Rookie right-hander Shane Smith returned to strong form after a difficult midseason stretch, recording a 2.45 ERA in his last five starts. He followed seven innings of one-hit, no-run pitching against the Royals with 6 1/3 innings of three-hit, two-run work against the Yankees, with both runs allowed on solo homers. Smith opened the season with a 2.37 ERA through 13 starts before a six-start stretch produced a 9.93 ERA and several short outings. Catcher Kyle Teel praised Smith's electric fastball and development, and manager Will Venable emphasized his growing ability to deploy multiple pitches and reinvent approaches, positioning Smith as a potential building-block starter for the rebuilding White Sox.
"He did a phenomenal job," catcher Kyle Teel said. "His fastball looked electric, and he was making pitches. Really great job by him. "He's a power pitcher, you know? He's starting to learn himself. . . . That's just development, and he's doing great."
"He's got a lot of different ways that he can beat you, different pitches that he can use in different ways," manager Will Venable said Saturday. "As different lineups respond to him differently, he's got to reinvent ways to get outs. "I remember reflecting on a start where he had done well, and it was his changeup that was really good. And the next start, it was the curveball. And then the fastball. "He's done a nice job of just figuring out different ways, and that's why he's been able to be as successful as he has been."
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