Even when the opener knocks the rhythm off a starter’s routine, the White Sox say they’re sticking with it—tied to matchups, bullpen management, and hitters they want to see faced early.
DETROIT — The White Sox opened the way they have for much of this season: with a non-traditional first move that. in this case. wasn’t a typical starter at all. For the third straight game. they used an opener against the Tigers. but Sean Newcomb wasn’t beginning like a traditional “opener” starter. He was beginning a bullpen day.
Manager Will Venable said the team will keep leaning on the strategy. even though starters often prefer to start games themselves. “The players’ reactions. as we’ve done it more. they’ve been more open to it. and really that’s where it starts. ” Venable said. “You’re sensitive to the fact that these guys are very routine-oriented. and for a starting pitcher. using an opener can disrupt that. So you have different reactions to it.”.
On this road trip. the openers have been built to hand off quickly and then attack innings in a way the Sox believe maximizes their bulk innings later. Thursday in New York, Bryan Hudson threw 1 ⅔ scoreless innings before turning the ball over to Sean Burke. Burke went the rest of the way and held the Yankees to one run in a 5-1 White Sox victory. The 7 ⅓ innings matched Burke’s season high from April 26, a start that also came after Hudson opened, throwing one inning.
Friday in Detroit, the opener looked different, but the intent was similar. Brandon Eisert threw 1 ⅓ innings before giving way to Erick Fedde, who went 4 ⅔. Eisert allowed two runs in the first, but Venable said the opener put Fedde in a favorable spot. Fedde responded by retiring nine in a row in one stretch before allowing a tough-luck. bloop double that scored the Tigers’ tying and go-ahead runs in the Tigers’ 4-3 win.
Fedde’s buy-in has been so complete that he has been willing to follow multiple openers in a way the coaching staff can build plans around. In his previous start. a 6-4 victory against the Dodgers on June 14. he followed two openers: Hudson and Newcomb combined to allow one run in 3 ⅓ innings. before Fedde pitched 2 ⅔ scoreless innings.
Venable said he especially values what the matchups can do upfront and what that allows for the pitcher he wants to use later. “You have some upside to the matchups up front,” Venable said. “In the case of. let’s say. the Tigers. you have [left-handed hitters Riley] Greene and [Kevin] McGonigle that. regardless of if you throw a lefty or a righty. you’re going to get in the top four. Also, there’s an adjustment by the opposition that benefits your bulk guy.”.
He pointed to Friday as an example of how the plan can adjust even when the opener gives up runs. “So [Friday] again. really good example. you have [Matt] Vierling in there. you end up with an extra righty or two for Fedde. You’re able to start him in the spot that’s maybe more beneficial for him. There’s a lot of benefits to it. Even with the two runs they ended up scoring [against] the opener. it really did put Fedde in a good spot to go through that lineup a couple times.”.
Not every pitcher on the Sox is built the same way into those decisions. Davis Martin, scheduled to start the series finale Sunday, hasn’t followed an opener. Anthony Kay has followed an opener twice, but not since April 16.
Venable said it’s not a blanket rule. “It’s really as much about the opposing lineup and where you’re at with your bullpen,” Venable said. “There’s so many different inputs as you’re calculating whether it’s a good time or not. For some guys, it makes sense, and some lineups it makes sense. For some guys and some lineups, it doesn’t.”.
The Sox’s upcoming series against the Guardians for first place in the American League Central may test just how far the opener trend goes. The team did not schedule any openers in that matchup, with Kay, Burke and Fedde slated to take the ball first—but Venable said that could change.
The opener approach traces back to broader bullpen strategy shifts in the sport. The Rays helped popularize it in 2018 when they had closer Sergio Romo face the top of the opponent’s lineup. As more teams put their best hitters at the top. Venable said the opener is likely to keep existing. shaped by which lineups make it advantageous. “Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t,” he said. “But in the right situations against the right lineup, it’s a good strategy.”.
In the same stretch, the Sox’s results have not always matched the plan. After Sam Antonacci’s leadoff home run, the Sox managed four hits total but scored only on that homer in a 4-1 loss, getting no additional hits until the seventh inning.
White Sox Will Venable openers bullpen day Sean Newcomb Bryan Hudson Sean Burke Erick Fedde Brandon Eisert Tigers Guardians