Headlines of July 20, 2015

“Sale, Sox can't afford any miscues vs. Royals”… Scott Merkin, MLB.com “White Sox struggle to support scuffling Sale” … Scott Merkin and Greg Garno, MLB.com

“Albers returns; White Sox designate Gillaspie” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Abreu not trying to match last year's numbers” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com

“Rodon, White Sox welcome Cards to Chicago” … Greg Garno, MLB.com “2005 White Sox take another bow in celebration of World Series victory” … Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune

“White Sox fail to break through vs. Royals, may soon break up” … Fred Mitchell, Chicago Tribune

“Sunday's recap: Royals 4, White Sox 1” … Fred Mitchell, Chicago Tribune “Arrow points up for Tyler Saladino as Sox move on from Conor Gillaspie” … Fred Mitchell, Chicago Tribune

“White Sox designate Conor Gillaspie for assignment” … Fred Mitchell, Chicago Tribune ”Tyler Saladino wins third-base job; Conor Gillaspie designated for assignment” … Toni Ginnetti, Chicago Sun Times

“Rust or not, Chris Sale isn't at his best in White Sox' loss to Royals” … Toni Ginnetti, Chicago Sun Times

“White Sox designate Conor Gillaspie for assignment, lose to Royals” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun Times “Homework has Tyler Saladino making the grade” … Doug Padilla, ESPN.com

“Ten years later, it's far different on the South Side” … Doug Padilla, ESPN.com “Duffy leads Royals past Sale, White Sox 4-1” ... Associated Press, ESPN.com

“Rapid Reaction: Royals 4, White Sox 1” … Doug Padilla, ESPN.com “Jose Abreu looking to roar into second half” … Doug Padilla, ESPN.com

“Conor Gillaspie designated for assignment by White Sox” … Doug Padilla, ESPN.com

“Chris Sale not at his best as White Sox fall to AL's best” … Vinnie Duber, CSN “Now in everyday role, Tyler Saladino hits first big league homer “… Vinnie Duber, CSN

“White Sox designate Conor Gillaspie, return Matt Albers to 'pen” … Vinnie Duber, CSN “Former White Sox organist Nancy Faust now entertaining Cougars fans” … Paul Johnson, Aurora Beacon-News

“White Sox activate RHP Albers from DL” … Associated Press, USA Today

“Emma: Legend Of 2005 White Sox Will Live Forever” … Chris Emma, CBS Chicago

Sale, Sox can't afford any miscues vs. Royals

Chicago ace matches career high with 11 hits allowed over 6 1/3 innings in loss

By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | July 19th, 2015

CHICAGO -- The Royals currently stand as a better team than the White Sox.

That fact had been established before Kansas City took three out of four this weekend at U.S. Cellular Field, culminating

with Chicago's 4-1 loss before 32,175 Sunday afternoon. But the point was driven home with a win against Chris Sale, the

White Sox ace and four-time All-Star.

Even the best in baseball, such as Sale, are not infallible. And Sale has not been helped by a White Sox offense scoring

three runs or fewer in eight of his nine home starts.

But Sale's second-half debut featured a slight lack of fastball command against the wrong opponent.

"Yeah, all over the place," said Sale, who fell to 7-9 with a 2.84 ERA in his career against the Royals. "This is not a good

team to leave fastballs over the plate to, and also not a good team to let the ball travel over the fence. They take

advantage of every opportunity you give them."

"Well, he's a strike-thrower with tremendous stuff and we're an aggressive team," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "We

came up to the plate swinging the bats."

On this rarest of days when Sale matched a career-worst 11 hits allowed, many of the other White Sox problems popped

up again. Melky Cabrera was thrown out trying to go from second to third on Avisail Garcia's grounder to shortstop

Alcides Escobar with nobody out and a one-run deficit in the second, and Jose Abreu and Cabrera struck out against

Danny Duffy with runners on second and third after the first out in the sixth in a 2-0 game.

Those at-bats did cover 17 pitches total, so the fight and effort remains there for the White Sox. But aside from Tyler

Saladino's first career home run leading off the ninth, the results continue to be missing for this 42-48 squad.

"At the end of the day, if we don't win, that's all that matters," Saladino said. "The home run is just a moment."

"We're playing as hard as you can, and that's all you can really ask," Sale said. "We got some bad luck along the way too.

We're squaring some balls up and doing some things. Balls hitting off guys' gloves and going to the other guy. ...

Sometimes you have to shake the bad luck before you get on a roll."

Was it bad luck or just exceptional defense by the Royals? The AL Central leaders do all the little things to be successful,

which is in part why the White Sox sit 13 games back and may look to enhance their overall big-picture base instead of

going all in this season at the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline.

"I know everybody wants to talk about it, but we're going to play as hard as we can against St. Louis," White Sox

manager Robin Ventura said. "We're going to play on Tuesday."

White Sox struggle to support scuffling Sale

By Scott Merkin and Greg Garno / MLB.com | July 19th, 2015

CHICAGO -- Danny Duffy gave up one run over eight-plus innings and the Royals finished off three wins in four games

this weekend against the White Sox with a 4-1 victory at U.S. Cellular Field on Sunday. This rough four-game stretch

dropped Chicago to a season-worst 13 games behind Kansas City in the American League Central.

Duffy fanned four, walked one and allowed more than one runner on base in just two innings. The loss was especially

tough for the White Sox with Chris Sale, their ace and four-time All-Star, suffering the setback in his first second-half

start. Sale lasted 6 1/3 innings, yielding 11 hits, including home runs to Lorenzo Cain and former White Sox Minor

Leaguer Paulo Orlando.

"To come in here and win three out of four was big for us," said Royals manager Ned Yost. "It's a good way to start off

the second half."

Eric Hosmer had three hits off of Sale, one of four Royals with multihit efforts. Melky Cabrera had two hits for the White

Sox, but with the team trailing, 1-0, in the second, Cabrera was thrown out trying to go from second to third on Avisail

Garcia's grounder to shortstop Alcides Escobar.

"You have to tip your hat to them because they played better than us in this series," White Sox manager Robin Ventura

said. "I think even yesterday we had a chance to win it and it didn't happen, but I like the way our guys battled. Today,

they just played better than us."

Chicago's only run came on Tyler Saladino's first career homer leading off the ninth. Duffy exited after allowing the home

run, leaving Joe Blanton to pick up his first career save. Blanton was the only member of the Royals' bullpen not used in

Saturday's 13-inning win.

"I was relieved to see it go out. But for a split second, that's all it was," said Saladino, who got the baseball back, but was

disappointed the 360-foot blast didn't come in a victory. "Put a run on the board and the other guys [are] coming up, get

something going. It was nice to see it go out, though."

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

Connecting again: Cain continued his tear against the White Sox this weekend when he homered to left-center in the

sixth inning. In four games, he finished the series 6-for-16 with two home runs, a double and six RBIs. It was Cain's 10th

home run of the season and third-career shot against Sale -- the only pitcher off whom Cain has hit multiple home runs.

Cain hasn't just been successful against the White Sox, though. He's hit safely in 13 of his last 14 games, posting a .472

batting average with 13 runs scored.

"Cain has been the one guy that has been the most consistent that we've had all year long. He hasn't gone through any

extended cold streaks," Yost said before the game. "I was thinking the other day after the All-Star Game, I was having a

hard time trying to think of a more underrated player than Lorenzo Cain in the American League."

Sound familiar?: The White Sox had runners on second and third with one out in the sixth inning, and Jose Abreu and

Cabrera ready to face Duffy. But Abreu struck out swinging on the ninth pitch of his at-bat and Cabrera struck out looking

on the eighth pitch of his at-bat. Great scoring opportunity, but no runs.

Power hitters?: Despite sitting 26th in the Majors in home runs, the Royals hit two on the day, including a two-run shot

from Orlando in the seventh inning. Orlando's homer off Sale was the Royals' fifth of the weekend, including two on

Friday and Cain's blast on Saturday.

"Cain's home run was big too, gave us the two-run lead, and then Paulo kind of was the ice cream on top of the cake

there for us," Yost said.

Good news, bad news: The good news for Sale is that he reached 900 career strikeouts with his six Sunday against the

Royals. The bad news is that he was unable to last at least seven innings for just the third time since May 6. The Royals

also produced the first double-digit hit effort against Sale this season.

QUOTABLE

"I tried to get out of the dugout as fast as I could. I knew my pitch count was getting up there. But quite honestly, I

appreciate Ned and [pitching coach] Dave [Eiland] giving me the opportunity to go back out there, having the confidence

in me to finish the job. I would have liked to, I would have loved to, but a win is a win." -- Duffy, on heading out to pitch

the ninth inning

"We just couldn't get anything going. And [Sale], probably not his best fastball command today. He still has good stuff

but it just wasn't good enough today." -- Ventura, on Sunday's loss

LEFT IS USUALLY RIGHT FOR SALE

Alex Gordon stood as the only left-handed hitter with double-digit career hits against Sale entering Sunday, as the injured

Royals left fielder has 14. But with Hosmer's three hits, he joined Gordon in that exclusive group with 10 all-time against

Sale.

GOING DEEP

Sale has given up four home runs over his last three starts, compared to four over his previous eight.

REPLAY REVIEW

For the second time this weekend, Yost successfully challenged a call at first base involving White Sox third baseman

Saladino. With runners on first and second, Duffy's throw to first on a bunt went high, and first-base umpire Jordan Baker

originally ruled Saladino safe. But the call was overturned as second baseman Omar Infante pulled it down in time after a

terrific leap.

WHAT'S NEXT

Royals: The Royals return to Interleague play when they host the Pirates on Monday at 7:10 p.m. CT. Yordano Ventura

gets the nod for his second start since coming off the disabled list. In his last outing, Ventura went five innings while

allowing three runs for his fourth win of the season.

White Sox: Carlos Rodon makes his first second-half start when the White Sox open a two-game series against the

Cardinals Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field at 7:10 p.m. CT. Rodon is 1-2 with a 5.61 ERA over his last five starts.

Albers returns; White Sox designate Gillaspie

Saladino's strong play left corner infielder as odd man out in Chicago

By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | July 19th, 2015

CHICAGO -- White Sox right-handed reliever Matt Albers returned from his injury rehab assignment with Double-A

Birmingham and was reinstated from the disabled list prior to Sunday's series finale against the Royals. Infielder Conor

Gillaspie was designated for assignment to make room for Albers, leaving Chicago's 40-man roster at 38.

Both moves certainly weren't unexpected. The White Sox already were one man short in the bullpen, forcing lefty Dan

Jennings to throw a career-high 3 2/3 innings and 49 pitches in a 13-inning loss on Saturday. They also played a

doubleheader against the Royals on Friday.

Gillaspie, who turned 28 on Saturday, had just five at-bats since July 6 after batting .282 with 57 RBIs in 2014, although

he hit .228 in that season's second half. Rookie Tyler Saladino basically took over the starting job at third base with his

strong defensive play and a solid plate approach over his past six games, and switch-hitting Emilio Bonifacio provides a

bit more versatility off the bench with his ability to steal a base and play the outfield.

"It's always a tough decision, especially when you've got a kid like that where you know what he's capable of," White Sox

manager Robin Ventura said of Gillaspie. "You know he's a much better hitter than what those numbers indicate.

"That's what makes it tough. He got off to the slow start. With [Saladino] coming in here and showing what he can do,

you need another arm, and that becomes the move. It doesn't make it any easier."

Albers, 32, has been on the disabled list since April 26 (retroactive to April 20) with a broken right little finger sustained

during an on-field fracas with the Royals on April 23, which became an injury that required surgery. He made eight

appearances between Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte, covering 11 2/3 innings.

Without Albers and with just six relievers on Saturday, Ventura was hesitant to bring in closer David Robertson for just

one inning as his last reliever. They have been careful with rookie Carlos Rodon, who has been working toward a start

Tuesday, but he would have been the next pitcher in line following Robertson. A move such as this one was expected

prior to the upcoming two-game home series against the Cardinals.

Plantar fasciitis hampered Gillaspie in both feet at the start of Spring Training, and the left-handed hitter batted just .237

with 11 doubles, one triple, three homers and 15 RBIs over 58 games in his third season with the White Sox. Gillaspie

partially fell victim to the team's overall weakness on offense, but also to the energy infused by Saladino's addition.

"We've been impressed. He's been able to make some adjustments," Ventura said of Saladino. "On the field, you look at

him and he fits in anywhere. There's not really a position that you could put him at that he wouldn't look very

comfortable at. That's just in his DNA of being a baseball player.

"On that part, you like what you see. Every time you look at him, he's just dirty -- in a good way of just being a baseball

player. He's always in the middle of something."

Abreu not trying to match last year's numbers

Reigning AL Rookie of the Year doesn't 'feel pressure' based on debut season

By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | @scottmerkin | July 19th, 2015

CHICAGO -- Not only was Jose Abreu's first season in the Majors worthy of American League Rookie of the Year Award

honors, but it also pushed the White Sox first baseman into 2014 AL Most Valuable Player Award consideration.

Abreu will be hard-pressed to match his 36 homers and 107 RBIs as a rookie. In fact, the affable slugger had 29 homers

and 73 RBIs over his first 82 games at the All-Star break. But Abreu isn't pressing to try to live up to those first-year

standards.

"I don't feel pressure for that. I see them as reference to measure my performance. It's not something that I said, 'Oh, I

have to reach that number.' No," said Abreu through interpreter and White Sox Spanish language broadcaster Billy Russo.

"Probably sometimes, I haven't done the adjustment that I have to do to get better results.

"That happens during a long season. Sometimes you are struggling. Sometimes you are good. The things you have to try

to find is the rhythm and the consistency in this whole season, and probably the results this year aren't as good as last

year. But it's because of me. It's not the pitchers or whatever. It's because of me."

A right index finger injury hampered Abreu for part of the season's first half and affected what he was trying to do

consistently at the plate. That malady also might have cut into Abreu's power output, as he had 14 homers entering

Sunday.

But Abreu smiled and said everything felt good after the All-Star break.

"I'm fine right now," Abreu said. "I don't have anything to let you know. Physically, I feel good."

"Pitchers are always going to make adjustments. He needs to make adjustments," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said

of Abreu. "He's kind of getting over that finger issue that he had for a while. His swing looks good. It's just being able to

get his rhythm back and the timing of it. He probably made minor adjustments that weren't very good because of his

finger, and now he's on his way to getting it back."

Opposing hurlers also have identified Abreu as the one hitter in the White Sox lineup who they can't allow to beat them.

But a better-prepared and fresher Abreu is ready for the finishing kick of his second season.

"In the first half, I just tried to be a little more conservative with my energy," Abreu said. "For this second half, I'm just

trying to throw out my energy on the field every day."

Rodon, White Sox welcome Cards to Chicago

By Greg Garno / MLB.com | July 19th, 2015

After dropping two games to the White Sox in June, the Cardinals look for redemption when they travel to Chicago for

two games beginning on Tuesday.

Originally Carlos Martinez was scheduled to make the start, but he was pressed into action on Sunday in the Cardinals' 3-

1, 18-inning loss to the Mets. He threw 72 pitches over four innings, allowing two runs, one earned, and getting the loss.

In his place, it is expected that Michael Wacha will move up one day to make the start, the first of his career vs. the

White Sox.

Chicago's Carlos Rodon also gets his first start against his opponent as he looks to limit his walks. In his last two outings,

Rodon has walked 10 batters, bringing his strikeout-to-walk ratio to 1.66. That mark ranks him in the bottom 10 of

starters with more than 70 innings pitched.

Things to know about this game

• Wacha's ERA this season is at 3.52 in 10 night starts as opposed to 2.08 in seven day starts.

• Rodon has struggled in the first inning this season, allowing eight runs in 11 games. He surrendered 15 hits, including

four for extra bases, but he has been able to settle down after that. Rodon has allowed a combined nine runs in the

following three innings.

• The first inning has not only been problematic for Rodon, but also for the White Sox as a whole. This season, they have

been outscored, 73-27, in the first frame.

2005 White Sox take another bow in celebration of World Series victory

Paul Skrbina, Chicago Tribune | July 20, 2015

About the only thing missing was Steve Perry.

Not 12 hours after former White Sox outfielder Aaron Rowand and former third baseman-turned-corn farmer Joe Crede

filled in vocally for the Journey lead singer on stage Friday night at U.S. Cellular Field, 24 members of the 2005 World

Series champions continued the team's 10-year reunion Saturday.

A season of "Don't Stop Believin,'" so thanks to a hotel lounge singer in Baltimore that year, turned into a weekend of

"Don't Stop Rememberin'" as players and coaches gathered throughout the morning and afternoon — not a memory left

unturned, not a picture untaken, not a joke untold.

Upon laying eyes on Pablo Ozuna's shoulder-length dreadlocks during a photo shoot outside the stadium Saturday

morning, Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf scoffed in jest.

"That guy has to get a barber or something," he said.

While addressing season ticket holders from atop the Sox dugout before Saturday's game against the Royals, manager

Ozzie Guillen said he noticed a shirt during the team's victory parade that read: "Ozzie for President."

"I turned to my wife and said, 'That's a White Sox fan,'" Guillen said. "'Ozzie for President.' How stupid can you be? I love

it."

Rowand then picked a shirt out from the crowd as his favorite, its wearer standing proud.

"Ozzie is my homeboy," it read.

Rowand also shared during the session a memory from two years before the Sox won, when he said he and some

teammates were watching the Cubs play the Marlins in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series.

"Once Moises Alou didn't catch that ball we said, 'Thank God,'' Rowand said.

Blum, he of the Game 3 14th-inning home run, also offered a Cubs poke when asked how he feels when he looks at his

ring from 2005.

"I'm extremely proud," he began, "that there's none of that funky blue and red on it."

Just five players from that team — Mark Buehrle (Blue Jays), A.J. Pierzynski (Braves), Juan Uribe (Braves), Neal Cotts

(Brewers) and Brandon McCarthy (Dodgers) — are still on big-league rosters.

Konerko, of Game 2 grand slam note, acknowledged them at the pregame ceremony Saturday, adding "they wish they

could be here."

Two more — Tadahito Iguchi and Freddy Garcia — also are playing professionally.

Among those who didn't play in the postseason in 2005 was Hall of Famer Frank Thomas, who in his 16th and final

season with the team felt the bitter sweetness of winning his one and only World Series from the bench.

"Extremely frustrating," Thomas said of sitting because of injury. "But I had laid it on the line with these guys for so many

years, and fought that fight with this organization for 16 years to get in that position. I drove the bus for so long, it was

time for me to be the passenger. It was well worth the ride. These guys got me the one thing I needed, and that was the

ring."

Thomas, who played with and for Guillen, was cited by many as the captain of the "ship," mostly because he was able to

forge positive relationships with them — at least most of them.

"Well, he was money," Orlando Hernandez said.

"I'm still friends with a lot of those guys," Guillen said. "That's hard to do — be a manager and be friends with the

players. I have a couple of guys that maybe hate me. I hate them back. That's easy. But 95 percent of the guys were

very pleased with the way we treated them."

Sox fans were treated Saturday to a parade of champions, to the tune of public-address announcer Gene Honda's

familiar, booming voice. One by one, players and coaches were introduced before taking seats to the left and right of the

pitcher's mound.

Seven of them took turns thanking the crowd, including Konerko, Scott Podsednik, Jermaine Dye and Guillen, before

disappearing into the home dugout.

At least one player wearing a White Sox uniform this season can fully appreciate 2005 — starting pitcher Jeff Samardzija,

who grew up a fan of the team in Valparaiso, Ind. Samardzija was playing football and baseball for Notre Dame in 2005,

but remembered emulating Thomas' batting stance as a kid.

"As a Sox fan, it was great to see and it was a long time coming," Samardzija said. "All you heard about before that was

it has been (88) years or whatever for the Sox and 90-some years for the Cubs."

Now it has been almost 10 years, the number of years ago on July 18 that the Sox led the American League Central by 13

games and owned a 62-29 record, best in the big leagues. That team, of course, steamrolled through the postseason with

an 11-1 record and won the city's first World Series since 1917.

This year the Sox are in last place in their division after Saturday's 7-6 loss to the Royals in 13 innings, 12 games behind

the Royals with a 42-47 record.

"We weren't the '27 Yankees, but we probably were better than a lot of other teams," Reinsdorf said. "But what

recognition do you need other than a trophy?"

And some rings.

White Sox fail to break through vs. Royals, may soon break up

Fred Mitchell, Chicago Tribune | July 19, 2015

If White Sox management was waiting to see if the sub-.500 team just might have a post-All-Star break surge in it to

warrant keeping the gang together, wait no longer.

Despite a hot streak earlier this month, the Sox appear to be who we thought they were.

Poor baserunning, poor situational hitting, poor defense ... can't win with it.

Even the estimable Chris Sale had a lapse in performance Sunday as the Royals prevailed 4-1 to take three out of four in

the series at U.S. Cellular Field. The angular All-Star was touched for four runs on 11 hits over 61/3 innings. That didn't

much matter, though, as the Sox's pedestrian offense managed just a solo home run from third baseman Tyler Saladino,

who hit the first of his career in the ninth inning.

Sox manager Robin Ventura is tired of talking about whether his team should buy or sell before the July 31 trade

deadline.

"We're going to play on Tuesday," Ventura said. "I know everybody wants to talk about it, but we're going to play as hard

as we can against St. Louis."

Royals starter Danny Duffy (4-4) was on cruise control through a career-high eight innings. Duffy is 3-1 with a 3.09 ERA

lifetime against the Sox.

The White Sox are 13-38 when they score three runs or fewer this season, and Sunday was another one of those days.

They have been outscored 72-27 in the first inning, including Sunday when the Royals took a 1-0 lead on an RBI single by

Eric Hosmer.

The Royals came out swinging against Sale (8-5), whose 11 hits allowed matched his career high. Sale (8-5) gave up a

pair of home runs. He has allowed four homers over his last three starts, compared with four over his previous eight

outings.

"This is not a good team to leave fastballs over the plate to," Sale said. "They take advantage of every opportunity you

give them and that's what happens."

Royals manager Ned Yost said of Sale: "He's a strike thrower with tremendous stuff and we're an aggressive team. We

came up to the plate swinging the bats, and to get the first run in the first inning was big to give Danny a little breathing

room."

This wasn't exactly the way Sox optimists hoped to see their team open the second half.

"We battled the first few games," Ventura said. "This one, Duffy was tough. I thought they played great defense. Even

when we hit it hard, their shortstop (Alcides Escobar) played a heck of a game. The second baseman (Omar Infante) too.

"We had some opportunities we didn't take advantage of. ... Anything we hit hard, they have a really good defense and

they showed it off today."

Pitching and defense, the main staples of a consistent winner, were on display by the defending American League

champions throughout the series.

"I'm finally starting to learn that when you have the best defense in the league behind you, all you've got to do is

execute," Duffy said.

Sunday's recap: Royals 4, White Sox 1

Fred Mitchell, Chicago Tribune | July 19, 2015

The White Sox's futility against American League Central opponents continued Sunday when the Royals rapped out 13

hits behind Danny Duffy and went for a 4-1 victory at U.S. Cellular Field. The Royals took three out of four in the series

and have beaten the Sox seven out of 10 times this season.

On the mound

Chris Sale looked rusty after an seven-day layoff. He allowed four runs on 11 hits. He is 7-9 in his career against the

Royals. Duffy posted his fifth quality start of the season.

At the plate

Tyler Saladino hit his first career home run in the ninth and extended his hitting streak to six games. Lorenzo Cain hit his

third career homer off Sale, the most he has hit off any pitcher.

In the field

Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar made a backhanded stab of a sharp one-hopper off the bat of Avisail Garcia, flipped it to

second baseman Omar Infante, who threw to first for the double play to end the fourth inning.

Turning point

With runners on second and third and one out in the sixth, the Sox sent Jose Abreu and Melky Cabrera to the plate. Duffy

struck out Abreu swinging and Cabrera on a called third strike to end the threat.

The number

49-0 — The Royals' record when leading after eight innings this season.

Up next

Vs. Cardinals, 7:10 p.m., Tuesday, WPWR-50.

Arrow points up for Tyler Saladino as Sox move on from Conor Gillaspie

Fred Mitchell, Chicago Tribune | July 19, 2015

Tyler Saladino would have preferred that his first home run had come in a White Sox victory.

"The home run's nice, especially the first one, but at the end of the day, if we don't win, that's all that matters," Saladino

said of his ninth-inning blast in Sunday's 4-1 loss to the Royals.

Saladin said that he was given his home run ball and that it was "somewhere around here." He went through his regular

postgame routine to strengthen his shoulder after receiving congratulations from his teammates.

Before Sunday's game, the Sox designated third baseman Conor Gillaspie for assignment, while reinstating right-handed

pitcher Matt Albers from the disabled list.

"We needed an arm right now, and the way it shakes out — it's a tough decision," manager Robin Ventura said.

Gillaspie, 28, hit .237 with 11 doubles, one triple, three home runs and 15 RBIs over 58 games this season.

Saladino's solid play made Gillaspie expendable. Saladino was promoted on July 10 and is batting .308 over his first seven

major-league games.

Ventura said Saladino, who turns 26 on Monday, will get most of the starts at third base, and Saladino is grateful for the

opportunity.

"It's awesome," Saladino said. "You don't know what to expect coming up here. Preparation is everything for me, just

working hard, treating every day like it's as important as any other. That's just all I try to do, so being able to have some

results out of all that, it's gratifying."

What a relief: Albers appeared in relief Sunday and gave up no runs on two hits in 22/3 innings.

He had been on the disabled list since April 26 with a broken right pinkie finger suffered in a brawl during the April 23

game against the Royals.

Albers has made five relief appearances with the Sox this season after being signed as a free agent on Feb. 13.

Extra innings: Melky Cabrera has hit safely in 13 of his last 15 games. ... Carlos Sanchez is hitting .375 against the Royals

this year. ... The Royals are 36-10 when they score first this season.

White Sox designate Conor Gillaspie for assignment

Fred Mitchell, Chicago Tribune | July 19, 2015

The White Sox have designated third baseman Conor Gillaspie for assignment, while reinstating right-handed pitcher Matt

Albers from the disabled list on Sunday.

"We needed an arm right now, and the way it shakes out -- it's a tough decision, a tough call," manager Robin Ventura

said.

Gillaspie, 28, hit .237 with 11 doubles, one triple, three home runs and 15 RBI over 58 games this season.

Albers had been on the DL since April 26 (retroactive to April 20) with a broken right little finger sustained in a brawl

during the April 23rd game against the Royals.

Albers (0-0 , 1.59 ) has made four relief appearances with the Sox this season after being signed as a free agent on Feb.

13.

Tyler Saladino wins third-base job; Conor Gillaspie designated for assignment

Toni Ginnetti, Chicago Sun Times | July 19, 2015

It took a week for Tyler Saladino to become the Sox’ starting third baseman. He displaced Conor Gillaspie, who was

designated for assignment Sunday.

The rookie has been versatile in the field and has had success hitting.

“He’s done everything and made adjustments at the plate,” manager Robin Ventura said of Saladino, 26, who was

recalled from Class AAA Charlotte on July 10. “You look at him on the field, and there isn’t a position he wouldn’t be

comfortable at. His DNA is a baseball player. He’s dirt in a good way.”

Saladino hit his first career home run in the ninth inning Sunday during the Sox’ 4-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals.

“The homer is nice, but we didn’t win, and that’s what matters,” he said.

But of his new role, Saladino said, “It’s awesome. You don’t know what to expect coming up here. Preparation is

important for me. You still have to do the same things every day, the same routine, the same preparation. To have some

results from that is gratifying.”

Gillaspie had struggled at the plate (.237, three home runs, 15 RBI) after hitting .282 last season. He also had a team-

high 12 errors.

“[Gillaspie] got off to a slow start, and that makes it tough,” Ventura said. “You know he’s capable of more.”

The Sox also activated pitcher Matt Albers from the disabled list. The right-hander had been sidelined since April 26 with

a broken right little finger.

“It was a tough decision [to designate Gillaspie], but you need an arm right now,” Ventura said.

Ventura said the team chose to keep little-used infielderEmilio Bonifacio because he’s used as a pinch hitter and a pinch

runner. The Sox also have infielder -Gordon Beckham in a utility role.

Bad strike

Jose Abreu was noticeably -agitated on the field Saturday when lightning was flashing. His fears stem from memories of a

friend in Cuba who was wearing a gold chain similar to the one Abreu wears and was struck and killed by lightning.

“If it was going to continue, I was going to run into the Kansas City dugout,” he said. “My grandmother always said if it’s

lightning and thunder outside, you stay inside.”

Cuban connection

As progress continues toward normalizing diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States, Abreu believes it will

benefit not just baseball players, but Cuban people in general.

“It’s very important for everyone, especially us in Cuba because it gives the best chance for baseball players to reach

their dreams of playing in the major leagues. But not just baseball players, but everyone,” he said through an interpreter.

Rust or not, Chris Sale isn't at his best in White Sox' loss to Royals

Toni Ginnetti, Chicago Sun Times | July 19, 2015

Kansas City Royals hitting coach Dale Sveum spent Sunday morning staring at videotape of White Sox ace Chris Sale.

‘‘You try to find anything that might tip a pitch,’’ Sveum said. ‘‘It might help if you knew what was coming, but he has

such command of all four of his pitches.’’

Sveum must have found what he was searching for. The Royals got to Sale, who hadn’t pitched since July 11, for four

runs and 11 hits in 6„ innings on their way to a 4-1 victory.

The 11 hits were the most Sale has allowed this season, and he fell to 7-9 in his career against the Royals.

‘‘It’s not a good team to leave fastballs in the middle to,’’ Sale said of the Royals, who took three of the four games in the

series.

‘‘It’s frustrating all the way around because you’re playing as hard as you can, and then you throw in some bad luck with

balls bouncing off one guy’s glove and

going to another guy.

‘‘They have pitching and defense and do the little things, and that’s what gets you on rolls.’’

Those are the sorts of things the Sox haven’t done well consistently, which is why they might be sellers at the non-waiver

trade deadline July 31. Manager Robin Ventura again was cryptic in deflecting questions about what the Sox are going to

do at the deadline.

‘‘We are going to play on Tuesday [after a day off Monday],’’ Ventura said. ‘‘I know everyone wants to talk about it, but

we’re going to play as hard as we can against St. Louis.’’

Ventura lauded Royals starter Danny Duffy (4-4), who worked eight-plus innings and limited the Sox to six hits, including

a home run by rookie Tyler Saladino leading off the ninth. He praised the Royals’ sparkling defense, which featured

dazzling plays by shortstop Alcides Escobar and second baseman Omar Infante. He praised his own players, too, for

battling to stay in the game.

But he did his best to mask his frustration with mental lapses, such as one in which Melky Cabrera led off the second with

a double, only to be thrown out attempting to go to third on a grounder to Escobar on the next play.

Sale yielded a run in the first on three singles, then allowed homers to Lorenzo Cain in the sixth and Paulo Orlando in the

seventh. But he insisted the extended layoff didn’t affect him.

‘‘If anything, it gives you a little extra time to get ready and prepare,’’ Sale said.

Ventura, though, said there might have been a little rust.

‘‘It was probably not his best fastball command today,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s probably a combination of [the Royals’ hitting and

the layoff].

‘‘You have to tip your hat to them because they played better than us in this series, but we had a chance to win [in a 13-

inning loss Saturday], and it didn’t happen.’’

White Sox designate Conor Gillaspie for assignment, lose to Royals

Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun Times | July 19, 2015

The White Sox designated third baseman Conor Gillaspie for assignment Sunday and reinstated right-hander Matt Albers

from the disabled list before their 4-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals Sunday.

Albers was on an injury rehab assignment at AA Birmingham. The 32-year-old reliever went on the DL April 26 after

breaking the little finger on his right hand in the Sox’ bench-clearing brawl with the Royals three days earlier at U.S.

Cellular Field. Albers pitched 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief of All-Star Chris Sale against the Royals Sunday.

Gillaspie, who made 12 errors and was batting .237 with three homers and 15 RBI over 58 games, has been on the bench

since 25-year-old rookie Tyler Saladino was called up from AAA Charlotte on Friday. Saladino, who homered in the ninth

inning Sunday for the Sox’ first run, raised his average to .308.

Saladino has started every game since being called up, six at third base and one at shortstop. Even though he has spent

most of his minor league career at shortstop and played only 14 games at third since 2010 (including two games at third

this season), Saladino’s defense has been very good at the corner, where the Sox have used Gordon Beckham (good

defensively, .195 batting average) and Gillaspie.

Sale, pitching on a seven day rest over the All-Star break, gave up four runs on 11 hits over 6 1/3 innings. He struck out

six, walked one and allowed homers to Lorenzo Cain and Paulo Orlando. It marked only the second time since May 23

Sale hasn’t recorded 10 or more strikeouts.

The AL Central leading Royals (55-35) took three of four games from the Sox (42-48), who were held to three or fewer

runs for the 51st time this season. Left-hander Danny Duffy (4-4) gave up one run on six hits in 8-plus innings as Kansas

City improved to 7-3 against the Sox this season.

Homework has Tyler Saladino making the grade

Doug Padilla, ESPN.com | July 20, 2015

CHICAGO -- During a season on the South Side of Chicago where there has not been much to celebrate outside of Chris

Sale, some new blood has arrived to provide a breath of fresh air.

Tyler Saladino has taken hold of a surprise opportunity afforded by the Chicago White Sox and has clutched it tight with

an all-around game that hasn’t been seen much from anybody on his club all year.

Known for adept fielding and a strong throwing arm, not to mention an ability to play both the infield and outfield,

Saladino is also showing some flare with the bat after a week in the major leagues. He went hitless in his major league

debut on July 10 against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, and since then he has delivered a base hit in six consecutive games.

His hit Sunday was his first major league home run, a shot to deep left that prevented Royals starter Danny Duffy from

throwing a shutout in a 4-1 Kansas City victory. It also prevented him from finishing off a complete game since he was

removed after the long ball.

“It's always special when a guy hits his first home run or first hit,” manager Robin Ventura said. “He just continues to

play. He's going to check that off the list, but he's just playing to win games. He's not into the meaning of all that. He

thinks it's cool and everything but he's trying as hard as he can to help us win games. He's just a good player.”

To prove Ventura’s point, Saladino not only refused to celebrate the home run postgame, he didn’t even know where the

ball was, although he knew the team tracked it down in the left-field stands.

“The home run’s nice, especially the first one, but at the end of the day, if we don’t win, that’s all that matters,” Saladino

said Sunday. “The home run is just a moment. The win, at the end of the day, we didn’t get it, so come back Tuesday.”

On Tuesday the White Sox face the St. Louis Cardinals. Saladino will be starting at third base again, trying to extend his

hitting streak to seven games.

“I’ve still got to do the same thing, same routine every day,” Saladino said. “That’s why I was late getting here [for a

postgame interview], taking care of all the shoulder stuff that I’ve got to do after the game. So just the same preparation,

same homework every day trying to get ready, play some good baseball.”

Saladino has become a quick study. When he arrived on July 10 it was to give the White Sox lineup flexibility as they

played in a National League ballpark. The White Sox aren’t built well for National League baseball, losing either Adam

LaRoche or Jose Abreu for each of those games.

Saladino not only helped the cause in the series against the Cubs, he continued to deliver in the series against the Royals,

even if the rest of the team struggled.

Not only did Saladino quickly convince the White Sox that he was worth keeping, they decided that Conor Gillaspie would

be designated for assignment to open him a permanent roster spot.

It also gave the White Sox something of a rare occurrence in recent years: An actual homegrown drafted position player

they can utilize on the major league roster. The San Diego-area native was a seventh-round draft pick by the White Sox

in 2010 out of Oral Roberts University.

There were some definite speed bumps along the way. He blew out his elbow last season at Triple-A Charlotte while

making a throw from the outfield and needed Tommy John surgery. In a sign of his determination, Saladino not only was

ready to go in spring training seven months later, he made it to the major leagues three days before the one-year

anniversary of his surgery.

His first home run Sunday, came a day before his 26th birthday. It’s all starting to come together for him in a hurry. He

even has a baseball-centric nickname now, with Ventura referring to him as “Sally.”

“It’s awesome,” Saladino said about taking advantage of his opportunity. “You don’t know what to expect coming up

here. Preparation is everything for me, just working hard, treating every day like it’s as important as any other. That’s

just all I try to do, so being able to have some results out of all that, it’s gratifying. But I’m still trying to treat each day as

important as the other and be ready for Tuesday.”

Ten years later, it's far different on the South Side

Doug Padilla, ESPN.com | July 19, 2015

CHICAGO -- It was supposed to be a weekend of celebration for the Chicago White Sox organization, but the takeaway

from four games against the Kansas City Royals was that the club is a long way away from its championship run a decade

ago.

Heroes of yesteryear such as Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, Aaron Rowand and Joe Crede invaded U.S. Cellular Field over

the weekend, and if they dared look at the action on the field, they had to be wondering what happened to their grand

old stage.

The White Sox lost three of four to the Kansas City Royals when they really needed the exact opposite results to convince

the front office that this roster is worth keeping intact.

With just inside of two weeks remaining before the non-waiver trade deadline, the White Sox look ready to set up the

lemonade stand: Players -- 10 cents a glass.

On Friday, general manager Rick Hahn said the team had not determined whether they’d be buyers or sellers with the

deadline approaching. But then the Royals reeled off three victories in three days, leaving the White Sox 13 games back

in the American League Central.

“This is the only championship they’re giving out this year, is the 2015 championship,” Hahn said Friday. “However, it’s

part of the responsibility of this position to be objective and look at the long-term benefit of the club and do what makes

the most sense objectively given the situation that we’ve played ourselves in.”

If the greatest thing the 2015 club can do is to make the 2017 or 2018 or 2019 club a better team, then that has to be

considered a decent payoff for a team that will go into Monday’s off day with a 42-48 record.

Manager Robin Ventura has been peppered with questions all month about how his team will handle a potential sell-off at

the end of July. After losing the series to the Royals, he was asked again.

“We're going to play on Tuesday,” Ventura said. “I know everybody wants to talk about it, but we're going to play as hard

as we can against St. Louis.”

It wasn’t as if the White Sox did not play hard against the Royals. Did they make mistakes? Sure. Did they run into

embarrassing outs? Absolutely. But were they just beaten by a much better team this weekend? Yes, they were.

“You come out and you’re playing hard; we’re grinding it out,” said Chris Sale, who was not at his best while allowing four

runs on 11 hits over 6 1/3 innings. “We’re playing as hard as you can and that’s all you can really ask.

“We got some bad luck along the way too. We’re squaring some balls up and doing some things. Balls hitting off guys’

gloves and going to the other guy. It’s just sometimes you have to shake the bad luck before you get on a roll.”

In all likelihood, Jeff Samardzija will be moved. The best-case scenario for the White Sox is that clubs who are looking for

starting pitching, primarily in the National League where Samardzija has been a good fit, start upping the ante by bidding

against each other.

But Samardzija doesn’t figure to be the only regular the White Sox can use to make deals. Jose Quintana, Alexei Ramirez,

Adam LaRoche, Zach Duke and Adam Eaton all figure to find themselves mentioned in rumors over the next 12 days.

While saying that the White Sox would rather be buyers this season, Hahn saw that window close quickly this weekend.

Gone is the good feeling built by winning nine of 12 games before the All-Star break.

To each his own with his finances, but often the idea of taking out a loan at a higher interest rate to pay off a loan on a

lower interest rate would keep you in debt longer.

“We do have to remain somewhat objective and try to do what is best for the organization in the longer term, not -- I

don’t want to say throw good money after bad -- but not continue to invest in something that might not make the most

sense for the long-term health of the franchise,” Hahn said.

A rare bright side Sunday finally came in the ninth inning when Tyler Saladino hit a home run, the first of his career. With

just seven games of major league experience, the weight of a disappointing season doesn’t appear to be on Saladino’s

shoulders … yet.

More fresh-faced youngsters could be on the way.

By trading some established players for prospects over the next week and a half, the White Sox are going to take their

lumps the rest of the way in 2015. But it seems like that will happen whether they make deals or not.

By making some trades, they can at least buy a little optimism for the future.

When members of the 2005 team talked about their championship run this weekend, they spoke about unity, confidence

and a will to win.

“We hit home runs, but we could drive in a tough run with two outs, and the defense was clutch,” Konerko said about the

organization’s only championship in nearly 100 years. “There’s a difference in making a great play in an 8-2 game, and

when you have to turn a double play or the tying run scores. That never got away from us.

“We would make those plays, and it felt like 1-0 and 2-1 games were still in our comfort zone. When we blew somebody

out it was easy, and when we got blown out, it didn’t matter. When we played close games, we didn’t feel anxiety, we

felt better than the other side.”

None of those feelings seem to exist with the current White Sox team. What a difference 10 years can make.

Duffy leads Royals past Sale, White Sox 4-1

Associated Press, ESPN.com

CHICAGO -- There is no big secret to Danny Duffy's July success. No mechanical adjustments. Nothing like that at all.

The Kansas City Royals play great defense, and Duffy is putting his fielders to work.

Duffy took a shutout into the ninth inning in the longest outing of his career, and surging Kansas City beat Chris Sale and

the Chicago White Sox 4-1 on Sunday.

"We needed him to stand up today big time, and he did," Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Duffy (4-4) was replaced by Joe Blanton after Tyler Saladino led off the ninth with his first career homer. The left-hander

allowed six hits, struck out four and walked one while improving to 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA in three starts this month.

"I'm finally starting to learn that when you have the best defense in the league behind you, all you've got to do is

execute," Duffy said.

Lorenzo Cain and Paulo Orlando homered as Kansas City (55-35) moved a season-high 20 games above .500. Blanton got

three outs for his first career save in his 278th major league game.

Helped by their stellar defense -- shortstop Alcides Escobar, second baseman Omar Infante and first baseman Eric

Hosmer each made a couple of solid plays in the series finale -- the AL Central leaders took three of four from the White

Sox and have won 11 of 14 overall.

"I was sitting there at the end of the game trying to decide which was more impressive, Danny's outing or our defense

today," Yost said. "It's a tough call."

Chicago (42-48) lost for the fourth time in five games, making it more likely that general manager Rick Hahn will look to

sell ahead of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. The White Sox are last in the Central, with major league-leading St.

Louis coming to town for a two-game set beginning on Tuesday night.

"We're going to play on Tuesday," manager Robin Ventura said of possible changes. "I know everybody wants to talk

about it but we're going to play as hard as we can against St. Louis."

Sale (8-5) was tagged for a season-high 11 hits in 6 1/3 innings in his first start since July 11. The All-Star lefty gave up

four runs, struck out six and walked one.

Sale allowed five hits in the first three innings, but Hosmer's RBI single in the first accounted for Kansas City's only run

before Cain hit a leadoff drive in the sixth for his 10th homer. Alex Rios reached on a one-out single in the seventh before

Orlando connected for his fourth homer.

"This is not a good team to leave fastballs over the plate to," Sale said. "They take advantage of every opportunity you

give them and that's what happens."

Cain also had a tiebreaking homer in the 13th inning of Kansas City's 7-6 victory on Saturday. The All-Star center fielder

went 1 for 4 and is batting .473 (26 for 55) with four homers and 12 RBI in his last 14 games

STEPPING UP

Blanton, a starter for most of his career, was pressed into action in the ninth after Kansas City split a doubleheader on

Friday, and then used seven relievers on Saturday.

The right-hander had allowed at least one run in each of his previous five outings, but he struck out Abreu and Cabrera

before Avisail Garcia bounced out to end the game.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Royals: RHP Kris Medlen will come off the disabled list on Monday, taking another step in his comeback from his second

major elbow surgery. Medlen, who last pitched in the majors in 2013 with Atlanta, will join Kansas City's bullpen for the

start of a three-game series against Pittsburgh. "He's going to be a long guy, but these things always seem to work

themselves out, so I envision him long term being a starter," Yost said.

White Sox: Reliever Matt Albers was activated from the 15-day disabled list and pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings. He broke

his right pinkie finger during a brawl with the Royals on April 23. INF Conor Gillaspie was designated for assignment to

make room on the roster.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura (4-6, 4.73 ERA) makes his second start since coming off the disabled list when the Royals

host Pittsburgh on Monday night. RHP A.J. Burnett (7-3, 2.11 ERA) goes for the Pirates.

White Sox: Following an off day, the White Sox host St. Louis on Tuesday night, with LHP Carlos Rodon (3-2, 3.80 ERA)

starting against the Cardinals.

Rapid Reaction: Royals 4, White Sox 1

Doug Padilla, ESPN.com | July 19, 2015

CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox looked sluggish Sunday after a doubleheader and a 13-inning game, falling 4-1 to the

Kansas City Royals in the finale of a four-game series.

How it happened: Nothing went right for the White Sox as Chris Sale gave up two home runs and the offense was

completely held in check. Sale gave up four runs over 6 1/3 innings and his six strikeouts gave him less than 10 in an

outing for just the second time in his last 11 starts. In a sign of just how bad things have been for the offense, the White

Sox had runners at second and third with one out in the sixth inning and both Jose Abreu and Melky Cabrera struck out.

The White Sox's Tyler Saladino ended the shutout bid with his first career home run to lead off the ninth.

What it means: The second half started much like the first half did, with three defeats in the opening series to the Royals.

The White Sox did happen to win one of the games in Friday’s doubleheader. The Royals have been one of the better

teams in the American League for a few years now and their dominance really shows up in matchups with the White Sox.

The Royals now lead the season series 7-3 and have outscored the White Sox 44-28 this year. Kansas City has a 20-9

record against the White Sox since the start of last year.

Outside the box: Sale recorded just six strikeouts in his first start of the second half, but it was enough to push him to

900 strikeouts in his career. Sale has 163 strikeouts this season, including 119 in his last 11 starts. The only other time he

hasn’t reached double digits in strikeouts since May 23 was a six-strikeout effort against the Toronto Blue Jays on July 6.

Off beat: Signs that it would not be the White Sox’s day showed up early. Alcides Escobar led off the game against Sale

with a 75-foot infield single and Mike Moustakas followed with a bloop into no-man’s-land in left field. Escobar eventually

scored. In the bottom of the first, the White Sox’s Adam Eaton hit a line drive off Moustakas’ glove, but Escobar picked up

the ball and threw to first for the out. Adding to the issue on Eaton’s ball is that he didn’t break from the batter’s box

quickly.

Up next: The White Sox will have a day off Monday, then open a two-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals on

Tuesday when left-hander Carlos Rodon (3-2, 3.80 ERA) faces right-hander Carlos Martinez (10-3, 2.52) in the 7:10 p.m.

start at U.S. Cellular Field.

Jose Abreu looking to roar into second half

Doug Padilla, ESPN.com | July 19, 2015

CHICAGO -- Jose Abreu looked very uncomfortable as the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals played through a

thunderstorm Saturday.

Abreu, who was playing Saturday’s game with a gold chain necklace around his neck, said that a friend of his was once

killed by a lightning strike on a beach in Cuba while wearing a gold necklace.

Jose Abreu said he's learned how to deal with the rigors of a 162-game schedule. Duane Burleson/Getty Images

At each strike of lightning and each roar of thunder, whenever he was out in the field, Abreu would put his hands near his

head. In left field, Melky Cabrera raised his arms after each lightning strike, apparently his way of asking when the game

was going to be delayed.

Abreu eventually removed his gold necklace.

The game went on, though, after head groundskeeper Roger Bossard advised umpire crew chief Jerry Meals that the

heavy rain would be short-lived and that dry weather would approach quickly. That was exactly the scenario that

unfolded.

“If some of the lightning was hitting the ground close to me, I was going to run to the Kansas City dugout,” Abreu said

through an interpreter. “My grandma once told me that when it thunders with lightning you want to be inside.”

Abreu would prefer that the thunder only come from his bat. His power numbers are significantly down from a year ago,

when he burst on the scene with a monster first half. Abreu faded significantly down the stretch, though, as he looked

tired while playing a 162-game schedule for the first time.

After hitting 29 home runs with 73 RBIs and a .630 slugging percentage at the break last season, he had 14 home runs

with 46 RBIs and a .492 slugging percentage at the break this season. He said he is finally feeling good physically and

plans to increase his run-producing potential. He has started the second half just 1-for-11, though.

“I have probably tried to equally distribute all my energy because I know now how long the season is now,” Abreu said.

“In the first half, I just tried to be a little more conservative with my energy but for this second half, I’m just trying to

throw out my energy on the field every day.”

He said the four-day All-Star break helped him with lingering leg and finger issues. He claims he is completely healthy

now and is ready to tackle the issues of making adjustments in his sophomore season.

“I probably, sometimes, I haven’t done the adjustment that I have to do to get better results,” Abreu admitted. “That

happens during a long season. Sometimes you are struggling. Sometimes you are good. The things you have to try to

find is the rhythm and the consistency in this whole season, and probably the results this year aren’t as good as last year.

But it’s because of me. It’s not the pitchers or whatever. It’s because of me.”

Conor Gillaspie designated for assignment by White Sox

Doug Padilla, ESPN.com | July 19, 2015

CHICAGO -- In need of bullpen reinforcement, the Chicago White Sox announced Sunday that infielder Conor Gillaspie

was designated for assignment and right-hander Matt Albers was activated from the 15-day disabled list.

In sending out Gillaspie, who turned 28 on Sunday, the White Sox no longer are carrying their Opening Day third

baseman from the past two seasons.

The left-handed hitter was batting .321 exactly one year ago, but had not played much of late, last starting July 9 against

the Toronto Blue Jays. Gillaspie was batting .237 this season with a .276 on-base percentage, hitting three home runs

with 15 RBIs. He had been splitting time with Gordon Beckham at third base for a month.

The White Sox will now turn to Tyler Saladino as their primary third baseman. Saladino made his major league debut on

July 10, going hitless that day, but has since gone on a five-game hitting streak. He also has played solid defense and is

adept at playing both infield and outfield positions.

“It’s always a tough decision, especially when you’ve got a kid like [Gillaspie] where you know what he’s capable of,”

manager Robin Ventura said. “You know he’s a much better hitter than what those numbers indicate. That’s what makes

it tough. He got off to the slow start.”

The White Sox had been operating one man short in the bullpen since adding an extra position player on July 10 to give

them lineup flexibility when playing in a National League park against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. They were trying

to get through the weekend before adding another reliever, but Friday’s doubleheader and Saturday’s 13-inning game

against the Kansas City Royals sped up their timetable.

Albers last pitched for the White Sox on April 19. He suffered a broken little finger on his right hand when acting as a

peacemaker during the April 23 on-field brawl with the Royals. The 32-year-old made eight appearances on two separate

minor league levels during his injury-rehabilitation assignment.

Chris Sale not at his best as White Sox fall to AL's best

Vinnie Duber, CSN | July 19, 2015

Chris Sale knows the Royals are the best team in the American League, and he knows you’re not supposed to serve up

home runs to the best team in the American League.

“This is not a good team to leave fastballs over the plate to and also not a good team to let the ball travel over the

fence,” Sale said. “They take advantage of every opportunity you give them, and that’s what happens.”

Yes, that’s exactly what happened Sunday, as Sale allowed a trio of runs on a pair of homers against the reigning AL

champs, the critical blows in a 4-1 White Sox loss at U.S. Cellular Field.

Sale wasn’t his usually dominant self Sunday, and it showed from the very beginning. He allowed three of the first four

batters he faced to collect singles, and one of them turned into a run.

Later on, the left-handed ace served up a pitch that Lorenzo Cain turned into his second solo homer in as many days. The

following inning, Paulo Orlando cranked a two-run shot into the seats to put the Royals ahead by four.

Meanwhile, the Royals showed what’s made them one of baseball’s best teams. They got great pitching, as Danny Duffy

blanked the White Sox over eight innings. Tyler Saladino’s solo homer to lead off the ninth ended Duffy’s shutout bid, but

eight-plus innings of one-run ball allowing just six hits is still stellar. To boot, the Royals’ defense was sensational, with

Alcides Escobar — who last week started the All-Star Game at shortstop — making what seemed like one dazzling play

per inning.

Pitching and defense. And a couple long balls off one of baseball’s best pitchers. That’s what keeps you atop the

standings. And that’s what kept the White Sox out of the win column three out of four times in this weekend series.

“They limit everything,” Robin Ventura said. “They have a really fast outfield. They limit things in the outfield. It's spread

out pretty good. Cain covers a lot of ground, he's done it the last few days. Escobar just seemed to be everywhere today.

Even when it's tipping off somebody's glove he's there to pick it up and throw it, and the play at the end of the game. We

just couldn't get anything going.”

“Yeah, pitching and defense and doing the little things,” Sale said. “That’s what wins you ballgames and gets you on rolls.

We’re having a little bit of bad luck on our side right now. Just try to shake that and just get on a streak.”

Sale’s "off" day has to be put in perspective, of course. Sure, he surrendered a season-high 11 hits. But an ace pitcher

should be able to give up only four runs — just the fourth time that’s happened in Sale's 18 starts this season — and not

completely sink his team. But the White Sox are the lowest-scoring team in the AL, and that means those four runs were

just too many to overcome.

A struggling offense couldn’t muster a thing against Duffy outside of Saladino’s late homer. The White Sox collected just

six hits and squandered the chances they did get. Three times in the first three innings they had a runner at second, but

no runs came of it. And the most glaring missed opportunity came in the sixth, when after the first two hitters reached, a

sacrifice bunt and a pair of strikeouts followed, stranding a pair of runners in scoring position.

The White Sox dropped three games during this four-game weekend set and are now 3-7 on the season against the

Royals. There’ll be no reprieve, either, following Monday’s off day, as the team with the best record in the National

League, the Cardinals, visits the South Side for two games.

It could all add up to a real rough way to start the second half after the first half ended with the White Sox winners of

nine of 12.

But you know what started that good stretch? A two-game sweep of the Cardinals.

“It’s just frustrating all the way around,” Sale said. “You come out, and you’re playing hard. We’re grinding it out. We’re

playing as hard as you can, and that’s all you can really ask. We got some bad luck along the way, too. We’re squaring

some balls up and doing some things. Balls hitting off guys’ gloves and going to the other guy. It’s just sometimes you

have to shake the bad luck before you get on a roll.”

Now in everyday role, Tyler Saladino hits first big league homer

Vinnie Duber, CSN | July 19, 2015

No matter how much reporters wanted him to, Tyler Saladino just refused to be happy about hitting his first big league

home run.

The rookie, who in a short amount of time in the majors has shown he has an extreme team-first attitude, homered off

Royals pitcher Danny Duffy in the ninth inning of what turned out to be a 4-1 loss Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field. But the

fact that his first big league blast came in a defeat washed almost all of the enjoyment away from the moment for the 25-

year-old.

“The home run’s nice, especially the first one, but at the end of the day, if we don’t win, that’s all that matters. The home

run is just a moment,” Saladino said. “The win, at the end of the day, we didn’t get it, so come back Tuesday.

“It’s a huge accomplishment to trot around those bases at a big league field, a major league home run. But I can’t help it.

It doesn’t do it (for me). If we won, it would’ve been the greatest thing to happen. But we didn’t. I don’t know, it just

doesn’t quite do it.”

Man, it takes a lot to get this kid excited.

In all seriousness, Saladino’s team-first mentality is a perfectly admirable one. The same can be said for his play on the

field, which has impressed in just seven games. Before Sunday’s series finale with the Royals, manager Robin Ventura

praised how Saladino “always seems to be dirty.” And anyone who’s paid attention knows Saladino already boasts some

pretty strong defensive chops, as he’s made some terrific plays at the hot corner.

“It's always special when a guy hits his first home run or first hit,” Ventura said. “He just continues to play. As far as that

stuff, he's going to check that off the list. But he's just playing to win games. He's not into the meaning of all that. He

thinks it's cool and everything, but he's trying as hard as he can to help us win games. He's just a good player.”

Being “just a good player” was enough to make Saladino the White Sox everyday third baseman, a role confirmed by

Ventura ahead of Sunday’s game. Saladino was called up and has started every game since last weekend’s Interleague

series against the Cubs, but his opportunity to be an everyday major league player became a little more official Sunday,

when the White Sox designated veteran third baseman Conor Gillaspie for assignment.

Saladino has earned it so far. He’s now 8-for-26 in seven games.

“You don’t know what to expect coming up here,” Saladino said. “Preparation is everything for me, just working hard,

treating every day like it’s as important as any other. That’s just all I try to do, so being able to have some results out of

all that, it’s gratifying. But I’m still trying to treat each day as important as the other and be ready for Tuesday.”

Sunday, Saladino’s homer got the attention, but it was clear he didn’t want to revel in that. Talk of his defense, on the

other hand, did elicit a minimal amount of pride.

“I’ve put in so many hours with (White Sox coach Joe McEwing) and all the guys, everybody from the start of it, guys

from instructional league in the very beginning to all the ground balls we’ve taken every year since then to get to this

point,” Saladino said. “I take a lot of pride in that stuff and taking care of the ball defensively.”

That’s about as much as a boast you’ll hear from Saladino. He said he did get the ball from his first homer, and the

game’s lineup card was on his chair after the game. So there will be some sort of memory from this day.

But perhaps a more fitting milestone for Saladino awaits: first major league home run in a win.

If he keeps doing what he’s done through seven big league games, that one shouldn’t be too far off.

White Sox designate Conor Gillaspie, return Matt Albers to 'pen

Vinnie Duber, CSN | July 19, 2015

Robin Ventura called it a tough decision, but in need of bullpen help, the White Sox designated third baseman Conor

Gillaspie for assignment ahead of Sunday’s series finale with the Royals, returning relief pitcher Matt Albers from his

rehab assignment.

“It’s always a tough decision, especially when you’ve got a kid like that where you know what he’s capable of,” Ventura

said of Gillaspie. “You know he’s a much better hitter than what those numbers indicate. That’s what makes it tough.”

Gillaspie hasn’t been the only White Sox hitter to struggle this season, well evidenced by the team’s last-place rank in the

American League in scoring. But Gillaspie was far from the type of season he had a year ago, when his .282 batting

average ranked second among qualified AL third basemen.

In 58 games in 2015, Gillaspie hit .237 with a .276 on-base percentage and a .640 OPS. He hit three homers and drove in

15 runs. In 2013 and 2014, Gillaspie combined to play 264 games for the White Sox, and he posted career highs in

batting average and on-base percentage (.337) last season.

But Gillaspie’s poor play of late — as well as the team’s general lack of an offensive spark — meant the White Sox

replaced him at third with rookie Tyler Saladino, who’s 7-for-23 in his first six major league games. Saladino has started

the last six games dating back to last weekend’s Interleague series at Wrigley Field. Gillespie hadn’t started since July 9.

The White Sox also were in need of another relief pitcher in a bullpen which has had a big workload in the first two days

back from the All-Star break, pitching a combined 12 2/3 innings during Friday’s doubleheader and Saturday’s 13-inning

affair.

“I think with (Saladino) coming in here and showing what he can do, you need another arm and that becomes the move.

It doesn’t make it any easier,” Ventura said. “It’s always a tough one to make a move like that. But we know he’s capable

of much more.”

Gillaspie’s departure opens the door for Saladino as the team’s everyday third baseman, which Ventura dubbed him

Sunday. Ventura’s been happy with Saladino’s approach at the plate and his defense, especially. That was on full display

Saturday, when he made a series of nice plays during the 13-inning game.

“We’ve been impressed. He’s been able to make some adjustments. On the field, you look at him and he fits in anywhere.

There’s not really a position that you could put him at that he wouldn’t look very comfortable at. That’s just in his DNA of

being a baseball player. On that part, you like what you see,” Ventura said. “Every time you look at him, he’s just dirty. In

a good way of just being a baseball player. He’s always in the middle of something.

“You’re happy to give that opportunity to a kid like him that we’ve seen for a few years. You’ve watched him over the last

couple years, but you know that he fits in somewhere, he can do something for you.

“The value that (Saladino) has defensively is tremendous. He’s a guy you can put at a lot of different places, he’s going to

be a plus defender at any of those places. For us, if you’re not going to score a ton of runs, you better be able to catch

it.”

Albers joins a bullpen that’s been short on arms for a while. The White Sox opted to go with one fewer reliever for that

aforementioned Cubs series on the North Side of town, and with the All-Star break and a Monday off day providing plenty

of time off, they decided to plan to keep it short through this series with the Royals.

But Friday and Saturday altered those plans, and Albers is back with the team for Sunday after an extended time away.

Albers started the season with the team and pitched in four games in April before going down with a finger injury.

Albers made a total of eight minor league appearances with Double-AA Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte during his

rehab assignment, allowing six runs on 10 hits — including a pair of home runs — in 11 2/3 innings. He struck out nine

and walked just one.

Former White Sox organist Nancy Faust now entertaining Cougars fans

Paul Johnson, Aurora Beacon-News | July 20, 2015

When former White Sox organist Nancy Faust closed the lid on the 2010 season at U.S. Cellular Field, she assumed that

would be the last time she would play for a crowd after 41 years with the team.

"I don't know that I'd ever really play if I didn't have an outlet," Faust said. "It's not in my blood to just amuse myself."

After participating in the Cougars' Night of 100 Promotions in 2011, however, Faust suddenly had a new outlet.

Faust has been playing home Sunday games from May through the rest of the season since 2012 for the Cougars. As the

White Sox were finishing their weekend-long celebration of their 2005 World Series title on Sunday, Faust was in her

element, entertaining fans during a 1-0 Cougars win over Wisconsin.

"We thought, what if we could have her every Sunday?" Cougars general manager Curtis Haug said. "Sunday is kind of

the traditional matinee baseball day and you have an organ playing. It gives it that nice, old-school feel. It's a real

privilege for us to have her here. She just adds a nice element to the ballpark. She's really become part of the Cougars

family."

In 2010, Faust could see the writing on the wall. Technology, promotions and canned music were making the role of an

organist obsolete. Even the staple that many credit Faust for creating in the 1970s, walkup music for batters, was going

the way of recorded music.

"I didn't know when I should close the curtain," Faust said. "(The White Sox) were very good to me. I could still be there.

It wasn't like they ever rushed me out. There was so little for me to do anymore."

Faust was more than happy to return to her home in rural Lake County, tending to her animals. The last four years,

however, Faust has had the chance to come to Fifth Third Bank Ballpark for about 10 games a year and continue doing

what she loves.

"I was delighted that they liked what they heard and wanted to hear more," Faust said. "It's been a very nice marriage. It

has more of a feel of a spring training game or something, a little more relaxed, a little less technology."

While the White Sox were celebrating the 2005 team Saturday, Faust was out of town in Wisconsin. Speaking with her

2005 championship ring on her hand, however, Faust had fond memories of that summer.

"That certainly was a highlight of my career," Faust said. "It was a magical year because we were in first place the whole

season. One of the most memorable things was the parade, everybody turning out. It was all Chicago, everybody was

happy for us. It was a very proud moment. I was so happy to be part of it. We brought the organ down and it was on

stage (at the rally). It was part of the pageantry."

Faust has created her own following with the Cougars, though her quick-witted style and knowledge of current popular

music has remained the same.

"Two people walked by (Sunday) and said that when they walked into the park they said, 'That sounds like Nancy,'" Faust

said. "I have a style. Not that it's the best, but it's a style that's still recognized by people."

Haug said that when Faust takes time to sign autographs for fans in the gift shop after games, large crowds await her.

"I have the best of both worlds," Faust said. "I go home to my chickens and donkeys, and I come here and I'm signing

people's baseballs."

Paul Johnson is a freelance writer for the Beacon-News.

Cougars 1, Wisconsin 0

Summary: The Cougars continued their hot play, and their domination of Wisconsin. Kane County (57-35 overall, 21-3

second half) is six games ahead of second-place Peoria in the race for the second-half title. The Cougars have won 26 of

29 overall and seven straight. Kane County, now 13-3 against Wisconsin this season, will go for the series sweep against

the TimberRattlers on Monday.

Key moment: In the bottom of the sixth, the Cougars (57-35, 21-3) scored the game's lone run, with some help from

Wisconsin (30-63, 7-16). With one out, Ildemaro Vargas reached on an error. Cody Regis followed with a walk. Marty

Herum came through with an RBI double.

By the numbers: Markus Solbach (9-2) was dominant, lowering his ERA to 2.30 with seven scoreless innings. He

scattered four hits, walked none and struck out three. Cody Geyer and Zac Curtis each tossed perfect relief innings, with

Curtis earning his Midwest League-leading 21st save. Herum and Chuck Taylor each had two hits. Vargas had the other

Cougars hit.

Up next: Wisconsin (Angel Ventura 3-4) at Cougars (Josh Taylor 1-0), 6:30 p.m. Monday, WBIG-AM (1280), MiLB.TV.

White Sox activate RHP Albers from DL

Associated Press, USA Today | July 19, 2015

CHICAGO (AP) — The White Sox activated reliever Matt Albers from the 15-day disabled list and designated

infielder Conor Gillaspie for assignment before Sunday's 4-1 loss to Kansas City.

Albers broke his right pinkie finger during a brawl with the Royals on April 23. He pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings Sunday

and has a 1.08 ERA in five appearances with Chicago this year.

Gillaspie started at third on opening day, but is batting .237 with three homers and 15 RBIs in 58 games after he hit .282

in 130 games last year. The White Sox needed another pitcher in the bullpen, and rookie Tyler Saladino's solid play at

third made Gillaspie expendable.

"He's a much better hitter than what those numbers indicate, and that's what makes it tough," manager Robin Ventura

said. "He got off to the slow start, and I think with Sally coming in here and showing what he can do, you need another

arm and that becomes the move. But it doesn't make it any easier."

Ventura said Saladino will get most of the starts at third base. Saladino, who turns 26 on Monday, hit his first career

homer in the ninth inning of Sunday's loss to the Royals.

"The home run's nice, especially the first one, but at the end of the day, if we don't win, that's all that matters," he said.

"The home run is just a moment. The win, at the end of the day, we didn't get it, so come back Tuesday."

Saladino was promoted on July 10 and is batting .308 (8 for 26) over his first seven major league games.

"On the field, you look at him and he fits in anywhere," Ventura said. "There's not really a position that you could put him

at that he wouldn't look very comfortable at. That's just in his DNA of being a baseball player. On that part, you like what

you see. Every time you look at him, he's just dirty. In a good way of just being a baseball player. He's always in the

middle of something."

Emma: Legend Of 2005 White Sox Will Live Forever

Chris Emma, CBS Chicago | July 19, 2015

CHICAGO (CBS) — Standing on the sweltering bricks outside U.S. Cellular Field on Saturday, three different men who hail

from three different backgrounds grasped their greatest baseball accomplishment.

That World Series trophy united Ozzie Guillen, Kenny Williams and the chairman, Jerry Reinsdorf. The three joined

together and held it while posing for pictures with giant grins.

Longtime friends Joe Crede and Aaron Rowand reconnected over the memories of that magical season. Dustin

Hermanson and Chris Widger shared the emotions of how their small-town upbringings changed with a world

championship.

Even 10 years later, that World Series is something to be cherished, because it was just as sweet for Chicago then as it is

now, on the White Sox’s 2005 reunion weekend. Such is the case because of how characters like Guillen, Williams,

Reinsdorf, Paul Konerko, Frank Thomas, Mark Buehrle and so many more made this long-awaited local dream a reality.

“What recognition do you need other than a trophy,” asked Reinsdorf on Saturday. “It’s a memory you never lose.”

That trophy remains on display in the main lobby of U.S. Cellular Field, and the moments that led to it are forever in the

fabric of the White Sox organization.

Who could forget the incredible postseason pitching of Buehrle, Jon Garland, Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez and Freddy

Garcia, Scott Podsednik’s walk-off home run in Game 2 of the World Series, or Geoff Blum’s heroic home run in the 14th

inning of Game 3?

“People asking me about it never gets old,” said Blum of his home run. “It was career-changing, it brought a new light to

my career.”

Destiny seemed to find the White Sox in 2005, bringing a tight-knit group of eccentric personalities together to form a

title team.

Names like Konerko, Thomas and Buerhle carry meaning on the South Side for having distinguished careers, but those of

Blum, Joe Crede and Aaron Rowand — among so many others — are remembered for their roles on such a special team.

Now, 10 years later, it really sinks in how close the team was then — even as time has pulled them apart.

“Looking backing back at it, all you say is, ‘Wow, that was a special group, and it felt special doing it,'” said Konerko. “You

don’t think that way while doing it. Now, 10 years later, you say that group was special for a lot of reasons.”

Before 2005, the White Sox’s last championship came in 1917. Two years later, much of that team threw the World Series

in what’s now known as the Black Sox scandal. Those players live in infamy.

Legends live forever in sports. The only thing greater are champions.

Like that trophy that united this remarkable team and the moments that made it happen, what the White Sox

accomplished in 2005 will stand the test of time.

“It will be there forever,” Konerko said. “It’s something they can never take away from you.”