The Chicago White Sox picked up a 6-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on Friday in spring training action. Jarred Kelenic paced the offense, going 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI, giving the coaching staff plenty to be encouraged about as the exhibition schedule continues. On the mound, Anthony Kay turned in a solid outing, working 3.0 innings of scoreless ball with two strikeouts. The Sox finished with 6 hits on the day while holding the Diamondbacks to 4. The victory gives the Sox positive momentum heading into the final stretch of spring training. The coaching staff will look to build on the strong showing in the games ahead.
Key Performers
Jarred Kelenic was the key contributor at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. His ability to drive the ball out of the park was the highlight of the afternoon. Performances like this give the Sox confidence that the lineup is rounding into form.
Oliver Dunn chipped in, going 1-for-4 with a home run and three RBI, George Wolkow added to the attack, going 2-for-2, and Austin Hays provided support, going 1-for-3. The depth of production throughout the lineup was encouraging to see.
On the other side of the diamond, Tommy Troy led the Diamondbacks offense with a 1-for-3 day. Luken Baker also contributed, going 1-for-3. Ivan Melendez added a 1-for-2 effort as well. Despite those contributions, the Sox pitching staff did enough to limit the damage and secure the victory.
On the Mound
Anthony Kay earned the win after putting together a workmanlike effort, working 3.0 innings while allowing 0 earned runs on 2 hits with two strikeouts. He threw 51 pitches in the outing. It was a useful learning experience as the Sox evaluate their pitching depth heading into the regular season.
The bullpen was spotless, combining for 5.3 scoreless innings while striking out five. Spring training gives the coaching staff a chance to evaluate bullpen depth, and today was an encouraging showing from the relievers. Each reliever is auditioning for a roster spot, and innings like these factor into those decisions.
Among the relievers, Tanner McDougal stood out with 3.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. His performance was one of the day's bright spots from the bullpen.
How It Happened
The Sox struck first, tallying three runs in the second inning. The Sox added three runs in the fourth. The Sox out-hit Diamondbacks 6-4 on the day, with 1 error committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 10,044 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
As the exhibition schedule nears its conclusion, the Sox can point to this game as a step in the right direction. The combination of solid pitching and timely hitting is exactly what the coaching staff hopes to see at this stage of the spring. The focus now shifts to maintaining this level of play with the regular season just around the corner.
