Eovaldi.

With his hat turned sideways and a noticeable swagger on the mound it looked as if the White Sox has found Major League baseball’s next two-way star. The Yerminator walked the first batter he faced then got Bobby Dalbec to line into a double play.

The inning was extended when Enrique Hernandez hit a double to center field, ending Mercedes’s career no-hitter. Alex Verdugo and J.D Martinez then singled, smearing Mercedes perfect 0.00 ERA. After walking Rafel Devers to load the bases, he escaped the inning when he got Christian Vazquez to fly out to right-field.

Mercedes’s arsenal of pitchers pitches includes some  80 plus mph fastballs and some low 70s offspeed stuff. Unfortunately, Mercedes tantalizing stuff was unable to fool the Red Sox on this afternoon. His official line was 1 IP, 3 hits, 1 run, 1 earned run, 2 walks, and a 9.00 career ERA.

The White Sox called upon another position player in Danny Mendick to relieve him in the eighth inning, putting an end to the Mercedes adventure on the mound. Mercedes was the lone bright spot in an otherwise ugly loss at Fenway Park.

However, Mercedes was able to notch the White Sox one more first before he left the game. Yermin is the first Mercedes to pitch for the White Sox, making them the only team to have a Mercedes and Benz pitch for them. Benz threw for the White Sox back in the 1910s.