Keuchel up and running in White Sox's standout rotation
If you're wondering how the White Sox piled up so many wins with so many injuries through the first 71 games of the season, the rotation is a good place to start.
"It's nice to be on a staff like this," Dallas Keuchel said. "We're running out some horses and it's been very fun to watch."
While the Sox's starting rotation led the American League in wins (30), ERA (3.04), strikeouts (446) and opposing batting average (.209) heading into Saturday's play, Keuchel was dragging along the rail for much of the opening first two months of the season.
Lately, he's been looking a lot more like the pitcher that went 6-2 with a 1.99 ERA last season, his first with the Sox. Looking a lot more like the 2015 Cy Young Award winner he was with the Astros in 2015.
"I targeted June for myself for kind of turning the gas on," Keuchel said. "I'd like to end the first half with a really consistent run, so we'll take what we've had the last few outings."
After going 1-1 with a 4.65 ERA in April and 3-0 with a 4.40 ERA in May, Keuchel is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in 3 June starts.
"You're starting to see him get more comfortable out there and doing what he does," White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal said. "He's a guy that's going to induce a lot of soft contact, contact on the ground, and give you the innings that you need."
Keuchel is back to throwing the soft stuff with precision, deftly keeping his two-seam fastballs, cutters, sliders and changeups down in the strike zone.
Not surprisingly, the 33-year-old pitcher is leading the major leagues in groundball percentage and groundball/flyball ratio. Keuchel's also near the top in getting hitters to ground into double plays.
"It's fun, definitely fun playing behind him," Sox shortstop Tim Anderson said. "I make sure I'm prepared and ready. He works quick and he gets outs."
Limited to 11⅓ innings in spring training after being bothered by lower back stiffness late last season, Keuchel didn't push himself too hard over the first two months this year.
"I never intended to have a 4.50 ERA at the end of May," he said. "I would much rather, if I had to pick one or the other, stay healthy or have a better statistical two months, I would pick staying healthy because I know what I'm capable of doing."
Keuchel will try to keep it going with another quality start against Houston Sunday.
Considering he broke in with the Astros in 2012 and had so much success with them for seven years, Keuchel is looking forward to his first start at Minute Maid Park in a visiting uniform.
"It's going to be a little weird," said Keuchel, who also pitched for the Braves in 2019 before joining the White Sox on a three-year, $55.5 million contract before last season. "It was a place I never thought I was going to leave. That was reality. I still have a lot of former teammates I have some big time admiration for. It will be fun and competitive.
"I know those guys, they know me, they know how much of a competitor I am. That crowd, that city was really into the Astros so it will be a hostile environment for us. Looking forward to seeing some of those guys but it will be a little nerve-wracking when I take the mound Sunday."