WHITE SOX HEADLINES OF JULY 11, 2016 “Shields solid, but Sox fall to Braves” … Scott Merkin and Mark Bowman, MLB.com “Frazier prepared to defend Home Run Derby crown” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Quintana added to AL All-Star team” … Scott Merkin, MLB.com “Cueto, Sale named to start All-Star Game” … Staff, MLB.com “All-Star Game: Chris Sale named American League starting pitcher” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Carson Fulmer: White Sox first-rounder Zack Collins ‘can swing it’” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “White Sox prospect Carson Fulmer strikeouts out two in Futures Game” … Dan Hayes, CSN Chicago “Jersey Boy: How a small beachside town transformed Todd Frazier into a star” … JJ Stankevitz, CSN Chicago “White Sox: Jose Quintana excited by surprise All-Star nod” … JJ Stankevitz, CSN Chicago “James Shields strong, but White Sox drop game, series to Braves” … JJ Stankevitz, CSN Chicago “As long as he’s ready, White Sox will welcome Justin Morneau ASAP” … JJ Stankevitz, CSN Chicago “White Sox road ahead: an above-.500 record at the All-Star Break” … Staff, CSN Chicago “Sunday’s recap: Braves 2, White Sox 0” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Minooka grad Mike Foltynewicz shuts down White Sox in Braves’ 2-0 victory” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “Jose Quintana pleasantly surprised with late addition to All-Star team” … Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune “White Sox’s Chris Sale to start All-Star Game” … Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune “Chris Sale named American League starter” … Daryl Van Schouwen, Chicago Sun-Times “White Sox feeling good about themselves at All-Star break” … Toni Ginnetti, Chicago Sun-Times “White Sox notes: Jose Quintana added to Al All-Star roster” … Toni Ginnetti, Chicago Sun-Times “Jose Quintana up, Carlos Rodon very much down for the White Sox” … Rick Morrissey, Chicago Sun-Times “Here’s hoping Cubs and Sox are hot when Crosstown Series arrives” … Rick Morrissey, Chicago Sun-Times “Chicago White Sox’s Quintana thrilled to be an all-star” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “Foltynewicz, Braves shut down White Sox” … Scot Gregor, Daily Herald “White Sox end ‘first half’ with shutout loss to Minooka pitcher” … Jon Greenberg, The Athletic

Shields solid, but Sox fall to Braves

By Scott Merkin and Mark Bowman / MLB.com | July 10th, 2016

CHICAGO -- Mike Foltynewicz became the local-kid-done-good story Sunday afternoon, as he shut out the White Sox over seven innings during the Braves' 2-0 victory at U.S. Cellular Field. The victory for Atlanta ended the White Sox stretch of series victories at five straight. Foltynewicz, who hails from Minooka, Ill., a southwest suburb of Chicago, struck out a career-high 10 and yielded five hits among his 106 pitches. Atlanta catcher and former White Sox backstop Tyler Flowers spoke Friday about the excellence of Foltynewicz's raw stuff, and he proved that point true when he concluded his outing with three strikeouts during a 1-2-3 seventh inning.

"This is a really aggressive-hitting team and with it being a day game, I thought they might be swinging even more," Foltynewicz said. "I just let the defense do the work. When I got ahead, I finally put them away today." "He was fantastic. He has great stuff," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said of Foltynewicz. "The velocity, the control that he had and a good breaking pitch. It was tough. Our guys just couldn't get on it and any time we got something going, he snuffed it out." James Shields took the loss, but certainly pitched well enough to win. The right-hander gave up two runs on six hits over 7 2/3 innings, striking out two and walking two. The lone runs coming against Shields among his 93 pitches were solo home runs by Jeff Francoeur in the second and Jace Peterson in the third. Jim Johnson worked a scoreless ninth inning to get the save for the Braves, who won three of four in Chicago, including Thursday's makeup game against the Cubs. Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said he stayed away from Arodys Vizcaino in the ninth because of an irritation on his right elbow. Johnson got a double-play to end the game. "We felt good and we put good swings on the ball," Francoeur said. "I definitely didn't think just a couple solo shots would be enough, but it was. Good for us." "I was being aggressive in the zone, attacking the hitters with the fastball early, trying to keep ahead in the count," Shields said. "I got behind in the count with a few hitters there, but really I only made two bad pitches today, and unfortunately we lost the game." MOMENTS THAT MATTERED Much-welcomed power: The Braves rank last in the Majors in home runs, but they took advantage of their surroundings as they belted eight home runs this weekend, marking the first time since their 2009 season-opening series in Philadelphia that they recorded this many home runs in a three-game set. Francoeur tallied his second homer of this series with one out in the second and Peterson added to Shields' frustration when he tallied his third homer since June 28 with a two-out solo shot in the third. "We swung the bats well," Snitker said. "Chicago was good to us this trip. It was one of those series when every time the ball went up in the air, it was either going to pierce a gap or go over the wall. Our guys swung the bat well. We played a really good series." Consistent rookie: It took Tim Anderson two at-bats Sunday to produce his 14th multihit game among 28 played for the White Sox. Anderson singled in the first but was caught stealing and singled again in the third. Anderson also turned an unassisted double play in the eighth to help keep the deficit at two. "You are looking at a kid that has improved so much over the course of time we have had him," said Ventura of Anderson. "Now he has the talent to stick here. He has the talent to do some special things. You are starting to see some of it and just range and also just his character. That's another thing that is very good for our team that we've been able to add him." Keeping it close: Atlanta had chances to extend their lead in the fifth and the sixth, but Shields shut them down both times. A.J. Pierzynski doubled and moved to third on Brett Lawrie's error with one out in the fifth, only to have Erick Aybar hit into a double play. Shields walked two in the sixth, with the runners advancing to second and third with one out on a wild pitch. But Shields retired Nick Markakis on a grounder to first baseman Jose Abreu and struck out Francoeur. "I just go start-by-start, honestly. I don't put too much emphasis on any start," Shields said. "Even when I was struggling, I wasn't putting too much emphasis on any start. Being consistent and being on the same page as Navi (Dioner Navarro) back there, it has been great." A.J.'s latest milestone: Pierzynski's fifth inning double was the 400th of his career, allowing him to join Pudge Rodriguez, Ted Simmons and Carlton Fisk as the only catchers to ever reach this milestone. This

might have been the final game the 39-year-old catcher played at U.S. Cellular Field. He recorded 198 doubles while playing for the White Sox from 2005-12. QUOTABLE "Getting away from the field on a high note is huge. We're going to take it, enjoy this flight home and come back strong after the (All-Star) break. -- Peterson "We had a good stretch there, and we feel really good going into the break." -- Shields SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS Before Pierzynski caught Anderson attempting to swipe second base in the first inning, opponents had been successful with 32 consecutive stolen base attempts against Braves' catchers dating back to May 26. Opponents have been successful with 66 of 73 stolen base attempts against Atlanta's catchers. . The White Sox ended the first half at 45-43, marking the first time they were over .500 at this point since 2012 (47-38). UPON FURTHER REVIEW Abreu originally was ruled out on a hard-hit grounder bobbled by third baseman Adonis Garcia, but replays showed that first baseman Freddie Freeman was off the bag in grabbing the throw. Ventura challenged the call, after bench coach Rick Renteria raced to the dugout phone to check on the play, and the call was overturned with Abreu getting credit for an infield single. The Braves won a challenge after Ender Inciarte was called out at first base with two outs in the seventh inning. The initial call was reversed after a review showed Inciarte beat Abreu's flip to Shields at the bag. WHAT'S NEXT Braves: Atlanta will begin the second half of the season on Friday night, when it welcomes Colorado to Turner Field for the start of a three-game series. The Braves will not announce Friday's starting pitcher until they see whether Julio Teheran pitches in Tuesday night's All-Star Game. White Sox: The White Sox start the second half in Anaheim, with a 9:05 p.m. CT first pitch on Friday. Jose Quintana was scheduled to start, but with his late addition to the American League All-Star team, the team will turn to Miguel Gonzalez to get the call.

Frazier prepared to defend Home Run Derby crown

By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | July 10th, 2016

CHICAGO -- As soon as the participants of tonight's 2016 T-Mobile Home Derby (8 p.m. ET/5 PT on ESPN, simulcast live on MLB.com) were announced, Todd Frazier, the White Sox slugger and defending champion, took to Twitter with a brief message. "It's about that time #cantwait," Frazier tweeted from his @FlavaFraz21 account, along with the brackets for the eight players involved. Frazier earned the No. 2 seed, despite not being selected as an All-Star, with Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez serving as his first-round opponent. There was no doubt Frazier wanted to defend his championship captured last year before a raucous home crowd in Cincinnati. Frazier had such a great experience in 2015, with one of his brothers, Charlie, throwing to him, and another brother, Jeff, serving as his "hype man," that he's been pretty much thinking about it every day since winning last July. Both of his brothers will return with Frazier to the '16 competition.

"I was one of those guys, if I wasn't playing baseball, we'd be down the street at the high school playing Yankee/Pirate," Frazier told MLB.com back in May in regard to the Derby. "You take half the field and you can't hit it over there. Other people have a different name. We called it Yankee/Pirate, don't ask me why. "You try to hit laser beams. I've been doing it my whole life. Little League we had a home run derby. High school, I came in second. I think it was a metal bat, it was 25-24. He went last so that's why he beat me. I have a high school coach who busts my chops to this day. "Minor Leagues, I came in second and then first time in the Major Leagues, I came in second again," Frazier said. "Then I got my opportunity and won it. I love that stuff, man." Frazier has 25 home runs, ranking him second in the AL behind the 28 hit by Baltimore's Mark Trumbo, who also will be part of the Derby. Trumbo goes against Corey Seager and Robinson Cano against Giancarlo Stanton on one side of the bracket, with Frazier/Gonzalez and Adam Duvall against Wil Myers on the other half. One worry for White Sox fans and possibly the organization is that Frazier struggled in the second half of the '15 season following the Derby. He hit .220 with 10 homers and 32 RBIs in the second half, after hitting .284 with 25 homers and 57 RBIs before the break. But Frazier admitted to being worn down in the season's second half, while also dealing with the fact of the Reds being well out of any postseason contention. The White Sox enter the All-Star break seven games behind the Indians in the AL Central and 4 ½ out of the second AL Wild Card. Brackets in the first round were seeded based on 2016 home run totals through Wednesday's games. Frazier will be competing in the event for the third consecutive year. He also joins Carlton Fisk (1985), Frank Thomas (1994-95), Paul Konerko (2002) and Jermaine Dye (2006) as White Sox participants in the Derby, with Thomas' 15 homers in '95 giving him the title. Here's how the Derby will work: The players were seeded one through eight based on home runs totals through Wednesday. The winners of those two dinger duels will meet in the other semi. Then the last two sluggers standing hack for the hardware in the final round. And now for the rules: • Single-elimination tournament in which the winner of each matchup advances and the loser of each matchup is eliminated. • If the second batter hits more home runs than the first batter in any matchup, he will be declared the winner and not attempt to hit additional home runs. • Four minutes per batter for each round. Clock starts with the release of the first pitch. In the first round and semifinals, each batter is entitled to one 45-second "time out." In the finals, each batter is entitled to two 45-second "time-outs." • Thirty seconds of bonus time will be awarded for two home runs that each equal or exceed 440 feet. • Ties in any round will be broken by a 60-second swing-off with no stoppage of time or additional time added. If a tie remains after the swing-off, batters will engage in successive three-swing swing-offs until there is a winner.

Quintana added to AL All-Star team White Sox lefty replaces Indians’ Salazar for Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic By Scott Merkin / MLB.com | July 10th, 2016

CHICAGO - Jose Quintana was working in the weight room at the White Sox clubhouse Sunday morning when manager Robin Ventura asked to speak with him. The humble young hurler couldn't really imagine the news that was to follow: Quintana was named an All-Star for the first time in his career, replacing Cleveland's Danny Salazar on the American League roster. Quintana was given his All-Star jersey in a pregame ceremony at U.S. Cellular Field after Chris Sale received his and Todd Frazier were recognized for being part of the T-Mobile Home Run Derby. Quintana will fly out early Monday morning with his family, as the news came too late Sunday to make plans for travel. "When Robin talked to me, I couldn't believe that," said a beaming Quintana after his team dropped a 2-0 decision to the Braves to end the first half at 45-43. "It's a goal for players, making it to the All-Star Game. "I'm so happy. All my preparation and work, to get that, it's really exciting for me. I told Sale we are going to have fun." Over 18 first-half starts, Quintana has produced a 7-8 record with a 3.21 ERA, 105 strikeouts and sits fourth in the AL in innings pitched at 117 2/3. He has a WHIP of 1.11, placing him sixth. Those numbers overshadowed Quintana's won-loss record, a ledger that improved with two straight victories after losing seven straight and going winless in nine consecutive trips to the mound. His 55 no-decisions since 2012 are the most in the Majors since that time, but Quintana never has pointed a finger and never complained about a perpetual lack of run support. That attitude makes this honor cherished even more within the White Sox clubhouse. "Well deserved. Well deserved," said White Sox starter James Shields, who suffered the loss Sunday despite allowing two solo homers over 7 2/3 innings. "He works as hard as anybody in the league. He's such a good guy, a good dude. He has been really, really good all season long. Unfortunately, he hasn't had the run support we would like him to have. But I'm so happy for him." "You just really pull for a guy that has worked as hard as he does, dealt with the no-decisions and things like that," said White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper, who has watched every one of Quintana's pitches. "This might be a little bit of a payback for him handling it so well. It's just really good." Julio Teheran and Edgar Renteria stand as the other Colombian-born players to make the All-Star team. Teheran, Quintana's friend who he beat on Saturday, will be in San Diego as part of the NL squad. Salazar's absence probably gives the AL starting nod to Sale for the All-Star Game presented by MasterCard at Petco Park. But Sunday's attention fell upon the 27-year-old who has 12 quality starts, 10.17 baserunners allowed per nine innings and has held opponents to an OPS of .662. "My plan was to stay here and have fun with my family," Quintana said. "Now, we'll go fly to San Diego." "Again you take out the record and any numbers that matter, he's at the top," Ventura said. "He's very excited. Our team was very excited for him. You are just happy."

Cueto, Sale named to start All-Star Game By Staff / MLB.com | July 11th, 2016 Johnny Cueto and Chris Sale will be the starting pitchers in the 87th All-Star Game presented by MasterCard, to be played Tuesday at Petco Park in San Diego (7:30 p.m. ET on FOX). The right-handed Cueto is 13-1 in 18 starts, and his 2.47 ERA ranks behind only the Dodgers' Clayton Kershaw (1.79) and Giants teammate Madison Bumgarner (1.94) for the best in the Major Leagues. The left-handed Sale has a 14-3 record with a 3.38 ERA for the White Sox. NATIONAL LEAGUE STARTING LINEUP Ben Zobrist, 2B Bryce Harper, RF Kris Bryant, 3B Wil Myers, DH Buster Posey, C Anthony Rizzo, 1B Marcell Ozuna, CF Carlos Gonzalez, LF Addison Russell, ss Johnny Cueto, p AMERICAN LEAGUE STARTING LINEUP Jose Altuve, 2B Mike Trout, CF Manny Machado, 3B David Ortiz, DH Xander Bogaerts, SS Eric Hosmer, 1B Mookie Betts, RF Salvador Perez, C Jackie Bradley Jr., LF Chris Sale, P

All-Star Game: Chris Sale named American League starting pitcher By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | July 11th, 2016 SAN DIEGO — Chris Sale will bring his best against the best on Tuesday as he has been named the American League’s starting pitcher for the All-Star Game. A five-time All-Star, the White Sox pitcher was named the starter by AL manager Ned Yost on Monday morning. Sale is 14-3 with a 3.38 ERA in 18 starts this season. He leads all of baseball in victories and leads the AL with 125 innings pitched and three complete games. Sale didn’t appear in the 2015 All-Star Game. But he pitched in the exhibition in the three previous years, earning a victory with two scoreless innings in the 2013 contest at Citi Field in New York. The last White Sox pitcher to start an All-Star Game was Mark Buehrle in 2005. Esteban Loaiza started the 2003 Midsummer Classic, which took place at U.S. Cellular Field.

Carson Fulmer: White Sox first-rounder Zack Collins ‘can swing it’ By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | July 10th, 2016 SAN DIEGO — Carson Fulmer played alongside White Sox first-rounder Zack Collins for Team USA two years ago. He has a piece of advice for opposing minor-league pitchers. “He can swing it,” Fulmer said. “Don’t leave it over the middle of the plate.” The White Sox used the 10th pick in last month’s amateur draft to select Collins from University of Miami. The catcher, who also last month won the Johnny Bench Award, boasts one of the bigger bats and better approaches of the draft class, according to several analysts. Fulmer, whom the team selected with the eighth pick in the 2015 draft, likes the addition of Collins. The two Floridians played for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team in 2014. “You get a quality guy and a quality player,” Fulmer said before the All-Star Futures Game on Sunday afternoon. “He’s going to bring it any time he steps to the plate and any time he steps on the field. Knowing Zack, he’s a really good guy to have around in the clubhouse, and that’s an important thing to have to win.”

White Sox prospect Carson Fulmer strikeouts out two in Futures Game By Dan Hayes / CSN Chicago | July 10th, 2016 SAN DIEGO — If they ask him to head to the bullpen, Carson Fulmer is confident he can handle the switch. He likes being a starting pitcher, but the White Sox top prospect thinks his style of pitching lends to a natural transition to a relief role. Many prospect analysts have often suggested Fulmer — who struck out two in a scoreless inning at the All-Star Futures Game on Sunday afternoon at Petco Park — better projects as a reliever. With a shortage on healthy, effective relievers, the White Sox could call upon Fulmer soon and use him in a relief role. “I’m a max-effort guy,” Fulmer said. “I do everything I do every time I go out there, and I don’t think that transition will be that big of a difference. It’s the same game. You’re still facing hitters, and I just try to keep the same approach every time I go out there. I don’t think it’ll be a big transition at all if that’s what they decide to do.” After he struggled early in the season, Fulmer has been in a groove. In his last seven starts, Fulmer has a 3.51 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 41 innings. He also has cut down his walk rate almost in half. In his first 46 innings, Fulmer averaged 6.65 walks per nine innings. He has reduced that to 3.73 per nine over the last 41 innings. Fulmer attributes his rebound to staying positive and to improved command of his curveball. He has continued to throw the cut-fastball, a pitch he learned in big league camp this spring, and get more comfortable with it. “You continue to move regardless of the results you have,” Fulmer said. “I’ve had my adversities this year, and I’m over the hump now. I feel great, and I’ve learned a lot from experience. “I’ve been able to throw (the curve) early on in counts, late in counts. It’s a big pitch I wasn’t really able to have a feel for early on in the year. I feel good now.”

Fulmer also feels like he could help the White Sox compete this season. If moving to the ‘pen comes with a promotion, Fulmer, the eighth overall pick of the 2015 amateur draft, is on board. “I’ll do whatever it takes to not only get there, but help the team win,” Fulmer said. “For me that’s the most important thing in this game is to win and to continue to have a good culture, and I want to contribute any way I can.”

Jersey Boy: How a small beachside town transformed Todd Frazier into a star By JJ Stankevitz / CSN Chicago | July 10th, 2016 With a knowing grin on his face, Todd Frazier worked his way around the cramped confines of the visitor’s clubhouse at Fenway Park with a large silver tin. He stopped at everybody — teammates, coaches, support staff, media relations, media members — peeling back the aluminum foil covering the container to reveal a coffee cake dusted with white powdered sugar that his mother, Joan, baked and brought up for this trip from the family’s home in Toms River, N.J. Make no mistake, this was the best coffee cake in New Jersey, if not the world, according to Frazier. It was, quite literally, a slice of home for the White Sox third baseman who’s remained committed to his roots since he rose to national and local fame — and started signing autographs — at the age of 12. *** Long before he was winning a Home Run Derby or becoming the centerpiece of the White Sox offseason roster retooling, Frazier was the undersized youngest brother in a family full of athletes. His two older brothers, Charlie and Jeff — who both went on to be MLB Draft picks, Charlie in the sixth round by the Florida Marlins in 1999 and Jeff by the Detroit Tigers in the third round in 2004 — and their friends often didn’t want to pick Todd for their backyard games due to his youth and diminutive stature. “He was always a little guy to us,” Charlie says. “We always called him Todd the Toad because he never grew.” There was a problem with this exclusion from baseball, football, basketball or whatever game the Fraziers would play, though. Jeff says if Todd was ever left out, he’d go in and tell his father, Charlie Frazier Sr., that his older brothers wouldn’t let him participate. So Charlie Frazier Sr. would come out, take the ball, and say if Todd isn’t playing, nobody’s playing. And all of a sudden, Todd would be on a team. If it was football, he’d be in the middle of the huddle urging his elder teammates to remember, hey, I’m here, and I’m going to get open. “I think he always had that will in him to say hey, listen, whether I’m not good enough today or tomorrow, I’m going to keep working and I’m going to prove you wrong,” Jeff says. “So it was kind of like he had no choice. He had to fight his whole way up. And it’s obviously paid off.” The competitiveness stretched beyond the backyards and streets around Toms River. Charlie estimates he, Jeff and Todd broke “four or five” ping pong tables as kids because games would get so heated, someone inevitably would slam a corner of the table after losing a game, rendering the surface unplayable. Charlie and Jeff had the luxury of being the oldest kids, too, when it came to picking their favorite sports teams. Toms River is about the same distance to New York as it is to Philadelphia, so for the kids, there were decisions to be made as to which teams to root for. But there was no way the three Frazier boys were going to root for the same side.

So Charlie and Jeff laid claim to New York’s teams — Charlie was a Yankees and Giants fan, Jeff was a Mets and Jets fan. Todd picked the Boston Red Sox as his childhood team, but when it came to the NFL, he decided to be a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan. “I tell him every year, have fun with that one, bro,” Jeff laughs. When Todd and Toms River East reached the Little League World Series, ESPN listed him at 5-foot-2, 104 pounds. The growth spurt came later, sometime around the end of middle school and the beginning of high school. When it did, Todd quickly became able to compete with his athletic siblings. It’s hard to imagine Frazier, who will compete in his third Home Run Derby Monday night in San Diego and has the most home runs of any White Sox third baseman before the All-Star break, as an underdog. But in his family structure, that’s what he was as a kid. And it’s something he still appreciates to this day. “I loved every second of it,” Frazier says. “I loved everybody saying, you gotta live up to (them). I couldn’t ask for two better people to look up to and try to live up to. They were always pushing me to be better. … I thank them all the time and whatever records they had, I was trying to get those records and eventually I broke mostly all of them. I thank them every day of the week and I couldn’t ask for two better guys to look up to.”

White Sox: Jose Quintana excited by surprise All-Star nod By JJ Stankevitz / CSN Chicago | July 10th, 2016 Jose Quintana high fived and hugged Chris Sale in the White Sox clubhouse after Sunday’s game, delivering a simple message: See you tomorrow. Prior to the White Sox 2-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves Sunday afternoon, Quintana was named to the American League All-Star roster, replacing Cleveland Indians right-hander Danny Salazar, who bowed out after experiencing mild elbow discomfort. Quintana’s manager and teammates thought he was snubbed from the initial roster due to his mediocre record — he’s 7-8 — that’s far more the product of poor run support than anything the 27-year-old left-hander did. Quintana said he “couldn’t believe” he made the All-Star team when manager Robin Ventura told him Sunday morning. “It's a goal for players, making it to the All-Star Game,” Quintana said. “I’m so happy, so happy. All my preparation and work, to get that, it's really exciting for me.” Quintana and Sale are the first pair of White Sox starting pitchers to make an All-Star team since 2012 (Sale and Jake Peavy) and are the first duo of lefties to represent the White Sox at an All-Star game since 1964 (Gary Peters and Juan Pizarro). Quintana’s 2.9 fWAR ranks third among American League starters, behind only Cleveland's Corey Kluber and New York's Masahiro Tanaka, and he’s sixth in ERA (3.21) and fourth in FIP (3.48) in the league. “You take out the record and any numbers that matter, he’s at the top,” Ventura said. “He’s very excited. Our team was very excited for him.” “He works as hard as anybody in the league,” White Sox starter James Shields said. “He’s such a good guy, a good dude. He has been really, really good all season long. Unfortunately he hasn’t had the run support we would like him to have. But I’m so happy for him. It’s well deserved.” With Quintana’s All-Star nod, the White Sox re-worked their post-All-Star break rotation. Instead of starting Quintana on Friday against the Los Angeles Angels as initially planned, right-hander Miguel Gonzalez and Shields will start Friday and Saturday. Sunday’s starter is to be determined, though if

Quintana and Sale both pitch Tuesday, it could push both back to the following series against the Seattle Mariners (July 18-20). Quintana had planned on spending the All-Star break in Chicago with his wife and daughter, so he was scrambling Sunday to figure out his new last-minute travel plans. He’ll fly to San Diego on Monday morning in one of the more rewarding whirlwinds of his career. “The change is good,” Quintana smiled.

James Shields strong, but White Sox drop game, series to Braves By JJ Stankevitz / CSN Chicago | July 10th, 2016 James Shields’ best start in a White Sox uniform wasn’t enough to keep the streak alive. Despite Shields’ 7 2/3 innings of two-run ball, the White Sox offense sputtered to a 2-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves in front of 29,156 on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field. Coupled with Chris Sale’s poor start Friday that resulted in a defeat, the White Sox lost their first series since June 17-19 against the Cleveland Indians, ending a stretch of five consecutive series victories. Shields only allowed a pair of solo home runs to Jeff Francouer and Jace Peterson in the second and third innings, respectively. The 34-year-old right-hander allowed six hits and two walks with two strikeouts in what was his longest start since Sept. 5, 2014, when he was with the Kansas City Royals. Over 25 1/3 innings over his last four starts, Shields has a 2.84 ERA. That’s more in line with the 3.06 ERA he had in 10 starts before racking up a gargantuan 24.62 ERA in four starts from May 31 to June 18. “This is the best he’s been since he’s been here,” manager Robin Ventura said. The White Sox offense couldn’t solve Braves starter and Minooka, Ill., native Mike Foltynewicz, who struck out 10 over seven shutout innings. Only once did the White Sox put two men on base against the 24-year-old right-hander. Still, the White Sox (45-43) are over .500 at the All-Star break for the first time since 2012. After winning 23 of their first 33 games, then losing 26 of their next 36, the White Sox feel things have normalized a bit as they get some time off before the second half begins Friday in California against the Los Angeles Angels. “It was good, then it was bad, then it started getting good again,” manager Robin Ventura said. “It’s that simple — we were playing good baseball, then we didn’t play good baseball, and now we’re playing better baseball. I think, for these guys, they put that out of their mind and now you’re just, you’re continuing to go every day. Every day’s a new day. I think once you’ve lived through it you can see that the sun comes up the next day and you get back after it.” The White Sox still have a grave need for better production from their designated hitters — Justin Morneau’s debut, which should come after the All-Star break, should help — and they’ll have to fill at least one turn in the rotation lost to Carlos Rodon’s sprained wrist. But even in the face of Sunday’s loss to the lowly Braves — who still own the worst record in baseball — the White Sox will head into the All-Star break feeling relatively confident about where they’re sitting in the American League playoff race. “We had a good stretch there, and we feel really good going into the break,” Shields said. “Our team has been playing really well as of late, the last three, four weeks or so, and hopefully we’ll hit our stride after the break.”

As long as he’s ready, White Sox will welcome Justin Morneau ASAP By JJ Stankevitz / CSN Chicago | July 10th, 2016 With Triple-A Charlotte entering its own All-Star break this week, White Sox first baseman/designated hitter Justin Morneau will continue his rehab assignment with Double-A Birmingham beginning Monday. The goal for Morneau, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list after signing a one-year, $1 million deal June 9, has always been to make his 2016 debut sometime after the All-Star break. The White Sox begin the second half Friday in California against the Los Angeles Angels. “I think for him it’s always going to be about his pace and what he feels like he can handle and where he’s at,” manager Robin Ventura said. “I think we’re at a point where you’d welcome it as soon as you can get him as long as he’s comfortable and feels like he’s ready. That’s going to be the biggest thing, and we’re going to have to be patient with that, for him, knowing when’s the right time to give a thumbs up.” Morneau has 19 plate appearances over six games during his minor league rehab assignment, with two hits (a single and triple), one walk and four strikeouts. The 35-year-old said last week he’s not concerned with the results of his at-bats as he tries to get his timing back. The 2006 American League MVP posted an .860 and .821 OPS in 2014 and 2015, respectively, with the Colorado Rockies and has a .282/.349/.483 slash line over 13 major league seasons. Even if Morneau hits below his career averages, though, he’d likely provide an offensive boost to a White Sox lineup that’s struggled to get production from its designated hitters this season. Entering Sunday’s first half finale, White Sox designated hitters have combined for -1.0 WAR and have the second-worst OPS (.615) in the American League. The six home runs that White Sox players have hit as designated hitters represent the lowest total in the league, too. [RELATED: White Sox LHP Jose Quintana named to All-Star team] So while the White Sox aren’t rushing Morneau to the majors, there’s a pretty clear need for improvement that they hope he can provide. “He’s a veteran presence in there, left-handed hitter, and any time you add somebody like him or you mix him in there, is your lineup gets a little deeper,” Ventura said. “There’s a dangerous left-handed hitter in there that we didn’t necessarily have before that you can insert in there. It helps your lineup in a lot of different ways.”

White Sox road ahead: an above-.500 record at the All-Star Break By Staff / CSN Chicago | July 10th, 2016 The White Sox are over .500 at the All-Star break. After a hot start to the season, that might not seem like something worth bragging about. But there was a pretty rough stretch in there, too, and after recently winning five straight series, a 45-43 record gives the White Sox their first above-.500 mark at the All-Star break since 2012. Chris Sale and Jose Quintana will suit up for the American League All-Star team on Tuesday — and Todd Frazier will swing away in Monday's Home Run Derby — but then it's back to work in the second half.

Sunday’s recap: Braves 2, White Sox 0 By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | July 10th, 2016 James Shields gave up two solo home runs over 7 2/3 innings, and that was all the Braves needed for a 2-0 victory over the White Sox on Sunday afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field. Jeff Francoeur homered to left field in the second and Jace Peterson added a shot to right field in the third for the early lead. The Braves won the series to halt the Sox’s series winning streak at five, and the Sox dropped to 45-43 at the All-Star break. At the plate Minooka High School graduate Mike Foltynewicz shut down the Sox over seven innings, allowing five hits with no walks and 10 strikeouts. J.B. Shuck and Tim Anderson had back-to-back two-out hits in the third, but Adam Eaton flied out to left field to strand them. Jose Abreu led off the fourth with a single, but the Sox couldn’t advance him. On the mound Shields pitched his longest outing since September 2014, allowing just two earned runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Key number 2010 – The last time the Sox won six straight series, as they were trying to do Sunday. The quote “There was a little bit of the mental stuff he has to get over, coming to a new team, probably trying to impress,” Sox manager Robin Ventura said of Shields. “That’s now on the back burner. He has had a couple of good ones, and you go from there.”

Minooka grad Mike Foltynewicz shuts down White Sox in Braves’ 2-0 victory By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | July 10th, 2016 White Sox right-hander James Shields said he "really only made two bad pitches" Sunday afternoon against the Braves. That was all the Braves needed to halt the Sox's series winning streak at five with a 2-0 victory at U.S. Cellular Field. Shields gave up two solo home runs in 72/3 innings, but Minooka High graduate Mike Foltynewicz outdueled him to push the Sox to 45-43 at the All-Star break. In his first career start on the South Side, Foltynewicz, 24, shut down the Sox over seven innings, allowing five hits with no walks and a career-high 10 strikeouts. Sox manager Robin Ventura said it was Shields' best performance for the Sox since joining them via trade in June. But he called Foltynewicz "fantastic." "(Foltynewicz) has great stuff, anytime you can get it up there around 100 (mph)," Ventura said. "It didn't fall off either, the velocity, the control that he had and a good breaking pitch. It was tough. Our guys just couldn't get on it, and any time we got something going, he snuffed it out."

It was Shields' longest outing since September 2014. He allowed two earned runs on six hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Jeff Francoeur homered to left-center in the second and Jace Peterson added a shot to right in the third. After a disastrous start with the Sox, Shields has gone 2-1 with a 2.84 ERA over his last four starts. "You want to go as deep as you can in the game … keep the team in the game and give us a chance to win," Shields said. "We definitely wanted to take that series and make it six in a row. … Our team has been playing really well as of late, the last three, four weeks or so, and hopefully we'll hit our stride after the break." The Sox hope they will be a healthier, stronger team soon after the break. On Sunday, they were without closer David Robertson, who had a strained left leg. Catcher Alex Avila (strained right hamstring), left-hander Carlos Rodon (sprained left wrist) and center fielder Austin Jackson (left knee surgery) all are on the disabled list but could return at varying points in the second half. "You start getting guys healthy, that becomes important to you," Ventura said. "It's like adding guys. Our (injury) list got really big the last couple days, so you deal with it. Fortunately, (Robertson's injury) happened right before the break. You catch a break by having these days where he can heal up." The Sox also are watching designated hitter Justin Morneau as he attempts to return from offseason elbow surgery. He went 2-for-17 with an RBI and a walk in six games with Triple-A Charlotte and moved his rehab assignment to Double-A Birmingham so he could continue to play over the Triple-A All-Star break. "We're at a point where you'd welcome it as soon as you can get him, as long as he's comfortable and feels like he's ready," Ventura said. "He's a veteran presence in there, left-handed hitter, and any time you add somebody like him, your lineup gets a little deeper."

Jose Quintana pleasantly surprised with late addition to All-Star team By Colleen Kane / Chicago Tribune | July 10th, 2016 White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana was going to work in the weight room Sunday morning when manager Robin Ventura told him he needed to change his plans for the All-Star break. "The change is good," a smiling Quintana said later Sunday. Instead of hanging out in Chicago with his family as planned, Quintana will head to San Diego for his first All-Star Game after being named as an American League replacement for Indians right-hander Danny Salazar. The Indians told reporters that Salazar was sitting out because of a sore right elbow, and AL manager Ned Yost named Quintana as the substitute. "When Robin talked to me, I couldn't believe that," Quintana said. "It's a goal for players, making it to the All-Star Game. I'm so happy, so happy. All my preparation and work, to get that, it's really exciting for me. I told (Chris) Sale that we are going to have some fun." Quintana joins Sale as the only Sox All-Stars. Third baseman Todd Frazier will also be in San Diego to participate in the Home Run Derby. The Sox made the announcement before Sunday's 2-0 loss to the Braves, presenting Quintana with his jersey on the field. Because of the late news, Quintana said he won't leave with his wife and daughter until Monday morning.

"He was a little stunned at first," Ventura said. "He came to the ballpark not expecting news like that. But again he's a very humble kid. He's very excited and very happy about it. "Everybody is excited for him. You take out the record, and any numbers that matter, he's at the top (of the league)." Quintana is 7-8 but ranks among the AL leaders with a 3.21 ERA (tied for sixth), a 1.11 WHIP (sixth), 1172/3 innings pitched (fifth) and a .285 opponents on-base percentage (seventh). He has 12 quality starts this year, and since becoming a starter in 2012, he has amassed 85 quality starts, ranking third in the AL behind only David Price (103) and Sale (98). "He works as hard as anybody in the league," right-hander James Shields said. "He's such a good guy, a good dude. He has been really, really good all season long. Unfortunately he hasn't had the run support we would like him to have. But I'm so happy for him. It's well-deserved." Quintana is the third Colombian-born player to make the All-Star team, following Edgar Renteria and Julio Teheran. "That's exciting for the country," Quintana said. "Colombia's crazy now." Extra innings: Sox trainer Herm Schneider, visiting clubhouse manager Gabe Morell and director of conditioning Allen Thomas will be part of the AL staff at the game. … Sox top prospect Carson Fulmer pitched a perfect inning for the U.S. team in the Futures Game in San Diego on Sunday night. Fulmer struck out two. ... Quintana was originally scheduled to pitch Friday against the Angels in the first game back from the All-Star break. Ventura said Miguel Gonzalez will pitch Friday, followed by Shields on Saturday. … The Sox optioned right-handed reliever Chris Beck to Triple-A Charlotte after Sunday's game. A corresponding move will be made Friday.

White Sox’s Chris Sale to start All-Star Game By Paul Sullivan / Chicago Tribune | July 11th, 2016 White Sox pitcher Chris Sale was named as the American League starter in Tuesday’s All-Star Game, facing off against the National League's Johnny Cueto of the Giants. American League manager Ned Yost said Sale was his choice to start last year’s game, but the Sox did not want Sale to pitch because he’d thrown against the Cubs on the previous Saturday. “I plan on just letting it eat for an inning, just getting after it,” Sale said. “There are really no repercussions that come from this game other than just having fun and competing. That’s all I’m really going to try and do ... I fully intend on going out there and giving it everything I’ve got for an inning or two, whatever it may be.” Yost said Sale will pitch one inning, while Jose Quintana is slated to pitch the fifth inning. Sale leads all major league pitchers with 14 wins, and ranks third among AL pitchers with 123 strikeouts. He’s been in a mini-slump since May 24, with a .556 ERA and 12 home runs served up in 56 2/3 innings, including three in five innings by the Braves in his last start. With the game being played in San Diego, the tributes to former Padres Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn will be going on throughout the next two days. Sale gave his own tribute to Gwynn on Monday. “He actually made a very big impact on my life,” he said. “I chewed tobacco from 2007 until the day he passed away. I remember seeing that and was so shocked. He was a larger than life person. He was an inspiration to the game for many, many people for a lot of different reasons. I quit that day and haven’t

touched it since, so in a sense I owe him a huge thank you, not only for myself but for my family. Hopefully I can maybe sway somebody in the right direction, as he did for me.” Sale credited the coaches and family who got him in this position. “I’ve had a lot of good mentors and coaches along the way to get me to where I am,” he said. “This wasn’t me just figuring it out on my own. I’ve had a lot of people pushing me in the right direction, teammates and family and coaches. So I’m just very appreciative of all that have put me together to get me to this point today.” Cubs starter Jake Arrieta lost out to Cueto for the National League nod by manager Terry Collins. Ben Zobrist will lead off for the National League, with Kris Bryant batting third, Anthony Rizzo sixth and Addison Russell ninth.

Chris Sale named American League starter By Daryl Van Schouwen / Chicago Sun-Times | July 11th, 2016 SAN DIEGO — White Sox left-hander Chris Sale will start for the American League in the All-Star Game Tuesday night. It will be Sale’s fifth All-Star Game and his fourth as a participant. He has been an All-Star in each of his five seasons as a starting pitcher. This will be his first assignment as the game’s starter. Sale will take a 14-3 record and 3.38 ERA into the game. He is 71-43 with a 2.97 ERA in his career. San Francisco Giants right-hander Johnny Cueto was named the National League starter by manager Terry Collins. Cubs right-hander Jake Arrieta was in the mix among potential choices for Collins. “What an honor,” Sale said. “I can’t put it into words. I just want to go out there with some energy and get the game started on the right foot.” Yost said White Sox lefty Jose Quintana will pitch, most likely in the fifth inning for the AL team. Here is the AL lineup: Altuve 2B Trout CF Machado 3B Ortiz DH Bogaerts SS Hosmer 1B Betts RF Perez C Bradley Jr LF Sale P

The National League lineup: Zobrist 2B, Harper RF, Bryant 3B, Myers DH, Posey C, Rizzo 1B, Ozuna CF, C Gonzalez LF, Russell SS, Cueto P

White Sox feeling good about themselves at All-Star break By Toni Ginnetti / Chicago Sun-Times | July 10th, 2016 The White Sox left a trail of mixed messages in the first half, and the road to the finish will be just as winding. A team that can go through stretches of 23-10 followed by 7-20 and then 16-12 is frustrating to follow, manage and predict. And it could be confounding to retool in the second half to meet the playoff hopes that ushered in 2016. “It was good, then it was bad, then it started getting good again,’’ manager Robin Ventura said Sunday. “We were playing good baseball, then we didn’t play good baseball, and now we’re playing better baseball. “I think, for these guys, they put [the streaks] out of their minds and now you’re just continuing to go every day. Every day’s a new day. I think once you’re lived through it, you can see that the sun comes up the next day and you get back after it.’’ Truth be told, the Sox players, hierarchy and especially Ventura lived and died through much of the first half, especially the bad stretch. That can haunt a lesser team and a manager facing the added burden that each game in a bad stretch might be his last. General manager Rick Hahn deflected the pressure off Ventura, and it’s not likely to increase in the second half, win or lose, given that Ventura is in the last months of his contract. It might well be Ventura who decides what his future with the organization will be after this year. Until then, a trip to the playoffs is the overriding demand, and it will figure into a critical month of July, when Hahn must decide how much to retool, and at what cost, before the trade deadline Aug. 1. Those decisions will be influenced not just on how the Sox play, but on how the rest of the American League Central plays, as well as the teams contending for the two wild-card spots. At the very least, the Sox will have to play better within their division (they’re 14-19) with 43 games left against the Central. Injuries are an unknown for every team, but the Sox know they’ll start the second half without starter Carlos Rodon (sprained left wrist). There are other unknowns, some potently positive and others unclear. Will James Shields turn out to be Hahn’s sly early coup that bolsters the rotation? He pitched well again Sunday, allowing only two solo homers in 7⅔ innings in a 2-0 loss to the Braves. “This is the best he’s been since he’s been here,’’ Ventura said of Shields, who won his previous two starts.

“I just go start-by-start honestly. Even when I was struggling, I wasn’t putting too much emphasis on any start. Being consistent and on the same page with [catcher Dioner Navarro] has been great.’’ Even without trades, the Sox will be different in the second half if Justin Morneau can return healthy. Morneau, signed as a free agent last month, is on a rehab assignment in the minors. “I think for him it’s always going to be about his pace and what he feels like he can handle and where he’s at,’’ Ventura said of Morneau, who missed most of last season because of a neck strain and concussion symptoms. There are other positives, including what rookie Tim Anderson might provide for a full half and how a rebounding Jose Abreu will help the offense. “We feel really good going into the break,’’ Shields said. “Our team as been playing really well as of late, and hopefully we’ll hit our stride after the break.’’

White Sox notes: Jose Quintana added to Al All-Star roster By Toni Ginnetti / Chicago Sun-Times | July 10th, 2016 Hard-luck left-hander Jose Quintana earned the respect his record has denied him when he was named to the American League All-Star team as a replacement for injured Indians starter Danny Salazar. Quintana, 27, is only 7-8 — a record marred by lack of run production from his teammates — but ranks among the AL leaders in quality starts, innings and strikeouts (105) and has a 3.21 ERA. Royals skipper Ned Yost, who will manage the AL All-Stars, named Quintana after Salazar was ruled out because of a sore right elbow. Quintana joins Chris Sale on the AL roster. Todd Frazier also will be in San Diego defending his title in the Home Run Derby. ‘‘I couldn’t believe it,’’ Quintana said of the honor, which was relayed to him Sunday morning by manager Robin Ventura. ‘‘It’s a goal for players, making it to the All-Star Game. I’m so happy, so happy.’’ The last time the Sox had two pitchers on the All-Star team was 2013, when Sale and Jesse Crain were named. The last time the team had two left-handed pitchers as All-Stars was 1964, when Gary Peters and Juan Pizarro were selected. ‘‘Everybody is excited for him,’’ Ventura said. ‘‘You take out the record, and in any numbers that matter, he’s at the top.’’ Series loss Losing 2-0 to the Braves kept the Sox from taking their sixth consecutive series, but a good performance from starter James Shields (2-3 with the Sox) was a mitigating factor. Shields worked 7 2/3 innings, giving up six hits, two of them solo homers by Jeff Francoeur and Jace Peterson. The Sox had only five hits off Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz (3-3), who struck out a career-high 10 in seven innings. ‘‘I got behind in the count with a few hitters, but I only made two bad pitches, and unfortunately we lost the game,’’ Shields said.

The shutout was the fifth against the Sox and dropped their record in interleague play to 4-5. But their first-half record of 45-43 marks the first time they ended the first half above .500 since 2012. Pitching lineup With Quintana added to the All-Star roster, the Sox will have to adjust the rotation for the series against the Angels that starts Friday. Miguel Gonzalez will pitch Friday and Shields on Saturday. With Carlos Rodon out, the Sox might recall a pitcher to start in the series. Relief pitcher Chris Beck was optioned back to Class AAA Charlotte after the game, with a replacement to be named Friday. This and that Shortstop Tim Anderson went 2-for-4, giving him 14 multihit games in his first 28. — J.B. Shuck has reached base safely in nine of his last 10 games at home. — Jose Abreu has reached safely in 31 of his last 33 and is hitting .328 with five home runs and 24 RBI in that span.

Jose Quintana up, Carlos Rodon very much down for the White Sox By Rick Morrisey / Chicago Sun-Times | July 10th, 2016 If you’re a White Sox fan, you might have conflicting ideas these days about the existence of God. On the downside, Carlos Rodon slipped on the dugout stairs Friday night and sprained his wrist. He couldn’t have gotten hurt giving up another home run. Oh, no. He had to slip on the way to the field for the National Anthem. Would a supreme being have such a cruel of a sense of humor? Surely not. On the plus side of the ledger, Jose Quintana was named to the American League All-Star team on Sunday. This is proof that there is a loving God who fixes injustices, rewards the patient and likes a lefthander who can nibble at the corners. Quintana is a replacement for Cleveland pitcher Danny Salazar, who has elbow discomfort. Quintana is 7-8 with a 3.21 earned-run average this year, which is to say he is having a typical Quintana season — a low ERA and a mediocre record, thanks to the Sox providing him with a measly 3.08 runs per start. It’s about time something good happened to the guy. I’ll allow that there is some debate over whether Rodon’s trip to the disabled list is a good thing or a bad thing for the semi-hot Sox. He’s 2-7 with a 4.50 earned-run average this season. But the third pick overall in the 2014 draft needs work, not rest. The Sox have gone from a season-worst three games under .500 on June 19 to two games over heading into the All-Star break. Everything with the team seems so tenuous this year. Do you want even the slightest disturbance of the apple cart? If your answer is a resounding “yes,’’ it’s understandable. But you’d have to agree that the only thing more over-the-top than slipping on the dugout steps would involve a banana peel.

Here’s hoping Cubs and Sox are hot when Crosstown Series arrives By Rick Morrissey / Chicago Sun-Times | July 10th, 2016 It’s still two weeks away, but I’m already excited about it. No, Bear Breath, not the first padded practice of training camp. Cubs vs. White Sox, for city bragging rights and, hopefully, a lot more than that. The best thing would be if both teams were rolling by the time the four-game matchup starts July 25 – the first two games at The Cell, the last two at Wrigley Field. When interleague play began in 1997, it didn’t matter if each club sent nine Little Leaguers on to the field. Chicago loved the neighborhood rivalry in the heat of the summer. Friend against friend. Brother against brother. But as the years went by, the games lost their freshness. You don’t need good teams and good baseball to have a rivalry, but it sure helps. The Cubs have been struggling of late but still have the second-best winning percentage in baseball, behind the Giants. The Sox, who, like the Cubs, started the season hot, took a nosedive in May and the first half of June but have bounced back with 12 victories in their last 19 games. It’s so much better when the games mean something to both teams. It’s better when they mean more to Sox fans than simply the chance to beat the hated Cubs. Better when the Sox are thinking about the playoffs and better when the Cubs have a chance to put some distance between themselves and the hard-charging Pirates or (gasp!) the Cardinals in their division. Let’s hope for some real meaning to those games, more meaning than that silly trophy that goes to the series winner. That’s not asking too much, is it?

Chicago White Sox’s Quintana thrilled to be an all-star By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | July 10th, 2016 After being named to his fifth straight American League all-star team last week, Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale said snubbed rotation mate Jose Quintana deserved to pitch in his first All-Star Game. "If you compare him and I and put our numbers back to back, you would probably have a hard time figuring out who is who, honestly, other than wins and losses," Sale said. "There's not a doubt in my mind he'll be there one day." The day came Sunday, when American League manager Ned Yost added Quintana to the AL team after Cleveland's Danny Salazar was scratched with a sore elbow. Due to the worst run support in the league (3.00 runs per start), Quintana has a 7-8 record. But the 27-year-old lefty is tied for second in the league with 12 quality starts, he ranks fourth with 117⅔ innings and is sixth with a 3.21 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. Manager Robin Ventura told Quintana he was heading to the All-Star Game in San Diego shortly before the Sox played the Atlanta Braves. "When Robin talked to me, I couldn't believe that," Quintana said. "I told Sale we're going to have some fun. It's a goal for players, making it to the All-Star Game. I'm so happy, so happy. All my preparation and work, to get that, it's really exciting for me." Quintana was planning on staying in Chicago with his wife, Michelle, and daughter Ariana during the break.

"Now, we'll go fly to San Diego," Quintana said. "The change is good. I'm so excited to go to the All-Star Game. It was one of my goals for this year. We'll try to go out there and win and come back better and stronger. I'm really excited for this opportunity." Not surprisingly, the entire White Sox organization was excited for Quintana. "Well deserved," starter James Shields said. "Josey, he works as hard as anybody in the league. He's such a good guy, a good dude. He has been really, really good all season long. Unfortunately, he hasn't had the run support we would like him to have. But I'm so happy for him." Beck demoted: After Sunday's loss to Atlanta, the White Sox optioned relief pitcher Chris Beck to Class AAA Charlotte. They'll make a corresponding roster move before Friday night's game against the Los Angeles Angels, when the second half of the season begins. In six games with the Sox, Beck allowed 6 earned runs in 6⅔ innings. Local flavor: Jack Aiello, who attracted national attention for impersonating national politicians during his eighth-grade graduation ceremony at Thomas Middle School in Arlington Heights last month, was a pregame guest of the Sox on Sunday.

Foltynewicz, Braves shut down White Sox By Scot Gregor / Daily Herald | July 10th, 2016 So, how was the first half of the season for the Chicago White Sox? "It was good, then it was bad, then it started getting good again," manager Robin Ventura said. As far as descriptions go, Ventura was short, to the point, and very accurate. The Sox were the talk of the American League after racing off to a 23-10 start, but they followed up with 23 losses in their next 33 games before closing the first half with a 12-10 record. They had a chance to win their sixth straight series Sunday, a feat last accomplished in 2010. But behind the strong pitching of Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz, a southwest suburban Minooka product, the White Sox lost 2-0 at U.S. Cellular Field and wound up dropping two of three to an Atlanta team that has the worst record (31-58) in the majors. Discouraging yes, but the Sox hit the all-star break with a winning record (45-43) for the first time since 2012 (47-38). "It's that simple, we were playing good baseball, then we didn't play good baseball, and now we're playing better baseball, Ventura said. "I think, for these guys, they put that out of their mind and you're continuing to go every day. "Every day's a new day. I think once you've lived through it, you can see that the sun comes up the next day and you get back after it." James Shields was on the mound Sunday, and he gave the White Sox every chance to win.

"I was being aggressive in the zone, attacking the hitters with the fastball early, trying to keep ahead in the count," Shields said after allowing 2 runs on 6 hits in 7⅔ innings. "I got behind in the count with a few hitters there, but really I only made two bad pitches today and unfortunately we lost the game." Shields made a bad pitch to Jeff Francouer in the second inning and a bad pitch to Jace Peterson in the third. Both mistakes resulted in solo home runs, and that was the difference. "You want to go as deep as you can in the game and try to put up a quality start, keep the team in the game and give us a chance to win," Shields said after delivering his third straight quality effort. "We definitely wanted to take that series and make it six in a row. We had a good stretch there, and we feel really good going into the break. "Our team has been playing really well as of late, the last three, four weeks or so, and hopefully we'll hit our stride after the break." With Foltynewicz on the mound Sunday for Atlanta, the White Sox barely hit anything. Now with the Braves, former Sox catcher Tyler Flowers was asked about Foltynewicz before the series opener. "Crazy arm," Flowers said. "God-given arm. He's got some of the best stuff I've ever seen. He's a guy where it's a work in progress, working with his mentality, trying to get him to grow in that area to allow his talent to come out and work for him. "The only time he gets in trouble is when he gets frustrated, he starts overthrowing and gets flat in spots or falling behind guys." Foltynewicz allowed 5 hits over 7 innings to go with 10 strikeouts, a career high. "He was fantastic," Ventura said. "He has great stuff. Anytime you can get it up there around 100 (mph), it didn't fall off, either. The velocity, the control that he had and a good breaking pitch, it was tough. Our guys just couldn't get on it and anytime we got something going, he snuffed it out."

White Sox end ‘first half’ with shutout loss to Minooka pitcher By Jon Greenberg / The Athletic | July 10th, 2016 The White Sox finished up the pre-All-Star Game portion of their season with a 2-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field. The shutout, courtesy of Minooka, Ill. native Mike Foltynewicz, was emblematic of the team’s on-again, off-again offensive struggles, while James Shields’ pitching performance was indicative of his recent success. The Sox go into the break with a 45-43 record that has them in fourth place in the AL Central, seven games behind Cleveland, and in fifth place for the second AL wild card spot, 4 1/2 games behind Toronto. Not terrible, not very good. Such is the story of the 2016 White Sox. Describe this game in three words: You missed brunch. Deflector Shields: Can James Shields win Comeback Player of the Year if he’s coming back in the same season? Shields has regained his reputation as an innings-eater over those last four starts. On Sunday, he threw 7 2/3 innings and gave up six hits, with both runs coming on solo homers. He struck out and walked two to whittle his ERA down to…7.68. That’s actually a pretty good carving, considering it was 31.50 after his

first start with the Sox and 21.81 after his third. The Sox are 3-4 in his starts, but in their wins, they averaged nine runs a game. Shields retired the first three batters on an economical seven pitches, but with one out in the second he hung a curveball to Jeff Francoeur for a solo homer. In the top of the third, he had two outs when he fed Jace Peterson an 88 mph cut fastball down the pipe. Peterson rocketed it to right field to make it 2-0. One foot in the box, one foot out the door: Foltynewicz struck out 10 hitters in seven innings, and neither he nor his two relievers, Chris Withrow and Jim Johnson, walked a batter. All six White Sox hits were singles, and Avisail Garcia also reached on a strike three wild pitch. The Sox had two runners on just once, in the third inning after J.B. Shuck and Tim Anderson singled with two outs. But Adam Eaton flew out to right to end what would be their only scoring threat. Anderson had two hits to give him a .304 average and a .798 OPS going into the break. He also notched his first caught stealing on an Eaton strikeout in the first inning. It was the first of three White Sox double plays. Jose Abreu picked up three hits. Applaud A.J.: Braves catcher, and White Sox hero, A.J. Pierzynski soaked in the applause in what could be (or should be) his last game at U.S. Cellular Field. He notched the 400th double of his career in the fifth inning. Q-rating: Three White Sox are traveling to the All-Star Game in San Diego. We knew Chris Sale made his fifth straight team and that third baseman Todd Frazier is defending his home run derby title Monday night. But the Sox surprised their fans by bringing out Jose Quintana for an All-Star jersey presentation before Sunday’s game. Most figured Quintana was in line to be injury replacement and All-Star manager Ned Yost selected Quintana, a first-time All-Star, to replace Cleveland starter Danny Salazar, who is suffering from mild elbow discomfort. Quintana is definitely deserving. He had the fourth-best FIP (fielding independent pitching) in the American League at 3.48 and the third-best WAR at 2.9 and ERA at 3.21. He went from May 8 to July 3 without earning a win, and while pitcher wins have largely lost their value in even casual conversations, he had his share of clunkers during that stretch. On deck: Frazier will compete in the home run derby Monday at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN. Chris Berman will be calling it, so prepare yourself with this list of San Diego neighborhoods and suburbs. Sale and Quintana will pitch in the All-Star game Tuesday, which begins at 7 p.m. CT on Fox. Sale is a candidate to start the game.