SURPRISE, Ariz – The AZL White Sox looked to build off of a walk-off win from their previous game. However, they would be on the opposite end of a walk-off on Saturday night as they were beaten 7-6 by the Royals in 10 innings.
Ian Clarkin, on an injury regab assignment, took the mound for the White Sox and he was effective at commanding the strike zone. There was a bit of a scare with the second batter Clarkin faced as he was drilled with a line drive just above the knee. After walking it off and speaking with the trainer, everything was fine and he stayed in the game.
Clarkin fanned five batters on the night without allowing a walk. Despite giving up five hits, the Royals were unable to generate much scoring except for a two-run home run on a pitch he left over the heart of the plate. On more than one occasion, after allowing a batter to reach base, Clarkin would proceed to pick up a strikeout to help cancel the scoring threat. Final line: 2.2 IP, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 5 K.
The star of the night offensively for the White Sox was 2018 fourth round draft pick, Lency Delgado. Lency collected three hits, drove in two runs, stole a base, and scored twice. His three hits on the evening all came in consecutive plate appearances. Here’s a clip from his second at-bat that ended with an RBI single:
Delgado has a balanced swing that’s going to generate a lot of power as he develops. Here he had no trouble waiting for his pitch and sending it to the opposite field to drive in a run. He also showed off his cannon of an arm during this game. He made a play where he picked a ball deep in the pocket at shortstop and fired it over to first base, getting the out with plenty of time to spare. He has all the tools to have a successful MLB career and those were on full display on Saturday night.
Camilo Quinteiro has been terrorizing opposing pitching and that continued to be the story in this one, where he picked up two singles and drew a walk. He’s now reached base three times in back-to-back games. One noticeable aspect to Quinteiro’s game is his patience at the plate. It’s not too often that he will chase anything out of the zone, but if he gets something he likes early in an at-bat, he’ll have no problem going after it.
You can see the patience in his approach throughout the clip above. Here he gets down early, works his way to a full count, and sends a ball up the middle for a single. It can be difficult to teach someone to swing less while they’re developing, so Quinteiro showing an above average batter’s eye now will be beneficial for him as he grows through the minor league system.
The White Sox and Royals went back and forth tonight with the lead changing a few times. In the end, the White Sox lost a heart-breaker as they gave up two runs in the bottom of the tenth inning which gave the Royals a 7-6 win. Other notable performers from Saturday night include: Luis Mieses who drove in two runs and scored one, Harvin Mendoza who had two hits and drove in a run, and Anderson Comas who picked up two hits.
The team will be back in action on Sunday, July 8 when they host the AZL Mariners. First pitch is at 9:00 CT.
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