Abreu in elite company after fourth straight 25 HR/100 RBI season
Ideally for Jose Abreu and the Chicago White Sox, the milestone moment would have been a game-winning hit. Maybe a towering home run.
Looking to reach 100 RBI for the fourth straight season Saturday night, Abreu came to the plate against the Kansas City Royals with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh inning.
With the Sox trailing 6-1 at Guaranteed Rate Field, Abreu grounded out to third baseman Mike Moustakas. That scored Willy Garcia from third base and boosted Abreu's RBI total to 100. In the first inning, the 30-year-old first baseman knocked in his 99th run with a single.
With 31 home runs and 100 RBI, Abreu is just the third player in major-league history to have 25-plus homers and 100-plus RBI in each of his first four seasons.
He joins Joe DiMaggio (1936-39) and Albert Pujols (2001-10).
"I don't feel as happy as I wanted because we lost today," Abreu said after the White Sox fell to the Royals 8-2. "But personally, it feels good to get this goal, this accomplishment. Its very special for me, for my family, too. We were looking for it and did it today.
"I want to thank the White Sox organization for the opportunity, Ricky (Renteria), my teammates and all the guys that have been supporting me through my career, especially this year. I think it is a very special accomplishment. Like I said, I'm not as happy as I would like to be because we lost today, but personally I feel good."
Renteria is impressed Abreu was able to have another big season at the plate while the Sox were trading nine veteran players and rebuilding the roster.
"I think with all the different things are going on for us as a team and as an organization, you still have one guy that continues to be now, for the fourth season, a part of an elite class.
"He works extremely hard. I think everybody was feeling it for him tonight. He's been pushing. He fouled a ball off of his left shin the other day and you see him kind of gimping around out there. He's fine. It's just very very sore. He's not one to do anything to deter from continuing to help the team win first and foremost, but along the way he's able to attain some individual merit points so to speak, and put himself in a very special class."
Quality effort:
Dylan Covey is still looking for his first major-league win, but the Sox's right-hander recorded the first quality start of his career Saturday against the Royals.
"Had a good week of work with Has, Coop and Shieldsy," Covey said of bullpen coach Curt Hasler, pitching coach Don Cooper and starter James Shields. "We talked about angle on my pitches, having an aggressive mentality. I felt like I was still maybe pitching behind in the counts a little bit too much, but I felt like there were a lot of positive things to take over into my next start."
Covey pitched 6 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits and 1 walk to go with 3 strikeouts.