The White Sox put three pitchers on the American League All-Star team Sunday, and it hardly came as a surprise.
DETROIT — The White Sox put three pitchers on the American League All-Star team Sunday, and it hardly came as a surprise.
Their two starters named, left-hander Carlos Rodon and right-hander Lance Lynn, can make cases for starting the game. Closer Liam Hendriks (2.57 ERA), the AL Reliever of the Month for May, leads the AL with 21 saves.
Lynn (2.02) and Rodon (2.37) rank second and third in the AL in ERA, Rodon (.177) and Lynn (.190) are second and third in batting average against. Rodon, who pitched a no-hitter against the Indians on April 15, is first in strikeouts per nine innings with 13.12. Lynn is tied for ninth at 10.52.
Rodon is a first-time All-Star.
“Lance and Carlos deserve this,” Hendriks said before the Sox’ 6-5 loss to the Tigers Sunday. “They’ve had outstanding years and I happen to be riding their coattails a little bit. It still means a lot to me, not only because it’s my second but I’m the first Australian to ever go to two [Dave Nilsson and Grant Balfour went to one].”
There were no Sox position players selected. Catcher Yasmani Grandal was the strongest possibility among them, and Yoan Moncada, Jose Abreu and Tim Anderson were also candidates.
Hendriks was signed to a four-year, $54 million contract in the offseason, Lynn was acquired in a trade with the Rangers for Dane Dunning and Rodon, after struggling in 2020 was non-tendered by the team that drafted him third overall in 2014. But he was signed to a one-year, $3 million contract - a deal that some scoffed at — chalking up three wins for general manager Rick Hahn’s offseason.
Fully recovered from Tommy John and shoulder surgeries, Rodon “has been nothing short of outstanding,” Hendriks said.
“The expectations have always been there on him and it’s not an easy thing to be a first-rounder and pole vaulted into a rotation without kind of going through the works in the minor leagues,” Hendriks said. “But that was him. He had a lot of expectations on him. But this is who he is. This is what he always had in the tank.”
Lynn was fifth and sixth in Cy Young voting the last two seasons but not an All-Star. He was named in 2012 with the Cardinals.
“It would be awesome for my family and I to enjoy it together,” Lynn said Friday. “I was able to do it in 2012. My nine-year-old [daughter] was eight months so for her to go back and understand what is going on would be cool for me. I would cherish it.”
The last time three Sox pitchers were named was 2006 when Mark Buehrle, Jose Contreras and Bobby Jenks joined Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, A.J. Pierzynski and Jim Thome.
The Sox had three All-Stars last season — Lucas Giolito, Jose Abreu and James McCann.
While fans voted for 17 starters, players ballots and the commissioner’s office selected the reserves and pitchers.
from Chicago Sun-Times - All https://ift.tt/2UhNS3f
No comments:
Post a Comment