White Sox 7, Indians 1: A Reynaldo López one-hitter

Followed-from-work bullet-point recap:

*One start after getting knocked out in the first inning in Atlanta, Reynaldo López went the distance. A second-inning RBI double was the only hit he allowed in his first-ever complete game as the White Sox split the series with the Indians.

*López needed just 109 pitches, getting 20 swinging strikes en route to 11 punchouts. He had his usual fastball-first approach, throwing it 63 percent of the time and getting 10 swinging strikes. His slider was an effective second pitch, generating the other 10 whiffs he got on the day.

*Perhaps a real right fielder catches Kevin Plawecki’s two-out double in the second. Ryan Goins, who is not an outfield, broke in on a ball hit well over his head. It would’ve needed a perfect break by a right outfielder to haul it in, and I don’t think the Sox have one of those.

*The Sox were leading at the time courtesy of a Welington Castillo two-run homer, and they never trailed. Yolmer Sánchez kept Yoan Moncada’s leadoff double from being in vain with a two-out single in the fourth, and a three-run sixth put it away.

*Danny Mendick’s first hit had a lot to do with it. He came up with two on and nobody out against Zach Plesac and was bunting all the way. He pulled back on the first strike, fouled off the second one, but the third time was the charm. Not only was it a good bunt to the left side, but the third baseman didn’t charge, leaving a flopping Plesac no outs anywhere on the diamond and the bases loaded. Hunter Wood replaced him and allowed all three runs to score, one on a walk to Sánchez, and two on an Adam Engel single.

*Tim Anderson went 2-for-5 with a double on the day he qualified for the batting title, a race he now leads at .332.

Record: 62-78 | Box score | Highlights

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