White Sox 16-6 Behind Strong Start from Starting Rotation
The Chicago White Sox are off to a great start in the American League Central. After 22 games, the White Sox are 16-6 and have opened a 3 ½ game lead over the defending World Series Champions Kansas City.
The pitching staff for Chicago is the biggest reason the team is playing so well this early in the season. In the 22 games played, the starting pitchers have allowed two or fewer runs in 15 games.
In three other games, the starters allowed only three runs. The starting rotation thus far has an ERA of 2.65, and is tied for the lead in the majors with the Cubs for quality starts at 16.
The White Sox have won six straight overall after their fifth shutout of the season on Wednesday beating Toronto 4-0.
Jose Quintana pitched the shutout over the Blue Jays with six innings of scoreless pitching. He struck out 10 in the process and is now 3-1 with an ERA of 1.47. This season, Quintana has yet to give up a home run.
Quintana, Mat Latos and Chris Sale have pitched a combined 93 innings, allowing 60 hits and 16 runs. The three have a combined 77 strikeouts and 20 walks, while allowing just 4 home runs and an ERA of 1.35.
The bullpen is no slouch either. Matt Albers has pitched 30 straight scoreless appearances. Nate Jones has given up three hits and only one run over 10 2/3 innings. David Robertson the closer has allowed only one run in his 10 1/3 innings pitched.
The Blue Jays attempted to wait out Quintana by swinging at just 32 of his total 104 pitches. However, Quintana was masterful. He fired a strike on the first pitch to 17 of the 25 batters he faced.
Due to take so many pitches, the Blue Jays hitters were often times facing counts of two strikes against them. Of the 16 batters that faced that count, Toronto was 0-14 and had 10 strikeouts.
Chicago is allowing just 2.4 runs a game, which is almost impossible to sustain all season.
This great start for Chicago comes while its top slugger Jose Abreu is hitting a paltry .190.
The team could use a few more bench players. The White Sox have 12 position players, which means the team is wasting at least two spots on the roster on relievers, who do not even play considering the beginning to the season the starting rotation has had.
The regulars are holding their own on offense and on the defensive side, but backup players are mediocre at best and the team needs help there.
Regardless, how the season ends, the White Sox are playing the best baseball in the majors at this point and could run away with the AL Central before anyone can do anything about it.
