TORONTO — White Sox reliever Sean Newcomb got himself into a bases-loaded jam shortly after entering the game Saturday and got himself out of it just as quickly. Then he pitched a clean seventh inning to keep his team in a tight contest that ended in a 1-0 loss to the Blue Jays.
It was just the latest high-leverage lockdown from the veteran lefty, who put himself in the All-Star conversation with a sparkling first half anchoring the Sox’ bullpen in a variety of roles.
“All the big spots we put him in, he continues to come through,” manager Will Venable said. “He’s just so competitive, he’s got good stuff. He’s a big lefty with good stuff, and he likes to be out there, so we’re excited about what he’s been doing.”
Newcomb has covered 55 innings across 36 games, racking up 53 strikeouts and three saves, and rejuvenating his career.
“It’s been a few years since I’ve been on a team that’s been sitting in or near first place, so I’ve been having a lot more fun playing right now than I have in a while,” Newcomb said, pointing to a tightknit bullpen.
“We’ve got a little bit of everything,” he said. “Veteran pitching, you’ve got younger pitching, a group of starters who are settling in, then Grant [Taylor] in the bullpen and some of the younger relievers — Chris Murphy’s settling in and showing his nasty stuff. There’s a lot to love.”
Roch solid
Right fielder Braden Montgomery said he was impressed by No. 1 draft pick Roch Cholowsky, whose pre-draft visit to the Sox happened to fall on the night of Montgomery’s seemingly Hollywood-written MLB debut that ended with the rookie’s 10th-inning, walk-off home run.
Not a bad way to sell the Sox to Cholowsky, who got to enjoy the clubhouse celebration.
“He just seemed like a professional to me,” said Montgomery, who had a triple and a double over the weekend in Toronto. “The biggest part of all of this is the mental, the brain, the head on your shoulders, and he seemed like a professional ballplayer. I’m excited to see what he’s got going… and see how our bond starts and continues.”
Thorpe’s return
Nearly two years removed from his last big-league action, right-hander Drew Thorpe threw two scoreless innings with three strikeouts in his first rehab start Saturday with the Arizona Complex League Sox.
Thorpe has weathered a number of ailments since arriving in the Dylan Cease trade, and is now working his way back from Tommy John surgery he underwent in March 2025. He also had to get an appendectomy after his elbow procedure.
“That’s as tough a road as we’ve seen with these guys that we have here over the last couple of years,” Venable said. “It was just one thing after the other with that guy, and he handled it all so well, so really happy for him.”
Throwing it around with the old man
Springfield native Sam Antonacci credited his father, Bill, with helping him stay fresh during the All-Star break and coming back strong with a two-run homer on Friday. The rookie added another single and made an impressive sliding catch in left field, which he’s learned admirably on the job since his April debut.
Antonacci looked just as smooth back at his natural position of second base on Sunday on a rest day for Chase Meidroth.
“Probably got to give a little credit to my dad for throwing to me over the break,” said Antonacci, who’s up to a .796 OPS with seven dingers. His father was among his high school coaches downstate.
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
