CHICAGO -- Tim Anderson believes he figured something out during his offseason workouts and he continued to show the results of that work in the White Sox 12-5 loss to the Mariners Sunday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The White Sox shortstop finished the finale 4-for-5 and was a one-man wrecking crew during the three-game series against Seattle, going 10-for-13 with two home runs, four RBIs and six runs scored. His four hits Sunday tied a career-high. He also had a four-hit game against the Tigers on Sept. 16, 2017.
So what’s been the secret for Anderson at the plate in 2019?
New bat? New stance? Maybe even a couch?
Anderson’s wife, Bria, gave birth to the couple’s second child, Paxton, on Monday, and even though he’s been putting in work on the field, the proud father isn’t afraid to give credit where credit is due.
"I need to tell St. James [Hospital] to send me that couch. I need it,” Anderson said. “But, I'm understanding the game more. Staying inside the baseball a lot more. I feel real good at the plate. A lot of confidence."
Anderson is now hitting a robust .560 (14-for-25) during his current six-game hitting streak to start the season, and he has at least two hits in four straight games.
“You have a few guys out there who have put it together really really well. And Timmy’s weekend really stood out above everyone’s,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “We had really great moments with a lot of the youngsters this weekend.
“He’s seeing the ball very, very well, obviously. That’s the Timmy, again, everybody has hoped to see. I’m glad it’s starting to happen a little bit for him now. You can certainly see he’s having really solid approaches right now and getting the barrel to the ball as well as we’ve seen him in a while.”
The White Sox are hoping that the left side of their infield takes another step forward in 2019, and this weekend’s showing from Anderson and third baseman Yoan Moncada could be a launching point for them this season.
Anderson’s 93 mph average exit velocity is the second-highest on the team behind Moncada’s 95 mph exit velocity, per Statcast. Both rank in the top 50 in the Majors.
"Been working during the offseason and Spring Training. It's showing a little bit. I feel real comfortable,” Anderson said. “My timing is on point now. I feel like my timing was off last year and I was able to correct that this offseason. The ball is jumping off my bat a little bit more.
Worth noting
• Ivan Nova, after throwing seven innings of one-run ball against the Indians in his White Sox debut, failed to make it through three innings in Sunday’s loss. Nova allowed seven runs on seven hits over 2 1/3 innings while striking out two and walking one.
• Sox starter pitchers combined to throw just 11 2/3 innings in the weekend series against Seattle.