Will Venable didn’t dodge the issue before the White Sox took on the Astros. Asked about Drew Romo’s inability to score the go-ahead run on a single in the eighth inning Wednesday, Venable said the club should have handled the moment differently.
"That's one of those where if you could do it all over again, I'm pinch-running for him," Venable told reporters before today's game. "You can call it a miss, a mess-up.
I think that there's inputs in all these decision that you're trying to negotiate in the moment. That was one that speed wasn't the factor there.
It was a read, but at the same time, that spot in the game, we did want to keep him in the game. He is a really, really valuable guy for us defensively.
"But yeah, the calculus changes. Probably if I do it all over again, I'm pinch-running for him."
The White Sox and Astros were set for a 1 p.m. matchup on CHSN, with Luis Castillo on the mound for Chicago and Hunter Brown starting for Houston.
Chicago’s lineup featured Sam Antonacci leading off in left field, followed by Munetaka Murakami at first, Miguel Vargas at third, Andrew Benintendi at DH, Braden Montgomery in right, Colson Montgomery at shortstop, Chase Meidroth at second, Tristan Peters in center and Jake Rogers behind the plate.
Houston countered with Jeremy Peña at shortstop, Yordan Alvarez at DH, Isaac Paredes at third, Jose Altuve at second, Daulton Varsho in center, Christian Walker at first, Taylor Trammell in right, Yainer Diaz at catcher and LaMonte Wade Jr. in left.
In Other News...
White Sox Look Right For Giving Up On This Pitcher Fast
The White Sox did not need much time to decide Jedixson Paez was not going to be part of their pitching picture this spring. Chicago grabbed the right-hander in the Rule 5 draft, gave him a look in camp, and then moved on quickly after he was tagged for six earned runs in three innings during his spring appearances.
Paez was sent back to the Boston Red Sox organization and assigned to Double-A Portland, which only added another layer to a rough stretch for the 23-year-old. Boston later gave him a major league start, and he was hit hard there, too, before being optioned back to Triple-A, a reminder that the White Sox may have been early to bail, but not necessarily wrong. [Read more 🡒]
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For a rebuilding club, those late-season decisions matter. A jump to a higher affiliate can tell the front office a lot about how far a prospect has come and how ready he might be for a bigger role down the road, especially with 2027 in view. Nothing has been finalized yet, but the possibility alone makes this a situation worth watching closely as Chicago looks for the next wave of players who can move quickly when the time comes. [Read more 🡒]
Drew Thorpe Just Gave White Sox Fans Something To Watch Closely
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Thorpe handled the longest workload of the group, working five innings and allowing two runs, while Teel finished 1-for-3 at the plate and Brazobn tossed a perfect sixth inning. Manager Will Venable also weighed in on where each stands health-wise and how they might fit into the major league picture, leaving the White Sox with something useful to monitor as the rehab assignments continue. [Read more 🡒]
