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ANAHEIM, Calif. If you’re Yermin Mercedes, and you have 10 years of professional baseball toil in your cleats, it’s hard to find the words.
So it was for the 28-year-old who, somewhat surprisingly despite a proven ability to hit a baseball, made the White Sox Opening Day roster and got his first major league start in the second game of the season Friday night at Angel Stadium.
Mercedes, the designated hitter batting eighth against left-hander Andrew Heaney, singled his first time up. The 5-11, 245-pounder pointed to the sky and was handed the ball, a souvenir for life, from Angels first baseman and future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols.
GLENDALE, Ariz. Lucas Giolito officially was named the White Sox Opening Day starter by manager Tony La Russa prior to Monday afternoon’s contest against the Cubs at Camelback Ranch.
Giolito earned his second straight Opening Day start, making him the first White Sox right-hander to hold such an honor
White Sox: Tony La Russa making Lucas Giolito wait suntimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from suntimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
AP Photos GOODYEAR, Ariz. Right-hander Lucas Giolito hasn’t been named the White Sox’ Opening Day starter, but he certainly will be when manager Tony La Russa gets around to it. That Giolito is really the only choice says a lot, considering that left-hander Dallas Keuchel and right-hander Lance Lynn a pair of seasoned veterans who finished ahead of him in American League Cy Young voting last season are available, too. Keuchel has made three Opening Day starts in his career, and Lynn was the Rangers’ Opening Day starter last season. The ‘‘ace” title is what comes with being the incumbent Giolito was the Sox’ Opening Day starter in 2020 then throwing a no-hitter during the regular season and taking a perfect game into the seventh inning of his first postseason appearance last year. Oh, and having the best stuff among the three and being a centerpiece of the Sox’ rebuild doesn’t hurt, either.