Tyler Davis has turned his first month in the majors into a trust-building run for the White Sox bullpen, posting a 3.09 ERA in 10 outings and allowing batters to hit .091 off his fastball. The momentum arrives alongside quieter progress from rookie Noah Schul
SAN FRANCISCO — Tyler Davis didn’t just pitch well Tuesday in Seattle. He delivered one more inning that looked like it belonged to a bullpen already sure of itself.
The White Sox used a combined one-hitter in the game, and Davis contributed another shutdown inning. When he arrived in San Francisco, Davis carried a 3.09 ERA through 10 outings. Nine of those appearances were hitless, and his command has come with sharp numbers: eight walks against 11 strikeouts.
Manager Will Venable didn’t hesitate to describe what has changed. Davis has “good stuff. ” Venable said. and more than anything. he’s “not afraid to throw it in the zone.” Venable added that Davis “really quickly earned trust here. ” a point that matters in a bullpen built on small margins and immediate results.
Even the early hitters have struggled. Batters were hitting .091 against Davis’ fastball, which averages 96 mph. Davis framed his approach in simple terms: “Just trusting myself, just trusting my ability and trusting what the catcher puts down and then having conviction in what I throw.”
The Sox also bring a second young arm into the trip with a more encouraging direction, even if the full correction hasn’t fully arrived. Rookie starter Noah Schultz made his first big-league outing Monday against the Mariners without issuing a free pass.
Schultz said. “I did hit two guys. but no walks is definitely a step in the right direction.” Over his otherwise promising rookie stretch. walks have been the main issue. Schultz entered with a 2-3 record and a 4.93 ERA in seven starts totaling 34 ⅔ innings. He has issued 21 walks and struck out 32 batters.
Schultz is scheduled to take the mound again on Sunday in San Francisco. For his next start, he’s focused on posture and control: “my posture. Making myself go straight to the plate, not doing too much being over-rotational.”
The Sox’ bullpen confidence and rookie progress sit inside a bigger early-season picture, one that includes a very specific offensive turn: power when it matters.
Heading into their series against the Giants, the White Sox led MLB with four pinch-hit home runs this season. Derek Hill and Randal Grichuk each had two. Grichuk delivered again in the Sox’ 5-4 loss at Seattle, hitting a home run in the ninth inning. The team’s pinch-hitting surge has come through measurable production: .240/.397/.560 in 50 pinch-hitting at-bats. Last season, Sox pinch hitters managed .134/.216/.157 without a homer.
Hill called those late opportunities “an absolute blessing,” adding that being even considered to hit in those spots “so I don’t take it lightly.”
That offensive momentum is happening while the organization manages uncertainty in the outfield. Left fielder Austin Hays. dealing with a calf strain. progressed well through his first three rehab games this week at Charlotte. Venable said Hays will be reevaluated after playing another series this weekend.
For outfielder Everson Pereira, the timeline is less defined. Pereira has been swinging but hasn’t thrown at full speed since a shoulder injury sidelined him April 29. Pereira said via interpreter Billy Russo, “I didn’t expect this to linger for this long.”
With those injuries lingering, roster questions remain for Venable. Sam Antonacci has been entrenched in left, and Tristan Peters is holding down center. Venable said. “We’ve still got a few days before Austin comes back. and we’ll see what happens between then and now. ” calling it “really good problems to have” given that “a lot of guys on your roster” are “doing a really good job on a daily basis.”.
There’s also one more wrinkle from the recent stretch: Jarred Kelenic, who has logged regular playing time in right field this month, was a late scratch from Friday’s series opener, though the Sox didn’t immediately announce why.
White Sox Tyler Davis bullpen Noah Schultz pinch-hit home runs Austin Hays Everson Pereira Giants Mariners MLB