Chicago White Sox starter Gonzalez increases trade value
Contending teams can still trade for players by Thursday and have them eligible for the playoffs.
Miguel Gonzalez has got to be on somebody's radar after another strong start for the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.
In a 3-2 victory over the Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field, Gonzalez went head to head against Justin Verlander and allowed 2 runs on 7 hits over 8 innings.
In his last 4 starts, the 33-year-old righty has allowed just 4 earned runs in 28 innings (1.28 ERA).
"I try not to think about it," Gonzalez said of trade rumors. "I'm here; they're giving me the opportunity to pitch every fifth day. I'm a White Sox."
Gonzalez got off to a slow start this season, mainly because he was dealing with a shoulder issue that wound up sidelining him for five weeks.
The further Gonzalez moves away from the injury, the better he has become.
"He's been around and he's got experience and he's been extremely effective," manager Rick Renteria said. "Everybody knows that he was trying to pitch with that clavicle soreness because he didn't want to say anything. Once he got to taking care of that, it seems like from that point on he's been nails."
With the game tied at 2-2 in the ninth inning, Tim Anderson led off with a double and scored the winning run on Yolmer Sanchez's single.
Wearing "B. Moss" on the back of his uniform for Players Weekend, Anderson is paying tribute to close friend Branden Moss, who was murdered in May.
"My drive to the ballpark today was kind of emotional because I was able to wear his name on the back," Anderson said. "It's definitely an honor to be able to put his name on the back of the jersey and play with it."
Burger fired up:
A day after hitting for the cycle for the first time at any level, White Sox prospect Jake Burger still was excited.
"I was kind of taken aback, to be honest," said Burger, the Sox's first-round draft pick (No. 11 overall) in June. ""I was like, 'Wow, I actually just did that.' That's unbelievable.
"Not many people get to do that at the professional level. It was pretty cool, a really cool experience, and it's something that I'll remember for the rest of my life."
Playing for low Class A Kannapolis, Burger doubled in the ninth inning against Greensboro on Thursday night to reach the cycle. He also singled in the 11th inning and was 5-for-5 with a walk.
Burger is enjoying life as a professional baseball player, for the most part.
"I'm living in a three-bedroom apartment with six dudes," he said. "In college, you have a little more space to yourself and can relax a little bit more when you're at home.
"But here I'm living on an air mattress in the living room with (second-round draft pick) Gavin Sheets. That's been an adjustment, but it's something that I'll cherish for the rest of my life, for sure."
Chilling out:
Sox manager Rick Renteria likes the inaugural Players Weekend, which features casual uniforms and a nicknames on the back of jersey tops.
"I think they feel good about it; they're wearing their shirts," Renteria said. "They're a little bit more relaxed in terms of their attire.
"It doesn't hurt. It shows a lot of sponsorships, a lot of people that are being helped in the community, the people that are involved with particular clubs."