Game Thread: White Sox at Reds

Chicago showing signs of life after a tough April

Alright, Sox fans – May has offered a change of pace for our South Siders! After a tough April, the squad (13-29) has already surpassed last month’s win total and snagged two series victories. While we’re still navigating the bottom of the AL standings, it’s worth noting that the Baltimore Orioles (15-24), who just a year ago were in the postseason, have only two more wins than the Pale Hose.

Each week in this game thread, I attempt to point out at least one thing trending in the right direction to provide just a nugget of hope that things are improving. This season, one notable development has been the team’s plate discipline. After averaging a league-worst 2.44 walks per game in 2024, the South Siders have significantly increased that to 3.31 in 2025, tying them with the Cleveland Guardians for 16th in MLB. More free passes mean more opportunities to score – and as our exciting crop of prospects continues to arrive in Chicago, that offensive potential should hopefully only grow.

Taking the mound for the White Sox tonight is Davis Martin, making his ninth start of the year. Consistency has been the name of the game (or rather, the lack thereof) for the righty. He’s been either brilliant, allowing one run or less in half his outings, or struggled, surrendering three or more in the other half. The good news? The Cincinnati Reds’ offense ranks in the bottom third of the league with a .236 batting average. However, Martin’s profile does show a lot of vulnerability.

Baseball Savant

On the offensive side, Miguel Vargas is currently locked in, absolutely raking at the plate! He’s not alone in his hot streak, as Edgar Quero and Lenyn Sosa have also been swinging fiery bats, each hitting over .300 in their last seven games.

Opposing Martin is southpaw Nick Lodolo. The 27-year-old boasts a solid 3-3 record with a 3.23 ERA through eight starts. His arsenal features a four-seam fastball (29.6%), a deceptive curveball (27.5%), a sinker (22.7%), and a nasty changeup (20.1%). That changeup is a real weapon, generating an impressive 33.7% whiff rate, so our hitters will need to be selective and choose wisely.

Finally, here’s a look at how Cincinnati lines it up against the White Sox this evening. Martin has yet to face any of these Reds hitters in his career, adding an element of the unknown to tonight’s matchup. Will his stuff play well? Tune in to find out!

You can watch the broadcast on CHSN at 6:14 p.m. CST. Don’t have CHSN or the antenna? Tune in to Len Kasper and Darin Jackson on the radio call at ESPN 1000.

Also, we’ve added a new feature to our game coverage! You can chat along with us on Playback. It’s simple, just go to the link, sign up with an email, and we can complain together! Additionally, we hope to plan a live watch party soon, so be on the lookout for details.