No one feels particularly good about the forecast allowing for both these games to be played. Hell, no one at Rate Field on this Friday afternoon seems super confident about there not being a downpour right as Mark Buehrle's statue on the right field concourse is set to be revealed just before Game 2.
But like many--or most--Americans do every day, everyone has showed to work even with only a remote possibility that they will see something go right. Let's play at least one!
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Shane Smith was originally scheduled to pitch on Saturday and is looking forward to being on regular rest again, while he simultaneously has trying to calibrate the finger pressure on his changeup to mitigate the yanking issues he's been having of recent. Overall he not only feels strong to keep pitching on a regular schedule, but is hopeful he'll get a chance to pitch in the All-Star Game on Tuesday.
You never known how many chances there will be.
"The focus will be today," said Will Venable. "Of course we want to have Shane pitch in [the All-Star Game] and be able to pitch in that game. But we'll do everything that we can to win the game today."
Venable went on to say that, especially when it comes to deploying the bullpen to protect a lead, he manages like there isn't going to be a second game. Though he might be a little bit more comfortable saying that on the record on a day where there very well might not be a second game.
Grant Taylor should stay ready this afternoon, is what the main takeaway seems to be from that. It does feel different now that when/if the Sox have a lead to protect, there is a specific guy you can almost always expect to see if he's available.
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Colson Montgomery was set to receive what Venable said was a scheduled day off on Friday. Now time has revealed that he simply getting Game 1 off because it's a left-handed starter. That, or the Sox simply didn't feel like making a new lineup, since this is exactly the same group they were going to run out Friday night.
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The White Sox have lost their last seven games against the Guardians.
Fraser Ellard is the 27th man for Friday's doubleheader.
Edgar Quero is hitting .435/.478/.548 against left-handed pitching this year. Try not to think about what that means for how he's hitting right-handed pitching.
First pitch: White Sox vs. Guardians, Game 1
TV: CHSN
Radio: ESPN 1000 AM, WRTO 1200 AM (Spanish)
Lineups:
| Guardians | White Sox | |
|---|---|---|
| Steven Kwan, LF | 1 | Chase Meidroth, SS |
| Nolan Jones, RF | 2 | Austin Slater, RF |
| José Ramírez, 3B | 3 | Miguel Vargas, 3B |
| Kyle Manzardo, DH | 4 | Edgar Quero, C |
| Carlos Santana, 1B | 5 | Mike Tauchman, DH |
| Daniel Schneeman, 2B | 6 | Luis Robert Jr., CF |
| Angel Martínez, CF | 7 | Lenyn Sosa, 2B |
| Austin Hedges, C | 8 | Tim Elko, 1B |
| Brayan Rocchio, SS | 9 | Michael A. Taylor, LF |
| Logan Allen | SP | Shane Smith |
