CHICAGO -- Noah Schultz wasn’t scheduled for an extended start during Chicago’s 8-2 loss against the Guardians on Friday night at Rate Field, according to manager Will Venable’s postgame comments.
But facing five batters wasn’t on the docket either, although four of them reached base against the rookie southpaw. Not after the White Sox used seven relievers behind starter Luis Castillo during a 13-inning, 12-11 loss to the Red Sox on Thursday at Fenway Park.
Five batters ended up being the Friday workload for Schultz (3-9), who was pulled after Venable made a first-inning mound visit following a two-run single from Angel Martínez. The problem for the White Sox (59-56) was pitching coach Zach Bove already had visited Schultz briefly after he hit Jo Adell to load the bases.
Under official rule 5.10(l), “a manager or coach is allowed only one visit to the mound per pitcher in a single inning without penalty. If the same coach or manager makes a second visit to the same pitcher in the same inning, the pitcher must be removed from the pitching position.” David Sandlin was stretching and just getting loose when Venable went to the mound, but had not thrown a warmup pitch.
A couple of ensuing umpires’ meetings gave Sandlin some semblance of time to get ready before they decided Schultz had to depart.
“Yeah, just an inexcusable mistake by me where we had an appeal play that we wanted to execute, and in the urgency of trying to make that happen, just totally lost that we had visited,” Venable said. “Obviously that was a mistake. So, just messed it up."
“I got a little extra time out there,” Sandlin said. “I think I got about eight pitches in the 'pen and then got to warm up out there. Can't make any excuses, just have to get going. Felt good enough and started off great."
Martínez drove in six for the game, launching a grand slam during a five-run fifth against Sandlin. On that first-inning hit, which rolled to the wall in left, Martínez admitted to taking his eyes off the base and missed first. The appeal spoken of by Venable was based on Martínez’s miss, although he returned to first as he knew he was going to be out if he kept going.
Sandlin, who joined the White Sox on Friday from Triple-A Charlotte, pitched out of further first-inning trouble, striking out Rhys Hoskins and getting Brayan Rocchio on a groundout. He gave the White Sox 5 1/3 innings on 96 pitches, allowing the team to get away with just Trevor Richards and Erick Fedde the rest of the way.
Nonetheless, the quick change eventually benefitted the Guardians (58-59).
“Sure, because we were all over Schultz to start the game,” Hoskins said. “But any time you get the opposing team to make a pitching change in the first inning, there's some momentum in our dugout.”
“At the end I heard it was, ‘Come out of the game,” Schultz said. “I was just locked into the game and waiting to hear what the final decision was going to be.”
Schultz threw only 23 pitches and said after the loss his body felt good and he’s available for whatever is needed over the next few days. The White Sox need to find a way to end their first four-game losing streak of the season, standing as the lone team not having lost more than three in a row entering Aug. 7.
They can do so on Saturday behind Anthony Kay and on the day Ozzie Guillen will have his jersey No. 13 retired during a pregame ceremony. Despite a solo home run from Braden Montgomery and the 25th long ball from Munetaka Murakami, the White Sox lead in the American League Central slipped to two over the Guardians and the Twins.
Even the Ja Rule concert scheduled for postgame Friday was canceled due to his travel issues. So it was a rough night overall for the South Siders.
“Nothing really has changed,” said Murakami through interpreter Kenzo Yagi. “Every single day the team is out there just giving their best and trying to win the ballgame, each ballgame as much as possible. Nothing will change in our attitude. We are going to do our best tomorrow and try to get that win.
“We are doing well and in good standings right now. We are in a good place. It’s all about just continuing that aspect and not being pessimistic about the recent results. Being optimistic about the future.”