Andrew Benintendi started the underside of the primary inning of Saturday’s sport towards the Los Angeles Dodgers with a bang, hitting a house run to proper area.
It was the primary homer of the spring for Benintendi, who joined the White Sox on a five-year deal within the offseason.
Jake Burger continued his sturdy spring on the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI within the 6-4 loss at Camelback Ranch. Both hits had been singles.
Here are three extra takeaways from Saturday at Sox camp.
1. The Sox are erring on the facet of warning with Andrew Vaughn, who’s day after day with decrease again soreness.
The Sox have been resting the primary baseman lately.
“Andrew’s going to take a few days off,” Sox supervisor Pedro Grifol stated. “He’s had a ton of ABs — I think the last time I checked he had (31) at-bats. He’s played a ton.”
Vaughn final performed March 12 towards the Los Angeles Angels. He is hitting .323 (10-for-31) with one double, one triple, one residence run and 4 RBIs with two walks and three runs in 11 video games.
Vaughn takes over at first base after José Abreu signed with the Houston Astros within the offseason. Vaughn spent most of his first two big-league seasons as an outfielder.
“He’s in a good spot,” Grifol stated. “There’s no motive to push him by something. I’m positive if you happen to requested him if he might play he’d say yeah. But we’re not going to push him by something proper now. He’s had an awesome camp. He feels snug at first base. We like the place his swing is at. He likes the place his swing is at so we’re good.
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2. Michael Kopech was constant along with his curveball in second spring outing.
Kopech aimed for 4 ups Saturday.
He completed that objective, regardless that he exited after dealing with the primary batter of the third inning. It was a quick break. Kopech returned for the fourth, an choice in spring coaching, and confronted yet another batter earlier than his day was performed.
Kopech allowed one unearned run on three hits with three strikeouts and two walks in 2⅓ innings.
“The main purpose of (Saturday) was to get four ups, and I got that, happy to do that,” Kopech stated. “Obviously it might have been loads cleaner. I went deep in counts repetitively. I wish to be just a little bit extra environment friendly. Clean up that first inning and I in all probability might have a whole third.
“Got to work on some things. Some stuff was there that I wasn’t expecting to be there and some stuff I was expecting to be there wasn’t there. It was a day to feel some things out. Overall it was a good spring training day.”
Kopech noticed good outcomes along with his curveball.
“I was trying to get more comfortable throwing my curveball, landing it in the zone,” he stated. “Going into the sport I wasn’t feeling actual snug with it. The first inning, it was just about the one factor that had some consistency with. Kind of humorous how issues work out that method.
“I got to work on that and also working on being quicker to the plate. With the new rules and everything, we’re going to have to figure out ways to control the running game a little bit. And I was probably a bit too quick (Saturday), which is probably a good problem to have — be able to slow myself down instead of having to speed myself up.”
3. Reliever Gregory Santos’ ‘will to be great’ impresses Pedro Grifol.
Santos confronted 4 batters Friday towards the Cubs. He struck out every hitter.
“What impressed me the most, it’s not the 100-mph fastball, it’s not the slider he throws for strikes for high percentage which is a good combination,” Grifol stated of Santos’ spring. “His will to be nice, that’s what’s impressed me essentially the most.
“I talked to him one time about times to the plate. I talked to him one time about PFPs and how you go about that type of work and how important that is to us. And I haven’t had to say it again. Every time you watch him take a PFP, you see him getting after it and treating it like here’s how I’m going to make an adjustment.”
Santos has allowed three hits and struck out eight in 5⅓ scoreless innings this spring. The Sox acquired the right-hander from the San Francisco Giants for minor-league pitcher Kade McClure on Dec. 22.
“On top of the 100-mph fastball with plus-plus movement, a slider he throws for strikes, his will to be great has been really impressive to me — and he’s a smart kid. A really smart kid,” Grifol stated. “And versatility. He can pitch multiple innings and he’s got the stuff to pitch any part of the game, not that we would do that right now, he’s a young kid. He’s 23. That was a great pickup.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com
