White Sox head to Toronto to face reeling Blue Jays
The Chicago White Sox, fresh off a split with Cleveland, will conclude a seven-game road trip when they visit the struggling Toronto Blue Jays for a three-game series that starts Friday night.
The White Sox failed to win the series in Cleveland when they lost 5-0 in a rain-shortened encounter Thursday afternoon, instead giving the hosts the split.
White Sox right-hander Dylan Covey (0-1, 4.50 ERA) will start the opener against Blue Jays right-hander Clay Buchholz (0-2, 6.57).
Covey will face a Blue Jays team that has lost five in a row and eight of nine after being swept in a three-game series by visiting Minnesota. The Twins outscored the Blue Jays 20-1 in the series.
The Blue Jays were outhit 18-2 Wednesday in the series finale, a 9-1 loss that had first-year manager Charlie Montoyo grasping for words.
"I'm usually really positive, but we didn't play good the last three days," Montoyo told reporters after the game. "So I'm not going to sit here and make excuses for this and that because we didn't play good baseball. And my (players) know it, I know it, so I'm not going to insult you by saying we did this and we did that. We did not freaking play good baseball the last three days."
Toronto has struggled hitting overall, but particularly in the first inning, in which the Blue Jays sport a league-worst .156 batting average.
Last season, the Blue Jays won the season series from the White Sox 4-2 and are 6-2 against them since Aug. 1, 2017. Before that, however, the White Sox were 12-3 against the Blue Jays.
Covey, who was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte on April 29, is scheduled to make his fourth appearance (second start) of the season. He did not factor in the decision in on May 5 against the Boston Red Sox, allowing two runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked three and struck out two. The Red Sox scored seven runs in the eighth inning to win the game 9-2.
He posted a 2.51 ERA in five appearances (three starts) with Charlotte. This will be his first career appearance against the Blue Jays.
Buchholz will make his sixth start of the season. He is 3-4 with a 4.15 ERA in 10 career starts against the White Sox. He has not faced them since 2016.
At Arlington, Tex., Sunday, Buchholz surrendered eight hits, one walk and seven runs over four innings in Toronto's 10-2 loss to the Texas Rangers.
White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson, the American League Player of the Month for April, likely will bat seventh in the opener after batting there in all four games in Cleveland. He has batted in six different spots in the order, including second 13 times.
"We've moved him up facing lefties," White Sox manager Rick Renteria told the media about his strategy with Anderson. "Right now I want him to stay there (seventh) and do what he's been doing, trying not to do too much, stay within himself and he continues to impact us there."
"That's good, that goes on my resume that I can hit anywhere," Anderson said. "It just shows they can use me wherever and I'm good with that."
Anderson went 0-for-2 Thursday and is hitting 6-for-34 (.176) over 10 games in May. Overall, he is batting .323 with six homers, 20 RBI and an .853 OPS.
--Field Level Media
