Full rosters for the MLB All-Star Game shall be introduced July 2, and Chicago White Sox middle fielder Luis Robert Jr. continues to make a robust case.
Robert homered twice in a 4-1 victory towards the Boston Red Sox in entrance of 26,077 on Sunday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“There’s no doubt in my mind this guy’s an All-Star,” Sox supervisor Pedro Grifol stated. “No doubt.”
Robert is tied for fourth within the majors and is second within the American League with 21 house runs.
“It will be a good accomplishment but that’s not my primary goal,” Robert stated by means of an interpreter of a potential All-Star choice. “I want to carry this team to the playoffs and hopefully to the World Series. But it would definitely be an accomplishment if I’m selected to the All-Star Game.”
Robert’s two-run homer — which barely cleared the center-field wall — towards Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford within the fourth gave the White Sox a 2-1 lead. They led the remainder of the best way, with the assistance of 4 scoreless reduction innings from Jesse Scholtens, to take two of three within the sequence.
“Every win is critical for us,” Grifol stated. “We know the place we’re at (34-45, six video games out of first within the AL Central), we all know the place we’ve obtained to get, we all know what we’re attempting to do. Every win is vital.
“The one yesterday was really good, the one today was even better. We’re playing a pretty good team and today we pitched, hit some homers and we were clean on defense. Tough to beat when we do that.”
Tanner Banks allowed one run on three hits with 4 strikeouts and two walks in 2 2/3 innings because the opener. Scholtens allowed two hits, struck out three and walked one in his first big-league win.
“It’s definitely a box checked personally,” Scholtens stated. “It’s cool to get that one under your belt, but more importantly it’s cool to contribute at this level and help this team get a win.”
Andrew Benintendi had two hits towards his former workforce, together with an RBI double within the fifth.
Robert led off the sixth with a solo homer to left towards Crawford, making it 4-1.
“It’s crazy the amount of power he’s got in such a simple swing,” Benintendi stated. “It’s fun to watch for sure.”
It’s Robert’s second multihomer recreation this season — the opposite was on April 7 in Pittsburgh — and the fifth of his profession.
“When you swing at good pitches, you are going to be able to do damage,” Robert stated. “I’ve been trying to do that.”
Grifol additionally highlighted Robert’s protection, which included an unimaginable operating catch on a liner by Kiké Hernández for the primary out of the seventh.
“What he does in the outfield is not easy,” Grifol stated. “It appears simple, nevertheless it’s not simple. He goes hole to hole. You take it without any consideration. Sometimes I do too. But what he does out there’s not simple to do and he does it with ease. He performs the sport with ease.
“And then on the offensive side, if he hits pitches in the strike zone, he’s going to do unbelievable damage, and that’s what he’s done the last few days. He’s hunting for off-speeds up, he’s hitting fastballs, he’s not chasing as much. He’s a really damn good player.”
Injury updates
Catcher Yasmani Grandal left Sunday’s recreation after 5 innings with a bruised jaw. The Sox stated he’s present process precautionary evaluations.
“The caution there is not that foul tip, the caution there is if you get another one,” Grifol stated. “There’s always that concern if there’s another one, what’s that going to do? Does that one keep him out? I don’t know yet. Haven’t really sat down with our trainers and doctors yet to see what our plan is.”
Before the sport, Grifol stated reliever Liam Hendriks (proper elbow irritation) is not going to be again earlier than the All-Star break and it might be “up in the air” whether or not starter Mike Clevinger (proper biceps irritation) returns earlier than the break.
“He’s a starter, so he’s not coming back for an inning,” Grifol stated. “We’ve got to build him up. That one’s a little harder to tell. But for sure with Hendriks, I don’t think he’s going to be back before the All-Star break.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com