Bummer focused on 2020 success, not breakout

CHICAGO – Having registered a 2.23 ERA over 56 appearances to go with a .183 opponents' batting average and 1.01 WHIP, Aaron Bummer’s 2019 has been an unqualified success.

But the left-handed reliever, who struck out the two Indians batters he faced during Wednesday's 8-3 White Sox win, isn't really focusing upon his breakout effort. Bummer wanted to talk about the team taking that big next step forward in 2020.

“Everybody here in this locker room is tired of losing and is ready to win,” Bummer told MLB.com. “Everyone is developing that edge and finally starting to realize what it takes to win games and what it takes watching the Indians come out there and play team baseball.

“Watching those other teams go out there and do the things they do, it’s not necessarily an individually based game. They are doing the right things. Everyone is picking each other up. It’s something that with us moving forward it’s going to be what kind of carries us.

“It’s not the individuals and that one great year,” Bummer said. “It’s as a collective whole we have to play great team baseball. If that’s what we are doing next year, we are going to be in a really good spot.”

Bummer acknowledged the 2019 White Sox have solid chemistry, but in his mind, it’s about focusing on constant improvement and potentially going from 90 losses to 90 wins next year.

“Overall, for me personally, I thought it was a pretty big step forward, but there are quite a few things I still want to do and still can improve on,” Bummer said. “It’s a small victory, but at the end of the day, I want to win, and I want to win a championship.

“That’s what I think everybody in this room is building toward. That’s the big goal. It’s just improving every day. It’s something we are going to take as a whole into the offseason and we are going to take it into Spring Training and prove it every day. It’s exciting to finally kind of see that light at the end of the tunnel propelling us into 2020 and propelling us into that championship level of play.”

Jimenez out of action

Eloy Jimenez not only was out of Wednesday’s starting lineup, but according to White Sox manager Rick Renteria, the left fielder was not at Guaranteed Rate Field. The rookie standout, who entered Wednesday with a slash line of .348/.389/.719 in September to go with eight home runs, seven doubles, 23 RBIs and 16 runs scored, has an infection in his ears and throat.

“He’s resting. He’s back at his place,” Renteria said. “It's contagious, so I'd rather have no one else get sick. Let him rest today and hopefully be back tomorrow.”

Cease progressing into ’19 finale

Dylan Cease enters his final trip to the mound of 2019 on Thursday night with a 5.79 ERA in 14 big league starts along with 81 strikeouts and 35 walks over 73 innings. He also has accrued a wealth of knowledge to take into 2020, which is set to be Cease’s first full Major League season.

“He’s had his ups and downs, and he’s starting to understand the way he’s supposed to get after it when he can, when he has to,” Renteria said. “I know the command is what we’re trying to get the most out of. He’s had balls that cut a little that he’s trying to control. Still an effective pitch, still trying to execute and hit your spots.

“Going through what he’s gone through now even in some of the games you guys have seen, high pitch counts early and then settling down and maybe finishing five, maybe even six innings of pitching gives him an opportunity to learn how to attack hitters that he can overcome certain deficits early. But we want him to be as efficient as he can earlier. That will give him the opportunity to get through games a little longer and minimize damage.”

He said it

“He's been the one that's been the most impactful in terms of our rotation. Eating up innings, being efficient. Making a huge jump from last year to this year. It would be safe to say where he stands right now, yeah, he would be the guy that's at the top of our rotation.” -- Renteria, on Lucas Giolito