At Progressive Field, the White Sox carried one bullpen change into Saturday’s American League Division Series opener against Cleveland, swapping right-hander Huascar Brazobán for Tyler Davis as they prepared for a Guardians lineup built around left-handed and switch-hitting threats.
The result
Davis joined the 26-man roster after Brazobán was part of the club’s Wild Card Series sweep of Houston. Manager Will Venable said the adjustment was rooted in the change of opponent rather than any concern about Brazobán.
Cleveland’s position-player group presented a different set of matchups. Venable described the Guardians as left-handed heavy, with switch-hitters who can complicate bullpen decisions. Davis, he said, offered a more even profile and was viewed as a better option against left-handed batters.
Houston, by comparison, leaned more heavily to the right side. That made Brazobán the more suitable choice for the Wild Card round, while Davis fit the Division Series roster construction.
The White Sox also loaded the upper portion of their Game 1 lineup with right-handed bats against Cleveland left-hander Parker Messick. Chase Meidroth was set to lead off, followed by Randal Grichuk in left field and Miguel Vargas at third base. Tommy Pham drew the designated-hitter assignment, while Brenton Doyle started in center.
Left-handed hitters Sam Antonacci, Tristan Peters and Andrew Benintendi were not in the starting lineup.
Messick entered the game following a season that put him in the conversation for both the Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year. His splits were unusual: left-handed opponents produced a .688 OPS against him, while right-handed hitters had a .599 OPS.
Venable said the club did not simply use those numbers to make an automatic righty-versus-lefty call. The staff weighed individual plate matchups, defensive needs and how each lineup piece worked with the rest of the roster before settling on its Game 1 group.
White Sox ALDS roster
| Group | Players |
|---|---|
| Right-handed pitchers | Sean Burke, Tyler Davis, Erick Fedde, Jordan Hicks, Davis Martin, David Sandlin, Grant Taylor |
| Left-handed pitchers | Bryan Hudson, Anthony Kay, Sean Newcomb, Noah Schultz, Hagen Smith |
| Catchers | Jake Rogers, Kyle Teel |
| Infielders | Luisangel Acuña, Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas |
| Outfielders | Sam Antonacci, Andrew Benintendi, Brenton Doyle, Randal Grichuk, Braden Montgomery, Tristan Peters, Tommy Pham |
The Division Series opener was scheduled for 1 p.m. ET, noon CT, with the White Sox trying to carry the momentum of their Houston sweep into a new matchup and a bullpen shaped for Cleveland’s particular brand of offense.
