Smith hits first major-league home run in White Sox win
It was a balmy 94 degrees Monday night at Guaranteed Rate Field, and that always means there is a good chance baseballs are going to be flying over the fences.
"We'll try to keep the ball down for them, and try to get it up for us," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said.
A simple strategy, but it paid off for the Sox in a 10-7 win over the Orioles.
In the second inning, catcher Kevan Smith put the White Sox in front with a 2-run homer, his first in the major leagues.
"That was pretty exciting because it was his first," Renteria said of Smith's 409-foot shot to center field. "It looked like a fan threw it in to (Baltimore center fielder) Adam Jones, and he got it into our bullpen. In baseball terms, it's a big deal when an opposing player assists. That's a pretty classy act."
Designated hitter Matt Davidson added a solo shot in the seventh inning.
Avisail Garcia turned 26 Monday, and the Sox's right fielder celebrated with an RBI double in the third inning and a 2-run single in the fourth.
Mike Pelfrey started for the White Sox and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits and 5 walks in 3⅔ innings.
"I need to be a lot better than that," Pelfrey said. "The guys picked me up with the bats and the gloves."
Robert debuts:
After agreeing to a minor-league contract that included a $26 million signing bonus on May 27, 19-year-old Luis Robert made his professional debut on Monday, and it was memorable.
In his first at-bat for the Dominican Summer League White Sox, Robert homered to left field.
"I'm really happy about the way the game went for me," Robert said through Sox interpreter Billy Russo. "I hit my first home run as a professional. I had a 3-0 count and I took the first strike. Then on a 3-1 count, the pitcher threw me a changeup and I hit it hard. I was very happy running around the bases. It was a very special moment for me. I got the baseball and I'm going to save it in a special place."
In the DSL Sox's 6-5 win over the DSL Diamondbacks 1, Robert played center field, batted third and was 1-for-2 with a solo homer and 1 walk.
"Today's game was a great experience," said Robert, a star player for Ciego de Ávila in his native Cuba from 2013-16. "I went seven months without playing in a real game and was really anxious, but I felt really good. I liked the atmosphere with the team. I enjoyed being around my teammates. I've worked on getting to know them since my first day here."
Second chance:
On the second round of the draft Monday, the White Sox selected another college power hitter, Wake Forest first baseman Gavin Sheets with the No. 49 overall pick.
The son of former major-league designated hitter/outfielder Larry Sheets, Gavin has a .317/.428/.626 slash line this season to go with 20 home runs and 81 RBI in 61 games.
The 6-foot-5, 235-pounder is a left-handed hitter, and Sheets has struck out only 34 times in 230 at-bats for the Demon Deacons.