Pregame notes: This one is for .500

Attempts to make Will Venable sound like he cares about the Crosstown Cup are not off to a good start for local media.

"Not really concerned about the Cubs at this point," Venable said. "It’s the Royals tonight, like you said, and it’s about us anyway. Our focus is on us and our ability to go out there and play hard and execute the things we want to execute."

Attempts to get him to care about potentially being .500 on May 13, six or so weeks after this same group was 1-5? Those are going a bit better.

"After a bad start, just getting the group together and on the same page, how we want to go about our business," Venable said, recalling an early season team meeting. "Today’s another opportunity to do that. Certainly being .500 is significant as we’ve been trying to scratch and claw to get there, but we’ve got a long way to go. And even if you’re not able to get it tonight, just got to go out and play a good baseball game and do the same thing tomorrow."

But try to get him locked in on the AL Central race and oh man, it's gutterballs once more time. For shame.

"Teams go on runs, it’s early here," Venable said. "You think about us and the fact we’ve played five games against our divisional opponents and it’s all been against these guys. So really don’t have a good feel for the division outside of the records. We’ve got a long way to go and we’re excited that no one has run off with it yet. Just got to keep doing our thing."

1-for-3 isn't an awful day at the plate. Get 'em tomorrow, guys.

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Relevant to building fan excitement and belief, the White Sox have nudged above .500 with their home record (10-9) after Tuesday night's rollicking triumph and winning six of their last seven games at Rate Field. They have not posted a winning record at home since 2021.

Drew Romo is the fourth White Sox player in the expansion era (1961) whose first five hits of a season have all been for extra bases. It's pretty good company: Jake Burger (2023), Frank Thomas (2001) and Robin Ventura (1995). Romo is starting again Wednesday, giving him two or more starts in four-straight series.

Derek Hill has two of the team's three pinch-hit home runs on the season. That total is tied with the Tigers for the most pinch-hit homers in baseball.

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Prelander Berroa is the first of last spring's many Tommy John surgery casualties to begin a rehab assignment. He's pitching for the ACL White Sox on Wednesday night.

Kyle Teel is DH-ing for the Charlotte Knights on Wednesday. He sounds like he's already getting a little itchy.

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A throwaway line from a Davis Martin interview that indicates how Seranthony Domínguez pitching the eighth while Bryan Hudson got the save Wednesday night landed with the pitching staff.

"It's not always going to be the same guy every time," Martin said. "Everybody has to show up, everybody has to compete. When you have that sacrifice, like Seranthony coming in the eighth inning versus the ninth inning, that kind of stuff trickles down to everybody on the team."

First pitch: White Sox vs. Royals

TV: CHSN

Radio: ESPN 1000 AM, 107.9 La Ley (Spanish)

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