All-Star rookie Shane Smith powered the White Sox to a 7-0, series-opening victory Monday against the Royals with seven innings of one-hit ball in the best start of his young career.
On the fifth anniversary of former Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito’s no-hitter against the Pirates, Smith mowed down the Royals with a steady diet of 97 mph four-seamers and sinkers and mixed in a knee-buckling 84 mph curveball.
Mike Yastrzemski had a ground-rule double in the third, but that was the only hit the Royals were able to muster against Smith, who struck out three and walked one and needed only 80 pitches to get through seven innings. Reliever Tyler Gilbert finished the job.
Manager Will Venable acknowledged Smith ‘‘probably had some more in the tank’’ for the eighth, but the Sox weren’t taking chances after the longest start of his career this late in the season.
‘‘That’s as good as we’ve seen him,’’ Venable said.
It was Smith’s fourth consecutive solid start in a rebound month from his midseason slump. His ERA had doubled from his dazzling first quarter of the season by the time he represented the Sox at the All-Star Game.
‘‘Early on in the year, throwing everything with conviction, you’re not worried about the result after the ball leaves your hand,’’ said Smith, who improved to 4-7 with a 3.87 ERA. ‘‘I think it’s easy to get caught in, ‘If I miss here, if I miss there, damage,’ whatever it is. Just keep throwing your stuff.’’
The Sox gave Smith more support than he would need in the first, pouncing on Royals starter Noah Cameron with RBI doubles from Edgar Quero, Lenyn Sosa and Curtis Mead.
Recently called-up Korey Lee smacked a two-run home run in the fourth before Brooks Baldwin went back-to-back to make it 6-0.
Sosa added an RBI single in the seventh to score Miguel Vargas, who had doubled.
It was the third consecutive victory for the Sox, who scored a combined five runs in their three-game series in Kansas City a week ago.
Korey Lee and Brooks Baldwin go back-to-back! pic.twitter.com/ecBGgJ0gUC
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) August 26, 2025
Rookie rest
Prized rookies Colson Montgomery and Kyle Teel were out of the lineup as the Sox try to keep their core young players healthy down the stretch of their first big-league seasons.
Venable said the team is mapping out days off in the midst of a 17-game stretch without an off-day as many players go deeper into a season than they have before.
‘‘They’re all grinding, and that’s a big part of being a major-leaguer — getting through the dog days here,’’ Venable said. ‘‘We do what we can to give the days here and there. At the same time, they’re going to have to figure out how to play and be productive with their bodies not feeling great.’’
Teel said he has added a five-minute plunge in the cold tub to his pregame routine as he adjusts to the rigors of his first late-summer campaign.
‘‘This is obviously a little bit more games than a lot of us are used to because we’re not playing 162 in the minor leagues,’’ he said. ‘‘But I feel prepared and feel like this is a lot of fun, so I’ve been having a blast.’’