CHICAGO – Chase Meidroth has been bothered by left wrist soreness, sitting out the two games prior to Wednesday’s contest with the Reds at Rate Field.
Catcher Drew Romo entered with a .126 average and a .474 OPS, while right-handed starter Luis Castillo certainly had not produced the 2026 season he wanted on the mound.
None of that mattered in the second game of this three-game set, as this trio pushed the White Sox to a 5-0 victory. Romo homered off Rhett Lowder in the third, giving the White Sox an early lead, and Meidroth launched his 12th home run in the sixth, with the two-run blast raising the advantage to three.
Castillo allowed a first-inning, one-out single to Sal Stewart, but no other hits in throwing seven scoreless while striking out a season-high 10 against two walks over 104 pitches. It was the first double-digit strikeout game of the season for Castillo, who pumped his fist on the mound after striking out JJ Bleday, Eugenio Suárez and Michael Toglia to end his night. He recorded 22 swings and misses, according to Statcast, in his home debut.
Not only are those 22 swings and misses the most in a single game by a White Sox pitcher this season, but they’re the most by a White Sox pitcher since Garrett Crochet had 24 whiffs against the Rockies on June 30, 2024.
Hagen Smith pitched the eighth and walked the first man he faced, but proceeded to strike out the next three batters on just 10 total pitches.