SOX 6, PADRES 0 / SOX 5, ROYALS 4
Crisp second start for Lopez
Employing a new wrinkle at the behest of catcher Yasmani Grandal — throwing two sliders at varying speeds — right-hander Reynaldo Lopez struck out five Padres and walked none in 4 ⅓ scoreless innings Sunday in his second start. Lopez allowed five hits, all singles. Grandal cited Lopez’s fastball command and use of a wide array of pitches.
“Hopefully he feels pretty good about it,” Grandal said. “He’s coming along. [Right-hander Dylan] Cease is coming along, as well. Those two are going to be huge for us.”
Lopez, who struck out Manny Machado with a slider in the first inning, noticed on video he was “a little quick with my mechanics” and adjusted.
South Side Hit Men
The Sox (10-6-1) clubbed four homers — infielder Cheslor Cuthbert’s second and third of the spring, the third by catcher Yermin Mercedes and catcher Zack Collins’ second. Mercedes, trying to snag a roster spot as the 26th man, has a 1.230 OPS.
Eyes on Fulmer, Burdi
Zack Burdi had his fourth scoreless appearance, a perfect eighth with no strikeouts; and Carson Fulmer (2.25 ERA in six appearances) struck out both batters he faced, the Padres’ Abraham Almonte and Tommy Pham. Jacob Lindgren struck out two in a perfect ninth to earn a save against the Royals, his fourth scoreless outing.
Grandal’s calf improving
Grandal caught five innings and said the calf strain he has recovered from felt good when he legged out an RBI double in the gap.
“Feet seem like they’re starting to get underneath me,” Grandal said. “It might have been the new cleats I wore. Just felt like they were slightly lighter.”
On deck
Reds at Sox, Glendale, 3:05 p.m. Monday, whitesox.com, 720-AM, Anthony DeSclafani vs. Dylan Cease. Steve Cishek, Jimmy Cordero, Kelvin Herrera, Aaron Bummer and Evan Marshall also are scheduled to pitch.
