Losing the first game of a doubleheader with the Kansas City Royals didn’t make things look good for the Chicago White Sox heading into their second game. The momentum was not there and things would be difficult for sure.
We all knew that the second game was going to be a “bullpen” game of sorts with several different pitchers coming to the mound for Chicago. Sometimes, when that happens, it seems like the team is playing more to lose than to win.
Davis Martin has been bounced around between the Majors and AAA all season. One day he’s pitching in front of thousands of Major League Baseball fans and the next he’s back down in the Minors just trying to get by.
But if there is one major positive it’s that when Martin is called upon, he usually fills in quite nicely. This was seen again on Tuesday as he was able to handle the Royals well.
His stats paint a picture of someone that was able to keep control and not allow the game to get out of hand. He pitched a total of 5.2 innings allowing three hits, one run and one earned run. He struck three batters out while walking one. Not a bad outing for someone who is being bounced around so much.
The Chicago White Sox needed Davis Martin to come up big and he sure did.
Putting Davis in the lineup really helped save the White Sox pitching rotation a bit as well as their bullpen. His ability to go an effective five-plus innings was a bonus to go along with the win that the White Sox earned.
It was a very welcome thing to have happened on a day where they lost the first game of the series as well as finding out that they will be without shortstop Tim Anderson for a month.
If there is room, look for Martin to become a regular part of the White Sox pitching staff. He’s proven that he can perform at the Major League level and that he can compete with more groomed batters.
He’s an asset to the pitching staff and should see more time either as a fill-in for the starters or in bullpen action. Martin has proven himself. The White Sox need pitching help and Martin can provide that help.