Perhaps Noah Schultz knew he was pitching for his spot in the White Sox’ rotation when he took the mound Monday against the Yankees. He struck out the side in the first inning, his only blemish being a double to future Hall of Famer Paul Goldschmidt. No shame in that.
The rookie left-hander needed a strong showing after allowing five runs in 3 ⅔ innings in his last start. Though he didn’t walk anyone — a bugaboo for most of his season — he surrendered 11 hits. Filling the strike zone is one thing. Having those pitches come back at you is another.
But Schultz couldn’t stay on track. Fantastic catches by right fielder Braden Montgomery and left fielder Randal Grichuk on three hard-hit balls kept Schultz, staked to an early three-run lead, out of trouble in the second and third innings. He fell apart in the fourth, allowing two walks and a single before Venable pulled him, perhaps for the last time this season.
All three batters came around to score, and another gave the Yankees the lead. Though the Sox would tie it, the Yankees pulled away late for a 9-5 victory, leaving Schultz’s next turn in the rotation uncertain.
“Just like we do every time through, we evaluate what we think is the best thing for us, and we’ll continue with that process,” Venable said when asked whether Schultz would make his next start. “But I thought that was a step forward for Noah. Really good there for three innings.
Venable said he liked Schultz’s harder stuff, his four-seam and two-seam fastballs and his cutter. But that didn’t stop Venable from removing Schultz after 72 pitches in 3 ⅓ innings. Being really good for three innings will only get a pitcher so far.
“I understood the decision,” Schultz said. “It was probably the right thing to do in the moment. I clearly lost it then. … I was just a little gassed out.”
Schultz said he’s still confident in his ability — “If you don’t have full confidence in yourself, you shouldn’t be pitching,” he said — but the Sox are in no position to test that confidence. They can’t afford to develop a struggling rookie pitcher while pursuing a playoff spot. And they certainly can’t afford their starters hitting the showers early too often.
In their last 23 games, only right-hander Sean Burke has thrown at least six innings, which he has done four times. Schultz has been the only one in the rotation unable to get past five innings in that span, and he lasted just 3 ⅓ innings Monday.
For the Sox to hang on to their lead in the American League Central, they’ll need more length from their rotation. General manager Chris Getz figures to seek help for the stretch run by the trade deadline next Monday, and he might’ve begun his shopping in the bargain basement.
On Sunday, the Sox acquired right-hander Jose Urquidy from the Pirates for a low-level minor-league pitcher. It was far from a blockbuster, but it might portend how Getz tries to bolster the pitching staff.
Urquidy’s best season was in 2022, when he went 13-8 with a 3.94 ERA in 29 games (28 starts) for the Astros, who went on to win the World Series. He has pitched in 15 postseason games in his career. The Sox’ starters have combined for zero postseason starts.
This isn’t to say Urquidy will be a savior. He hasn’t pitched in the majors since April 13. After signing with the Pirates in February, Urquidy posted an 8.53 ERA in 6⅓ innings of relief, prompting his demotion to Triple-A. At Indianapolis, he had a 3.66 ERA in 17 starts (83 innings).
But if the Sox need to make a move, Venable said Urquidy will be ready and waiting at Charlotte, where Schultz might end up.
“He’s an option for us,” Venable said before the game. “We know how quickly things change here. There’ll be a need. It could be tomorrow, for all we know.”
Indeed it could.