Home cooking: Moncada stays hot in White Sox's 10-8 win over Mariners
Yoan Moncada got off to a sizzling start this season, but White Sox fans had to watch it from afar.
They got to see it up close on Friday.
Picking up where he left off in Kansas City and Cleveland, Moncada stayed hot in the home opener, a roller coaster 10-8 win over the Mariners in front of 32,723 at Guaranteed Rate Field.
"I think that you learn from your mistakes," Moncada said through a translator. "Last year, I learned a lot. It was all the experience of my first year at this level and because of that experience that I gained, I'm in a much better place right now."
In 5 road games against the Royals and Indians to open the year, Moncada batted .450/.522/.900 with 2 home runs, 6 RBI and only 3 strikeouts in 23 plate appearances.
He also quickly moved away from a dismal 2018 season, when the switch-hitter slashed .235/.315/.400 while leading the major leagues with 217 strikeouts.
On Friday, Moncada helped the Sox jump to a 6-1 lead.
At the plate with the bases loaded in the first inning, he missed a grand slam by inches and settled for a 2-run double to center field.
White Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez couldn't hold the big lead, but Moncada came through again after Seattle went in front 8-7.
With the bases loaded in the seventh inning, Moncada delivered a 2-run single and the Sox hung on for the win. Both of Moncada's 2-run hits came from the right side of the plate, where he really scuffled last year.
"I am excited," said Moncada, who became seventh player in White Sox history to have 10 or more RBI in his first 6 games. "I am very excited, just the way the game was today. I was part of this game. I contributed to the victory.
"But overall, just to be part of a game like today with the crowd and all the guys fighting, it was good."
Tim Anderson also had another big offensive day, going 3-for-4 with 3 RBI and 4 runs scored. The shortstop hiked his batting average to .438.
"It was fun, it was exciting," Anderson said. "Now we have to put that one away and get the next one. A lot of exciting things are happening. I'm a dad (again). I had a good game today. Special week for me. I'm having fun."
Already viewed as a key piece of the rotation now and in the future, Lopez struggled for the second time in as many starts this season.
The 25-year-old righty was set up for an easy afternoon, but Lopez lasted just 5-plus innings and allowed 6 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks. In 9 innings this year, he's given up 10 runs on 12 hits and 8 walks.
"I feel like I have the same rhythm that I had last season, at the end of last season," Lopez said through a translator. "The beginning of this year is two bad starts. I think I have plenty of season in front of me and I'm going to improve.
"I'm going to keep working on my command, the location of my pitches. I don't think I have to change anything because of these two starts. I've been working hard since spring training and I'm going to keep doing it."
Ryan Burr (1-0) pitched 1⅓ scoreless innings of relief to earn his first major-league win and Alex Colome worked a perfect ninth to pick up his second save.