The undefeated (OK, 1-0, if you insist) Chicago White Sox get home turf at Camelback this afternoon to face the also undefeated (but just 0-0) Sacramento/Las Vegas/You Name It A’s, as they follow the usual early Cactus League procedure of having no starters back from yesterday’s game.
That game was lots of fun slaughtering the Cubs, with a number of batters getting big shots in. The most notable was Munetaka Murakami’s double, because that smash came off a pitch three mph faster than his supposed limit (albeit a grooved one, but we take what we can get), which is a good sign for the future.
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The Sox lineup today contains a half-dozen returnees from 2025, with the key addition to watch being Luisangel Acuña, obtained in the trade of Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets. That’s because the plan is apparently to play Acuña in center, which both the Rangers and Mets decided he’s not much good at, despite his speed and excellent infield skills. Another player to watch is Jarred Kelenic in left, a free agent signee getting a chance to show yet again he really is the major-leaguer he was thought to be when the Mets drafted him in the first round in 2018.
They’ll be first facing righty Jack Perkins, who missed most of last season with a shoulder injury.
Starting the parade of pitchers for the Sox will be lefty Chris Murphy, picked up in a November trade with the Red Sox. Murphy ostensibly is under consideration for a back-end rotation spot even though he’s never started a major league game. The A’s aren’t putting any of their stars in the lineup against him.
First pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. Central on what is for Arizona a downright nippy day with a high of just 70°. This one is on the tube with CHSN, as well as a ESPN 1000 radio broadcast.
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