Luis Robert Jr. is making an All-Star case with 2 more homers in the Chicago White Sox’s 4-1 win vs. the Boston Red Sox
Full rosters for the MLB All-Star Game will be announced July 2, and Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. continues to make a strong case.
Robert homered twice in a 4-1 victory against the Boston Red Sox in front of 26,077 on Sunday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“There’s no doubt in my mind this guy’s an All-Star,” Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “No doubt.”
Robert is tied for fourth in the majors and is second in the American League with 21 home runs.
“It will be a good accomplishment but that’s not my primary goal,” Robert said through an interpreter of a possible All-Star selection. “I want to carry this team to the playoffs and hopefully to the World Series. But it would definitely be an accomplishment if I’m selected to the All-Star Game.”
Robert’s two-run homer — which barely cleared the center-field wall — against Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford in the fourth gave the White Sox a 2-1 lead. They led the rest of the way, with the help of four scoreless relief innings from Jesse Scholtens, to take two of three in the series.
“Every win is critical for us,” Grifol said. “We know where we’re at (34-45, six games out of first in the AL Central), we know where we’ve got to get, we know what we’re trying to do. Every win is critical.
“The one yesterday was really good, the one today was even better. We’re playing a pretty good team and today we pitched, hit some homers and we were clean on defense. Tough to beat when we do that.”
Tanner Banks allowed one run on three hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 2 2/3 innings as the opener. Scholtens allowed two hits, struck out three and walked one in his first big-league win.
“It’s definitely a box checked personally,” Scholtens said. “It’s cool to get that one under your belt, but more importantly it’s cool to contribute at this level and help this team get a win.”
Andrew Benintendi had two hits against his former team, including an RBI double in the fifth.
Robert led off the sixth with a solo homer to left against Crawford, making it 4-1.
“It’s crazy the amount of power he’s got in such a simple swing,” Benintendi said. “It’s fun to watch for sure.”
It’s Robert’s second multihomer game this season — the other was on April 7 in Pittsburgh — and the fifth of his career.
“When you swing at good pitches, you are going to be able to do damage,” Robert said. “I’ve been trying to do that.”
Grifol also highlighted Robert’s defense, which included an incredible running catch on a liner by Kiké Hernández for the first out of the seventh.
“What he does in the outfield is not easy,” Grifol said. “It looks easy, but it’s not easy. He goes gap to gap. You take it for granted. Sometimes I do too. But what he does out there is not easy to do and he does it with ease. He plays the game with ease.
“And then on the offensive side, if he hits pitches in the strike zone, he’s going to do unbelievable damage, and that’s what he’s done the last few days. He’s hunting for off-speeds up, he’s hitting fastballs, he’s not chasing as much. He’s a really damn good player.”
Injury updates
Catcher Yasmani Grandal left Sunday’s game after five innings with a bruised jaw. The Sox said he’s undergoing precautionary evaluations.
“The caution there is not that foul tip, the caution there is if you get another one,” Grifol said. “There’s always that concern if there’s another one, what’s that going to do? Does that one keep him out? I don’t know yet. Haven’t really sat down with our trainers and doctors yet to see what our plan is.”
Before the game, Grifol said reliever Liam Hendriks (right elbow inflammation) will not be back before the All-Star break and it could be “up in the air” whether starter Mike Clevinger (right biceps inflammation) returns before the break.
“He’s a starter, so he’s not coming back for an inning,” Grifol said. “We’ve got to build him up. That one’s a little harder to tell. But for sure with Hendriks, I don’t think he’s going to be back before the All-Star break.”
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