The Chicago White Sox dropped their season opener to the Texas Rangers despite six strong innings and six strikeouts from starter John Danks, but the hitters get an early chance to redeem themselves on Saturday night at The Ballpark At Arlington. Jake Peavy will take the mound for the White Sox, while Derek Holland gets the start for the Rangers.
One of the most interesting storylines of the early season is how manager Robin Ventura will manage the closer situation, and after Addison Reed and Matt Thornton pitched in the seventh and eighth innings on Friday, it might be down to Jesse Crain and Hector Santiago. Then again, perhaps the White Sox will go with a dynamic, optimized bullpen that could shift to accommodate the best matchup on the given day. Scott Merkin of MLB.com asked about the situation after the game, and Ventura left plenty of wiggle room in his explanation:
"At some point, it's not going to be the same guy all the time," Ventura said. "And not necessarily you think ahead as a bullpen committee, but a guy coming in the ninth, it will end up being different at some points of the season. Yeah, depending on how guys do versus certain teams and matchups. If we had Mariano Rivera, I'd be able to tell everyone I have a closer."
Date / Time: Saturday, April 7, 7:05 p.m. CT first pitch
Location: The Ballpark At Arlington, Arlington, Texas
Starting Pitchers: Jake Peavy (0-0) vs. Derek Holland (0-0)
TV: WGN
Radio: AM 670 The Score
Streaming: MLB.tv
For more on the Texas Rangers, check out Lone Star Ball. White Sox news and analysis is available at South Side Sox. Check out MLB Daily Dish for off-season rumors and reports. And for more news and notes from around baseball, visit Baseball Nation.
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