The Chicago White Sox cruised to a 12-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies at Camelback Ranch on Monday in spring training action. Oliver Dunn paced the offense, going 3-for-4 with a home run, a triple, and two RBI, giving the coaching staff plenty to be encouraged about as the exhibition schedule continues. Jedixson Paez worked 2.0 innings on the mound, allowing 0 earned runs on 1 hit. The Sox finished with 16 hits on the day while holding the Rockies to 7. 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
Oliver Dunn was the top performer at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a home run, a triple, and two 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.
Drew Romo provided support, going 2-for-2 with a triple and four RBI, Chase Meidroth also contributed, going 1-for-3 with a triple and two RBI, and Austin Hays chipped in, going 2-for-4 with an RBI. The depth of production throughout the lineup was encouraging to see.
On the other side of the diamond, Roc Riggio led the Rockies offense with a 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI day. Drew Avans also contributed, going 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI. Jordan Beck added a 2-for-2 with a double effort as well. Despite those contributions, the Sox pitching staff did enough to limit the damage and secure the victory.
On the Mound
Jedixson Paez earned the win after struggling with his command, working 2.0 innings while allowing 0 earned runs on 1 hit with two strikeouts. He threw 33 pitches in the outing. It was a useful learning experience as the Sox evaluate their pitching depth heading into the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 7.0 innings of work, allowing 3 earned runs 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, Mike Vasil stood out with 3.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out one. His performance was one of the day's bright spots from the bullpen.
How It Happened
The Sox struck first, scoring a run in the second inning. The Sox pushed across 11 runs in the fourth. Rockies struck back with two runs in the eighth. Rockies added a run in the ninth. The Sox out-hit Rockies 16-7 on the day, with both teams playing clean defense. A crowd of 2,767 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.
