CHICAGO -- Any doubt as to whether Shane Smith will be able to pitch during Tuesday night’s All-Star Game in Atlanta was erased by the White Sox rookie right-hander after a 4-2 loss to Cleveland in Game 1 as part of Friday’s doubleheader split at Rate Field. The White Sox won the nightcap, 5-4 in 11 innings, in walk-off fashion.
“If they give me the ball, I’m definitely going to throw,” said Smith of All-Star competition. “No matter what.”
Smith, 25, has been a tremendous first-half story since his second Cactus League appearance in Arizona for a team exiting Friday with a 32-63 record. He joins Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla from 2006 as the only players to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft under the current format and then be chosen as an All-Star the following season.
Although Friday’s effort covered an abbreviated three innings and 46 pitches, it was a step up toward success. Smith’s ERA had jumped from 2.37 on June 10 to 4.20 entering Friday following 21 earned runs allowed over his previous 15 1/3 innings.
“Yeah, I felt good,” Smith said. “I felt like it was the best step in the right direction so far.”
How does Smith explain Friday’s good feeling, aside from the five strikeouts and two hits given up (both home runs) during his pitching stint? The cerebral hurler went into detail.
“Facing 8 out of 9 lefties in the lineup, throwing the changeup for strikes early on,” Smith said. “Maybe one too many curveballs they were sitting on for the homer. But I’ll live with that. Throwing fastballs for strikes. Sitting on the outside corner for most of it and elevating later in the counts.”
“He had some good results on the breaking ball there early,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “And then they did a good job covering both the curveball and slider on the homers. Outside of that, I thought it was a solid outing.”
The shortened start for Smith was along the lines of what the White Sox did for Garrett Crochet as he raced by his single-season innings-high during his first performance as a starter in 2024. Crochet threw two innings in his July 12 start before working in the ‘24 All-Star Game, didn’t start again until July 23 and never went over four innings the rest of the campaign.
Entering start No. 18, Smith was informed his workload would be reduced.
“If anything, it frees you up,” Smith said. “Not saying just blow it out for three innings. I wanted to go more and I tried to. But they make that decision for my benefit, so I understand it. But yeah, it didn’t really, going into it, I didn’t prepare any differently.”
Lenyn Sosa homered twice in the nightcap, marking his second career multihomer game. But it was Mike Tauchman’s one-out broken-bat squibber eluding pitcher Kolby Allard and scoring Colson Montgomery with the 11th-inning game-winner.
Tauchman’s infield single made a winner of Mike Vasil (4-3), who hurled three scoreless innings and pitched out of bases-loaded jams in the 10th and 11th. Both escape acts induced fist pumps from the right-hander.
“If you have any insight into what the Batman guy is like, that was probably him,” said a smiling Vasil of his near alter-ego, including the regulation mask held in his possession. “It was awesome.”
Vasil will not be joining Smith in Atlanta, but is another addition to the White Sox who has been extremely effective during the season’s first half. He features a 2.47 ERA while working in every role ranging from starter to closer.
The White Sox unveiled Mark Buehrle’s concourse statue in right field at Rate Field in between games Friday. Buehrle was selected five times as an All-Star, so Smith could have received the lowdown from the southpaw, but Smith is ready to find out what transpires in this first opportunity while hoping to take the mound.
“Really excited is an understatement,” Smith said. “Just really looking forward to it.
“The opportunity the White Sox have given me is hopefully the launching of my big league career. Most certainly my rookie year. I still remember the phone call I got on Dec. 11, 2024, how we are adding you to our 40-man [roster] and we’ll see you in Spring Training. That’s something I think about a lot.”