The White Sox are going right back to work at Fenway Park on Wednesday, trying to shake off Tuesday’s rough night against Boston and even the series behind Sean Burke.
Chicago’s lineup leans left again against Red Sox right-hander Sonny Gray, with Sam Antonacci leading off in left field. Munetaka Murakami is at first, followed by Miguel Vargas at third and Colson Montgomery at shortstop. Andrew Benintendi moves into the five spot as the designated hitter, and he brings some strong history against Gray with him.
In 29 career at-bats against Gray, Benintendi is hitting .379 with a home run and an .896 OPS. The White Sox will be hoping that familiarity matters tonight.
Braden Montgomery is in right field, Tristan Peters is in center, Chase Meidroth is at second, and Drew Romo is back behind the plate after Joey Bart made his White Sox debut on Tuesday.
Chicago’s full lineup: Antonacci, Murakami, Vargas, Colson Montgomery, Benintendi, Braden Montgomery, Peters, Meidroth, Romo.
Boston is rolling out the same group that put up 14 runs on the White Sox a day earlier. Nick Sogard starts at second, Ceddanne Rafaela is in center, Wilyer Abreu is in right, and Willson Contreras handles first base. Masataka Yoshida hits fifth as the DH, Caleb Durbin is at third, Jarren Duran is in left, Andruw Monasterio is at short, and Connor Wong catches.
The White Sox haven’t seen much of Burke, though Wilyer Abreu does have a home run off him in the past. Burke has been one of Chicago’s brightest arms this season, posting a 3.04 ERA with 140 strikeouts in 124.1 innings. He’s been even sharper lately, working to a 1.45 ERA over his last seven starts with 59 strikeouts in 43.1 innings.
He’ll need that form against a Red Sox lineup that tagged Davis Martin for nine runs on Tuesday.
Gray has been every bit as tough, if not tougher. He’s 13-2 with a 2.93 ERA in 20 starts, and over his last seven outings he owns a 2.64 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 44.1 innings. Still, he’s allowed nine runs in his last 12 innings, which gives the White Sox a sliver of hope as they try to get back in the series.
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White Sox Just Made Austin Hays An Afterthought In Their Outfield Shakeup
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Hays time with the Sox has been disrupted by injuries, and the club has now moved him onto release waivers after a brief stay that included a trip to the injured list. He is expected to clear, given the salary still attached, but the situation leaves open the possibility that another team could take a look later if he gets healthy and becomes available again. [Read more 🡒]