Diamondbacks Game Preview #125: 8/27 @ White Sox

After last night’s victory, it has been more than eight years since the Diamondbacks last lost a game on the South Side of Chicago. Okay, before last night’s victory it had been more than eight years since the Diamondbacks had played a game on the South Side of Chicago. But even taking that into consideration, the D-backs are actually 5-2 against the White Sox in Guaranteed Rate Field, previously U.S. Cellular Field, previously the second incarnation of Comiskey Park. I have to say, its current name is... probably the worst among the 30 MLB clubs at this point, probably just edging out the Marlins who play in LoanDepot Field, and the Athletics’ RingCentral Coliseum.

The last time the D-backs lost here was on May 9th, 2014, when the White Sox tagged Brandon McCarthy for seven runs in the fourth inning. McCarthy faced ten batters in that frame, and retired one, allowing a grand-slam to Alexei Ramirez. He was replaced by Trevor Cahill who immediately got a ground-ball double-play to get out of the inning. Two players who took part in that game will also be seen today. Both are on the White Sox side for this one, though in one case that wasn’t so back in 2014. I refer, of course, to A.J. Pollock who was traded from Los Angeles to Chicago just before the season started, in exchange for Craig Kimbrel. By bWAR, that’s been a win for the White Sox, +0.2 to -0.3.

The other survivor from Arizona’s last trip to this part of the Windy City is Jose Abreu, who was then a raw rookie with fewer than 40 major-league games to his name. He’d go on to win Rookie of the Year that season, and follow it up by becoming the AL MVP in the abbreviated 2020 campaign. Since the start of 2014, only Carlos Santana (1,253) has played in more major-league games than Abreu’s 1,237. Though there, he is just two ahead of a certain firt-baseman who shall remain nameless! Random fun fact I found while looking at the list: Eduardo Escobar is the only active major-leaguer to have appeared at all nine positions on the diamond. But more on that tomorrow, I think!