CHICAGO -- With manager Ozzie Guillen saying he will get different pitchers into the mix at closer, Sergio Santos and Chris Sale made a plea to be considered.
Santos pitched two perfect innings in relief Tuesday against the A’s with three strikeouts. Sale then followed by giving up a hit and a walk over two more scoreless innings to pick up the victory in the White Sox’s 6-5 triumph over the A’s in 10 innings.
“The way Santos shut it down and [then] Sale, it was very important for us because they gave us another shot to the next inning to score runs,” manager Ozzie Guillen said.
Santos has now pitched 7 2/3 scoreless innings this season. And that comes on the heels of not allowing a run during Cactus League play this spring. Sale has given up just one run over his last five innings after giving up two runs in two-thirds of an inning last week at Kansas City.
Matt Thornton has struggled in the closer’s role, blowing all three of his save chances in the early going, but the defense hasn’t helped his cause. Guillen continues to say, though, that Thornton will still be included in the closer mix.