Chicago White Sox reliever Gregory Santos recalled a dialog he had with supervisor Pedro Grifol.
“He said, ‘Do you think you have the guts to go out there and close games?’ ” Santos stated by way of an interpreter Wednesday in Arlington, Texas. “I said, ‘Yeah, of course. That’s what I want to do.’ He said, ‘Well, don’t worry. Your chance is going to come. Keep working, keep doing your job.’”
Santos was known as on for the ninth inning in a sport final week towards the Cleveland Guardians at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The Sox held a 3-0 lead on July 28. Santos surrendered a single to José Ramírez main off the inning. With two outs, he hit Will Brennan. Santos rebounded and struck out Oscar Gonzalez for his second profession save. His first was July 2 at Oakland. But he savored final week’s a bit extra.
“I can tell you that I liked better the one experience at home,” Santos stated. “The environment, the followers have been there. It was extra thrilling than the one in Oakland.
“I don’t know how to explain that experience. It was really nice. I remember when I was a starter, I always said if they were going to change my role, I wanted to be a closer. Now I have this opportunity and every chance to close a game is going to mean a lot.”
The Sox need to give Santos extra possibilities to just do that.
“He’s developed in the big leagues,” pitching coach Ethan Katz stated final week. “When he first acquired right here, he was form of ‘let’s get him in the correct state of affairs, develop his sinker.’ And he’s form of simply flourished. He’s been the speak round baseball. People are very interested by him. We get quite a lot of good suggestions from different groups. Hitters are taking place to first base saying, ‘Who the hell is that?’
“He’s made a name for himself. We are really excited about his future.”
The Sox acquired Santos, 23, in a commerce with the San Francisco Giants through the offseason. He has been one of many simpler relievers for the workforce with a 2-0 document and a 2.75 ERA in 47 appearances. He didn’t pitch Friday within the Sox’s 4-2 loss to the Guardians at Progressive Field.
Santos has 52 strikeouts and 11 walks in 52 1/3 innings.
“Really excited to see him in these situations and see how he responds,” Katz stated. “He’s had an excellent 12 months up up to now and we need to proceed to construct that. While doing that, be conscious of his workload as a result of he’s getting up there.
“It’s in the back of our mind but we also want these situations where there’s a save opportunity, put him in there and continue to develop him and watch him grow.”
Some say the ultimate three outs of the sport are the hardest for a pitcher. Santos doesn’t subscribe to that thought.
“I think it’s the same (as other innings),” he stated. “We are enjoying the identical sport. I don’t assume I’ve to place extra strain on myself simply because they’re final three outs of the sport.
“In my case, even though I’m still young, I have experience in different situations. I’ve been able to get out of a jam with bases loaded and no outs. Why is it going to be different in the ninth?”
Grifol preferred listening to that mindset.
“Let him keep thinking that,” Grifol stated Wednesday. “That’s actually cool. That’s in all probability what make good closers good closers as a result of they do assume that. Those of us who’ve been within the sport a very long time know that guys who pitch the ninth pitch like that and are actually profitable. We additionally know guys that don’t assume like that they’re not as constant as they need to be.
“I’m happy he thinks that way. It’s always good to toe the rubber in that type of situation thinking it’s just another inning.”
Sixth, seventh, eighth or ninth, Santos is concentrating on persevering with what he known as “a very good year.”
“I’ve been able to stay healthy,” Santos stated. “Everything has gone my way. It has been a very, very good year. I’m very happy for it.”
Sox purchase 2 minor-league pitchers from LA Dodgers
The Sox acquired minor-league right-handers Aldrín Batista and Máximo Martínez from the Los Angeles Dodgers in trade for worldwide slot cash, the workforce introduced Friday.
Batista, 20, is 3-1 with a 3.46 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 10 video games (seven begins) this season with Arizona Complex League Dodgers. Martínez, 19, has a 4.73 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 9 video games (5 begins) with the ACL Dodgers.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com