The White Sox had been waiting to erupt from a deep offensive slumber early in the 2018 season. It started to seem that the further opening day trailed into the past the more difficult it became to find offensive production. But the Southsiders turned the tide on Monday striking early with seven runs in the first two innings.
“Just like getting into the zone,” Rick Renteria explained in his pregame media scrum at Guaranteed Rate Field on Monday, “…I’m hoping in the next couple of days or weeks or whatever the case may be, we find that zone and we make a nice little run of it.”
Yoan Moncada set the tone on the first pitch of the game and nearly compiled a cycle after leading off the game with a triple, following with a double in his second at-bat and then stroking a laser beam over the right-center field wall.
This blast has Yoan Moncada a single away from the cycle.
Stream link: https://t.co/NVWDv0DWRZ pic.twitter.com/fCEpqbSaQ6
— NBC Sports Chicago (@NBCSChicago) April 24, 2018
After dropping seven straight in their worst 18-game start to a season since 1948, Moncada sent the White Sox on their way to victory from his first plate appearance.
Yoán Moncada exit velocities tonight
1st inning triple — 109.2 MPH
2nd inning double — 108.9 MPH
4th inning HR — 111.9 MPH
(thanks to Statcast)#WhiteSox— Christopher Kamka (@ckamka) April 24, 2018
Jose Abreu added two dingers and three RBI on his way to a 4-for-5 night. Both longballs were swatted with authority and supplied added buoyancy for Carson Fulmer as he dealt his way through six strong innings.
Jose Abreu's power is metronomic.
He entered the night with an MLB-best 67.1% hard-hit rate (95+ mph exit velo), and he's padded it with a pair of dingers tonight. #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/iXRhX2MM5S
— Matt Kelly (@mattkellyMLB) April 24, 2018
Fulmer, who entered the game with a 7.50 ERA rebounded from a brief outing against the Oakland A’s with similar offensive support. As excitement over the explosive offense bubbled up from a strange place that hasn’t felt life recently, one couldn’t help but wonder when the plot twist would dash hope for a win away. Yet, Fulmer held on and despite command issues again, filled out six frames of three-hit baseball with one walk on one strikeout.
The lone downer in an otherwise gleeful performance was Avisail Garcia suffering a strained right hamstring.
Avisaíl García has been removed from the game after sustaining an injury in the bottom of the 2nd inning.
We will update on his status when more information is available.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 24, 2018
Garcia hobbled over the bag and could hardly place weight on the leg as he tumbled into right field. He was able to recover enough to walk off the field under his own power, a strong sign that his injury might be as innocuous as the White Sox are making it out to be. Hamstring injuries require time and it is unlikely Garcia will be back in the lineup soon.
Avi gets sniped in the second inning. Will be re-evaluated on Tuesday after being diagnosed with a strained right hamstring. #whitesox https://t.co/bGXBy41UZv via @MLB
— Matt Enuco (@Matt_Enuco) April 24, 2018
White Sox reliever Danny Farquhar, who fainted from a cerebral hemorrhage in the dugout last Friday, underwent another procedure to relieve pressure from around his brain. Later reports indicated that Farquhar was responding well, had the use of all of his extremities and was showing a knuckleball grip to his father in the hospital. The official statement on his condition from the White Sox follows:
