BALTIMORE — Their place in the standings hasn’t impacted the way the Chicago White Sox are going about their business on the mound.
“To be honest, being at the top of the standings is awesome but it doesn’t change kind of our internal goals or even the conversations that happened in spring training,” pitching coach Zach Bove said Sunday morning at Rate Field. “We know what we want to accomplish as a staff and specifically each guy individually. So as a group we are definitely trending in the right direction, but not satisfied.
“Each guy is finding ways to improve their game, whether it’s micro or macro level. Where we are at doesn’t change the message day to day.”
The Sox entered Monday’s series opener against the Baltimore Orioles at Camden Yards tied for first place in the American League Central with the Cleveland Guardians.
One of the reasons for their success is starter Davis Martin, who is putting up All-Star-type numbers with a 9-3 record and a 3.00 ERA in 16 starts.
“The year he’s had, hope he gets the (All-Star) opportunity, he deserves it,” Bove said. “His journey has been awesome. The injuries (Tommy John surgery in May 2023), he’s been through this org, the org drafted him.
“It’s great to see him have the success. We all know he’s a great dude, works hard. This doesn’t surprise me. It was always there, now he’s having the opportunity to do it consistently and we’re all getting the benefit of it.”
Further looking at the rotation, Bove noted that Monday’s starter Sean Burke’s “stuff has upticked, the execution of the pitches has upticked.”
And it appears lefty Noah Schultz is nearing a return from the injured list (right knee patellar tendinitis).
“He’s feeling really good and it is very likely that we activate him to start on Wednesday,” manager Will Venable said on Monday at Camden Yards.
When Schultz is back, an emphasis will continue to be on combating right-handed batters.
“We feel like the lefties he’s going to be really good at,” Bove said. “Make sure the usages are dialed, make sure the count leverage is in a good spot. That’s been the focus down there in Triple A the past couple of (injury rehab) starts.”
Sean Newcomb made a start recently as part of a bullpen game. He threw 42 pitches in three innings on June 20 at Detroit and then 45 pitches in 2 2/3 innings back in a relief role for the save on June 23 against the Cleveland Guardians.
Bove said Newcomb, who has a 2.54 ERA in 31 outings (one start), “has been awesome for us.”
“He fits this very unique role where he can go one-plus, two, two-plus (innings) especially when we need it,” Bove said. “We are treating it day by day, who is available in the ’pen, what’s the starter at and he’s also a Swiss Army knife where he can go short leverage or long leverage.”
Grant Taylor continues to be a go-to pitcher for high-leverage relief situations. He threw 18 strikes in his 19 pitches during two hitless innings in Saturday’s 2-1 victory against the Kansas City Royals.
“Very crispy,” Bove said of the performance that included four strikeouts. “It was a pretty electric outing. I actually asked him out there if that was his best outing of the year and he said, ‘Yeah, definitely up there.’
“Couldn’t ask for more. Dominant, attack the zone, a couple of strikeouts. It was awesome, and exactly what we needed.”
After a pair of blown saves in recent appearances, the Sox utilized reliever Seranthony Domínguez in the sixth inning Sunday against the Royals, where he got in a rhythm with two strikeouts in a scoreless frame.
“We still have 100% trust in (Domínguez) — but what’s the best time to get him to get some positive momentum going?” Bove said before the game.
Domínguez said after the outing that he was “just trying to find a way to get back to being who I am and trying to find a way to make my adjustments.”
Adjustments continue for all the pitchers across the board, with Bove’s guidance.
“Zach has been awesome,” Venable said Monday. “I think one of the things that I’ve noticed about those really good pitching coaches that I’ve been around is they’re really practical, and they’re OK being in that space, and Zach I think is one of those guys, where he’s really smart, but he’s just really practical and just does what works and keeps things simple.
“And I think our players respond to that. I think we’re seeing that in how we’re trying to maintain count leverage and just make it about the simple things and understanding how to utilize your strengths to do those things and execute them. Zach’s been awesome from day one.”
