{"id":739080,"date":"2026-06-15T21:33:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T21:33:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/739080\/"},"modified":"2026-06-15T21:33:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T21:33:11","slug":"white-sox-playing-match-game-in-bullpen-even-with-closer-seranthony-dominguez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/739080\/","title":{"rendered":"White Sox playing match game in bullpen, even with closer Seranthony Dominguez"},"content":{"rendered":"

The White Sox<\/a> signed Seranthony Dominguez to be their closer. But they don\u2019t always use him that way.<\/p>\n

In fact, until Sunday, he hadn\u2019t pitched in the ninth inning since May 29, and he hadn\u2019t recorded a save since May 25. That\u2019s a span of seven outings.<\/p>\n

What the Sox are doing more often is seeking the best matchups, whenever they happen to come late in games. A perfect example came in their 2-1 victory over the Braves on Wednesday, in which Dominguez pitched the eighth and Bryan Hudson the ninth for the save.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because three of the Braves\u2019 top four hitters were lefties and four of their bottom five were righties. When manager Will Venable and his staff prepared their game plan, they decided the right-handed Dominguez would face the bottom of the lineup and the left-handed Hudson would face the top \u2013 no matter what inning either occurred.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it had happened that in the eighth inning we were at the top, it was going to be Huddy, and the ninth inning would\u2019ve been Ser,\u201d Venable said.<\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t, and Hudson earned his third save of the season. This is how Venable and pitching coach Zach Bove are using the bullpen, and it\u2019s hard to argue with the results. That\u2019s one reason why you won\u2019t hear Dominguez complaining.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m just here for the team, trying to be one of the best teammates,\u201d said Dominguez, who earned his 12th save Sunday in a 6-4 victory over the Dodgers. \u201cWhatever they\u2019re doing, it\u2019s working. We got first place, and we\u2019re playing good baseball. At the end of the day, I\u2019m here to pitch when they call my name.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had a lot of conversations with Seranthony and the rest of the bullpen guys that regardless of the roles or the labels that they might have, we\u2019re going to do what we have to do to get through a game,\u201d said Venable, who has seven pitchers with at least one save, tied for the fourth-most in the majors.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat is great about Ser and the rest of the guys is that, while of course Ser wants to close games, and he will continue to close games, he\u2019s understanding that for us to find our path to winning, it might be best for him and for other relievers and for our club to pitch in the eighth.\u201d<\/p>\n

No one on the Sox\u2019 pitching staff has displayed more versatility this season than lefty Sean Newcomb, who has entered games between the second and ninth innings, often throwing multiple innings. On Sunday, he was the second opener behind Hudson \u2014 who, along with Grant Taylor, have opened and closed games \u2014 throwing 2 \u2153 scoreless innings.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s what I signed here to do,\u201d Newcomb said, \u201cknowing that it would be more leverage and a little bit more length, depending on what the night called for. There\u2019s a ton of value in coming in tied, one- or two-run game, and holding it there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Newcomb has done that more often than not, allowing only two earned runs in his last 26 innings. Taylor had been on a similar run \u2014 generally pitching between the sixth and the ninth \u2014 allowing two earned runs in his previous 23 \u2153 innings before giving up two runs in two innings Sunday. Still, his ERA is only 2.21.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not only the best matchup, it\u2019s the buy-in from the players, whatever\u2019s going to help the team win,\u201d Bove said. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to say that, but to then do that and show that, it\u2019s been awesome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Saving the day<\/p>\n

The White Sox have seven pitchers with at least one save, the fourth-most in the majors. The Twins lead with 11.<\/p>\n

Seranthony Dominguez 12<\/p>\n

Bryan Hudson 3<\/p>\n

Grant Taylor 2<\/p>\n

Tyler Davis 1<\/p>\n

Jordan Hicks 1<\/p>\n

Chris Murphy 1<\/p>\n

Sean Newcomb 1<\/p>\n

On deck<\/p>\n

SOX AT YANKEES<\/p>\n

Tuesday: Davis Martin (9-2, 2.41 ERA) vs. Gerrit Cole (1-1, 2.45), 6:05 p.m., CHSN, 1000-AM.<\/p>\n

Wednesday: Anthony Kay (6-1, 4.34) vs. Carlos Rodon (2-2, 3.19), 6:05 p.m., CHSN, 1000-AM.<\/p>\n

Thursday: Sean Burke (3-4, 4.15) vs. Ryan Weathers (2-5, 4.36), 6:05 p.m., CHSN, 1000-AM.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you should stop thinking of this as a surprise just because we\u2019re consistently winning [and] we\u2019re consistently in every game,\u201d shortstop Colson Montgomery said. \u2018\u2018I think those days are kind of over.\u201d<\/p>\n

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After slugging Meidroth at a .320 clip last season, Meidroth is up to .402, and his six home runs already have exceeded the five he hit last season.<\/p>\n

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If it wasn\u2019t obvious before this Sox homestand that things were different on the South Side, it sure ought to be after the Braves and Dodgers came through and lost four of five between them.<\/p>\n

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The Dodgers have won two championships since trading Vargas, but the third baseman appreciates the opportunities he has been given by the Sox.<\/p>\n

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