Catcher James McCann key to White Sox’ win in more ways than one

TORONTO — Catcher James McCann was instrumental in more ways than one Saturday.

In his 10th multihit game, McCann, who went 4-for-5 in the White Sox’ 7-2 victory against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, put Billy McKinney to work in right field.

He hit two doubles in McKinney’s direction, and McKinney failed to make the play both times. In the eighth inning, the ball bounced off McKinney’s glove near the warning track. In the ninth, the ball bounced into the stands for a ground-rule double.

McCann is hitting .376 with 12 extra-base hits in 23 games. He attributes his success to a new approach.

“Something I’ve learned over my career is that some of the times where you’re failing or not having success, it’s because you’re trying to do too much,” McCann said. “So my big thing is taking what’s given to me and not trying to hit the seven-run homer that is impossible to hit . . . to make up for the last six, seven, eight at-bats of no results.”

McCann believes his wider stance also has played a role in his hot start.

“The big thing for me is getting my body out of the way, and that’s what the open stance has done,” he said. “It’s allowed me to see the ball and allowed me to keep my body out of my swing and allowed my hands to work.”

McCann seemed to do everything right against the Jays.

Along with his four-hit effort, which tied a career high, McCann also made some key defensive plays.

In the first inning, McCann caught Vladimir Guerrero Jr. stealing at second after he threw a laser to shortstop Tim Anderson for a strikeout/throw-out double play. In the sixth, his heads-up play covering third allowed the Sox to nab Guerrero at second after a brief rundown for another double play.

McCann, who played his first five seasons with the Tigers before signing a one-year deal with the Sox this offseason, has established a good rapport with the entire pitching staff. He has been behind the plate for 12 of the Sox’ 17 wins.

“He’s been doing a really nice job,” manager Rick Renteria said. “One of the things that we knew about him when we first acquired him is that he can really work behind the plate.”

McCann helped right-hander Ivan Nova to his second consecutive quality start. Nova allowed one run and five hits in six-plus innings.

Renteria pulled him in the seventh after he allowed a leadoff home run and a single.

“[Nova has] been attacking the strike zone,” Renteria said. “He and McCann have been working very well together, and he gave us some distance, and we’ve been looking for that from our guys.”

Nova said he recognizes how important McCann is to his own success. He praised him as a “good catcher who calls really good games.”

McCann said Nova executed his pitches well.

“He just kind of built off his last outing against Cleveland,” McCann said. “He used his fastball on both sides of the plate, he used all his off-speed pitches and he attacked. He threw all of his pitches on both sides of the plate at any time.”