With Liam Hendriks back after his bout with cancer, the White Sox are essentially at full strength.
“It feels really good to have our whole team back together for the first time,” manager Pedro Grifol said before a 7-3 victory against the Angels Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
There is no more using injuries as a crutch for a team built to win and needing one to halt a three-game losing streak and improve to 23-34.
“Now we’ve just got to put it all together and go play the baseball we’re capable of playing and live up to the expectations we have for us a team,” Grifol said. “It’s time to prepare, it’s time to go out there and win some games.”
Opening Day second baseman Elvis Andrus is the only regular missing as he finishes up a minor league rehab assignment for an oblique strain. Romy Gonzalez, playing second base, homered for the third straight game and in a five-run fifth that erased a 3-1 deficit had an double against left-hander Tyler Anderson, stole third base and scored when catcher Chad Wallach’s throw went into left field.
The big blow in the fifth was Andrew Vaughn’s three-run double. Vaughn, who leads the Sox with 39 RBI, also doubled in the ninth.
Lucas Giolito allowed three runs in five innings, two on homers by Taylor Ward leading off the game and Shohei Ohtani leading off the fourth inning.
Eloy Jimenez extended his hitting streak to 11 games and drove in a run in the first with a sacrifice fly. Luis Robert Jr. broke an 0-for-16 slump with two doubles and a single, and Jake Burger had three singles.
Reynaldo Lopez pitched two perfect innings in relief of Giolito.
Hendriks warmed up in the ninth while Kendall Graveman was getting the last three outs. Graveman pitched 1 1⁄3 innings.
The Sox will be faced with the possibility of being sellers at the Aug. 1 deadline if they don’t become a .500 team at least, although a few games above could win the division. Grifol wasn’t ready to look that far ahead.
“You’re taking me way too far out there,” he said. “I’m not going to be thinking about July when we have to play these guys tonight and have to win this game tonight. Taking me out six, seven weeks, it’s too much for me. I’m only thinking about here today, get after it today and after we’re done, worry about winning tomorrow’s game.”
This and that
Seby Zavala had a 15-pitch at-bat against Anderson in the Sox’ five-run fourth, the longest on record by a Sox player since Frank Thomas faced 17 pitches on April 7, 2004. Zavala grounded out to shortstop. (Source: @ckamka.
*The Sox have hit 33 homers in their last 29 games.
*The Sox will go for a series split Wednesday afternoon in what will be their 16th game without a day off.
*Outfielder Jake Marisnick was traded to the Tigers for cash considerations. Marisnick played in nine games, mostly as a defensive replacement, before he was designated for assignment last week when Clint Frazier was selected from Triple-A Charlotte.