Rangers 11, White Sox 3: Still bad

At least this game doesn’t count

The White Sox made their CHSN debut today, with a pathetic showing. While most of the damage was already done in the first inning, they could still only muster up six hits and three runs against the Rangers, and for the balance of the game the offense was stalled at two hits.

There were very few bright spots, but Nick Nastrini looked phenomenal today, and Kyle Teel seems to be a good catching option this season. But that’s where I end my positivity today.

Shane Smith started the inning by giving up back-to-back walks to Josh Smith and Joc Pederson before tossing his first strike, and then striking out to Jonah Heim. Unfortunately, leadoff walks will haunt, and Adolis García proved that with a hit to score a run, which was then followed by a Dustin Harris sac fly that would put the Rangers up, 2-0, early. Just one out from escaping the frame Smith walked Ezequiel Duran, and new skipper Will Venable came out to collect his young starter.

Chris Rodriguez replaced Smith and quickly loaded the bases after hitting Nick Ahmed on a 1-2 count. Rodriguez then had a pitch clock violation, walking Justin Foscue to force another run in. Jonathan Ornelas singled, bringing in another run, followed by Josh Smith (who led off the inning) singling, continuing the run parade. Pederson homered, making it 9-0, 25 minutes into the top of the first inning. Heim collected a walk before the White Sox finally got the third out to end the painful start.

Baseball Savant

On the other hand, it was three outs on 10 pitches for Jon Gray, as leadoff man Mike Tauchman swung at the first pitch. Luis Robert Jr. hit grounded out, and while Miguel Vargas showed some plate discipline, he ultimately struck out to end the inning.

In an unexpected turn of events that you’ll only see in Spring Training, Shane Smith was back out on the mound in the second and retired the Rangers in order. However, in true White Sox fashion, they were retired in order to end the second inning as well.

Thank goodness for dogs on the broadcast! Charlie, John Schriffen’s rescue, made his broadcast debut at the top of the third, which prompted a discussion and bonus pictures of dogs to save us from the suffering provided by the South Siders. Nastrini took over the mound, giving up a double but no damage.

Jesse Chavez took over for the Rangers, and Chase Meidroth started the third with a strikeout. Tristan Gray graced our presence as the first base runner of the day with a two-out double, but Tauchman would strand him to end the inning.

Baseball Savant

Nastrini was back out for the fourth and again showed signs of promise, keeping the Rangers off the board. In return, Shawn Armstrong strong-armed the Sox with three easy outs.

Cam Booser, who replaced Nastrini, had a long half-inning while only facing four batters. He only allowed one base runner, though. Omar Narváez started off the bottom of the fifth with a walk, and Dominic Fletcher took a ball to the elbow to put two runners on with one out. But between Gray’s pop-up and a Corey Julks swinging bunt, Chicago remained scoreless.

Teel flashed exceptional framing in top of the sixth with Penn Murfee on the mound, easily retiring the first two batters. Julks, who entered the game in the fifth, caught the final out to end a solid inning. Colson Montgomery was at shortstop as part of a flurry of subs in the sixth, and had an abysmal first at-bat that ended in a ground out to end the inning.

Outside of the bad at-bat, Montgomery looked great at short. While I wouldn’t normally say making routine plays makes one look great, this is the 2025 White Sox, so I have to make a few concessions. Jordan Leasure pitched for the seventh, giving the team a quick and easy half. In the bottom half Teel worked a one-out walk, but the offense couldn’t do anything but strand him.

Mason Adams started the eighth with a beautiful three-pitch strikeout to Justin Foscue, got Cody Freeman to hit for the out with two pitches, and ended the inning with a strike ’em out/throw ’em out to Cody Thomas for a clean mound appearance. Jacob Gonzalez made contact with a ball straight down the middle for a double to start the bottom of the eighth. Andre Lipcius, who I was completely unfamiliar with until today, hit an RBI double to put the Sox on the board, and we’re no longer in a shutout situation! (Lipcius signed a minor league contract on Dec. 18, 2024, after being released from the Dodgers two days before. The Tigers selected Lipcius in the third round, 83rd overall, in the 2019 MLB draft. South Side Sox has Lipcius as the No. 53 prospect in the system.)

The Rangers answered for the one run on the bottom of the eighth with two more tallies to start the ninth, thanks to Abimelec Ortiz’s two-run homer off of Wikelman Gonzalez. One of the only saving graces on this team, Teel, again drew a one-out walk in Chicago’s final ups. Oscar Colás, who is desperate to prove himself this season, knocked Teel in with an RBI double. Braden Montgomery, a 2024 first-rounder from the Garrett Crochet trade, singled. Marc Church started to show struggle after Jacob Gonzalez drove a fly deep enough to send Colás home with a third run of the game for the Pale Hose. Alas, Julks struck out looking to end the game.

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