Wow! First place in the Al Central by three games entering August, three straight wins over the top teams in the league, talk of adding at the deadline instead of the usual subtracting! Why, it’s enough to make a nonagenarian who hates fans and players happy, even if only because it means a whole lot more butts in seats and thus money in his pocket.
Trying to keep things going will be the one starting pitcher (or, today, bulk reliever, as fans of fiber call it) who has really struggled of late. Will
Venable is going with an opener for Noah Schultz today, the first time that’s been tried. Jordan Hicks gets the nod to start the game, his first time in that role.
Hicks has fared extremely well lately, not giving up a run in 14 straight appearances since early June. Schultz, not so much, allowing 16 runs in 21 1/3 innings in July and not making it out of the fourth his last two times out.
Will how he does today impact trade deadline decisions on getting a starter? Only The Shadow knows. Well, The Shadow and Chris Getz.
Sox batters, fresh from clobbering long balls last night, will be facing modern medicine marvel Drew Rasmussen. The 31-year-old righty not only had two Tommy John surgeries while still in college (in a time when it was very unusual to be able to pitch effectively for more than a year or two after a second round), he had the nouveau internal brace surgery in 2023, and yet has come back to be an All-Star in 2025 and 2026.
Rasmussen sports a fine 3.07 ERA for the season, but had a mixed July, with two very bad starts early in the month. He was very good his last two starts, though, and held the Guardians to one hit over seven innings last time out.
Rasmussen will face a White Sox lineup that only has a change at catcher from last night’s slugfest.
Hicks, Schultz, et. al will be tossing to a Tampa Bay lineup weighted toward righties.
Y. Diaz, DH
C. Simpson, LF
J. Caminero, 3B
V. Mesa Jr., RF
J. DeLuca, CF
R. Vilade, 1B
B. Williamson, 2B
N. Fortes, C
T. Walls, SS
First pitch is scheduled for 3:10 p.m. Central, when it’s supposed to be in the upper 80s in Tampa and likely to rain, so saved by the dome. Usual broadcast suspects, with Steve Stone off for the road trip (too bad), but John Schriffen still in the TV booth (also too bad).
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