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Saturday 30 June 2012

Chicago White Sox - TeamReport


MLB Team Report - Chicago White Sox - INSIDE PITCH



The White Sox kept winning on Friday, and the pitching staff keeps changing.
Despite Jose Quintana having his first real stumble as a starter, the lefty rookie gave the Sox six innings in the shootout with New York, as the Sox beat the Yankees 14-7 at Yankee Stadium. Quintana allowed four runs in the first and six on the night, but considering the ever-changing situation in the bullpen, the Sox needed him to gut it out and give them those innings.

Before the second straight win over New York, the Sox announced that their seventh rookie pitcher would be joining the staff, calling up right-hander Brian Omogrosso from AAA Charlotte. The reason for the latest roster move was because right-hander Brian Bruney went on the disabled list with left hip inflammation.

It was on Thursday that the Sox called up lefty Leyson Septimo from Charlotte, after veteran Will Ohman was designated for assignment.

"Oh, yeah, it's a pretty young bullpen, that's for sure," the 27-year-old Omogrosso said. "It's exciting to see the young guys here. We've got a first-place ballclub and everything like that. It's promising, that's for sure."

The 6-4, 230-pound Omogrosso, who had no major-league experience, throws in the mid-to-upper 90s. He was 0-1 with two saves and a 4.09 ERA over 33 innings. He had 40 strikeouts and a .228 opponents average and had pitched better of late -- a 1.42 ERA over his last nine appearances.

"These guys come up, they're ready to compete," manager Robin Ventura said. "People make a lot of having rookies in here, but it's what we have. That's how we're making do. I don't look at them necessarily when they go out there as rookies. They're players, they're wearing our uniform and we want them to do well."

Omogrosso, who was wearing Zach Stewart's old number, 48, joins fellow rookies Septimo, Addison Reed, Nate Jones, Hector Santiago, Dylan Axelrod and Quintana.

Bruney, 30, earned the win in his only appearance this season on Sunday, when he pitched a scoreless inning.

With Jesse Crain still hurting with some shoulder soreness, the staff might be getting more changes to it, with Crain possibly facing a trip to the disabled list if he doesn't start to feel better. Crain was shut down before Thursday's game, making it a wait-and-see.

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MLB Team Report - Chicago White Sox - NOTES, QUOTES


--RHP Jesse Crain now looks closer to going back on the 15-day disabled list than returning to the bullpen, with his condition not changing prior to Friday's win over the Yankees. Crain felt a little shoulder soreness after his most recent outing, last Saturday against the Brewers, and then "felt something" on Monday. He threw off the mound on Tuesday night, and the discomfort was a little worse on Wednesday. When Crain still felt it on Thursday in New York, he went to see Dr. David Altchek, who repaired his torn rotator cuff and labrum in 2007. From what Altchek saw, no MRI exam was needed. The telling sign will be when Crain throws again, after taking off Thursday, Friday and Saturday. That will likely come on Sunday. "That's going to have to be a decision they make," Crain said of a DL trip. "If I'm not ready to throw in the next day or two, then probably. There's no point of rushing back if we're not ready to go, so we'll see how it goes on Sunday or Monday if I throw and go from there."

--LHP Leyson Septimo made his major-league debut for the Sox on Friday night, as the rookie came in in mop-up time in the win over the Yankees and gave manager Robin Ventura an inning of work. Septimo's first strikeout was also memorable, coming against Alex Rodriguez. The plan was to only use Septimo as a lefty specialist, but with such a big lead, Ventura said he wanted to see what the rookie could do.

--LHP Chris Sale's new starting schedule could cost him a possible All-Star appearance, with the southpaw scheduled to start on Tuesday, that means he then starts on July 8, against the Blue Jays. He could use the All-Star Game as a side session day, so he isn't shut down completely, but with the Sox watching his innings this season, it will be a tough decision. "I've got to pitch here before I pitch anywhere else, to be honest with you," Sale told reporters. "I'd hate for them to have to rearrange things for that to happen. That would be very selfish to do. This is important to me. This is my team." Don't be surprised if Sale is bumped back in the rotation when the All-Star Game ends, however, giving him extra rest to start the second-half push for the Sox.

--3B Kevin Youkilis left the game on Friday in the bottom of the fifth with what was called an upset stomach. Youkilis, who was acquired from the Boston Red Sox last Sunday, was replaced at third by Eduardo Escobar, and Robin Ventura was uncertain if Youkilis would be ready to return to the lineup for Saturday's game against the Yankees. Youkilis was 0-for-3 when he left the game, again hitting second in the lineup for Ventura.

--RHP Jake Peavy will be looking for some luck to go his way on Saturday, when the veteran takes the mound 0-3 in his last five starts, but only allowing nine earned runs in 34 1/3 innings pitched for a 2.36 ERA over that time. Peavy has held opposing hitters to a .218 average, but has only received 2.36 run-support average in those five starts. He is, however, 0-3 with a 3.71 ERA lifetime against the Yankees, allowing seven earned runs in 17 innings pitched against them.

BY THE NUMBERS: 7 -- Former Sox players now on the Yankees' 25-man roster. It includes OF Dewayne Wise, RHP Freddy Garcia, OF Andruw Jones, LHP Boone Logan, INF Jayson Nix, C Chris Stewart and OF Nick Swisher.

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