Latos meets expectations in win over Cleveland
Signed off the scrap heap a week before spring training, Mat Latos surprised the Chicago White Sox by rolling out to a 4-0 start and posting a 0.74 ERA.
"If we expected him to end up having an 0.(74) ERA, that's probably a spot where I don't think too many people believe he would be," manager Robin Ventura said.
Latos quickly regressed, and the 28-year-old right-hander was 1-1 with a 7.84 ERA over his last 4 starts heading into Monday's outing against the Indians at U.S. Cellular Field.
The Sox weren't looking for the great early Latos, but they were hoping for more than the recent subpar efforts.
They got it in Game 1, a 7-6 win over Cleveland.
In his first quality start since April 24, Latos pitched 6 innings and allowed 3 runs on 5 hits.
"A little bit of everything," Latos said when asked about what was good. "Fastball, slider, two-seamer and changeup, I threw a couple of really good changeups against some key guys."
Command also was a big key. In his last 4 starts, Latos issued 10 walks in 20⅔ innings. He had 1 walk Monday.
"It's going to be about location for him," Ventura said. "I think velocity wise, he was about the same. He can spin it. But he has to locate and today he was locating. They got him a couple times, but I thought he did enough for us to get it to the bullpen."
Roster shuffle:
The White Sox called up Erik Johnson from Class AAA Charlotte to start Monday night's Game 2 against Cleveland.
To clear a roster spot, the Sox sent infielder Carlos Sanchez back to Charlotte. Sanchez batted .154 in 11 games with the White Sox.
Teams can call up a 26th player for doubleheaders, and the White Sox brought up relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle from Triple-A.
Aces in the hole:
The White Sox send Chris Sale to the mound against Cleveland on Tuesday night, and Jose Quintana starts against the Indians on Wednesday afternoon.
Sale and Quintana are a combined 14-3 with a 1.76 ERA this season. Sale leads the American League with a 1.58 ERA and Quintana is second at 1.98.
Houston's Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte were the last teammates to rank 1-2 in their league's ERA, in 2005.
"They've been impactful for a couple years now for us, just with the innings they put in and knowing that you're going to be in the hunt to win a game," manager Robin Ventura said of Sale and Quintana. "I think that's the biggest thing; you know when you send those guys out there, there's a pretty good chance you're going to be in a position to win that game."
Numbers game:
According to STATS, in Game 1 of Monday's doubleheader at U.S. Cellular Field, the Indians played the 18,000th game in franchise history.
In Game 2, the White Sox played their 18,000th game.
On April, 24, 1901, the Sox defeated Cleveland 8-2 in the first game for both teams.