White Sox 5, Reds 0: Pitching proofs of concept

Luis Castillo put on a pitching clinic on Wednesday night, overpowering the Cincinnati Reds with a heavy dose of offspeed pitches and a remarkably efficient arsenal. Making his second start for the White Sox since being acquired at the Trade Deadline, the right-hander baffled hitters from the opening frame. He opened his evening by striking out Elly De La Cruz on consecutive changeups and closed his night by tripling up on them to strike out Michael Toglia.

Luis Castillo Relies on the Changeup for 10 Strikeouts

Castillo carved through the Reds’ lineup, scattering just one hit and walking two batters over 104 pitches. His lone blemish came in the first inning when Sal Stewart laced a one-out single, but Castillo erased that runner immediately with a pickoff. He went on to rack up 22 swinging strikes—the most by a White Sox pitcher this season, and the most by a White Sox pitcher since Garrett Crochet had 24 whiffs against the Rockies on June 30, 2024, according to MLB.com reporting.

Statcast data showed Castillo threw 20 changeups, but the pitch dictated the entire sequencing of the game. Half of his 10 strikeouts came via the changeup, which generated whiffs on eight of 10 swings. Fastballs—four-seamers and sinkers—accounted for 61 percent of his total pitches, while his slider baffled hitters on 17 total tosses, yielding five whiffs from seven swings. An athletic scoop and flip on a TJ Friedl drag bunt attempt in the fifth inning also allowed Castillo to help his own cause with the glove.

“That’s the result when you have confidence in your pitches, confidence in your plan and we had a very good plan today. It was about time for me to start having confidence in that pitch. I haven’t thrown it much before but coming to this game, that was the plan to throw more changeups and it was effective today.”

Luis Castillo

Manager Will Venable checked in with his starter after the sixth frame, asking if he was good and if he wanted one more inning. Castillo eagerly accepted the challenge, returning to the mound to pitch a clean seventh before giving way to the bullpen.

Drew Romo and Chase Meidroth Provide the Offense

While the pitching staff suffocated Cincinnati, the White Sox offense manufactured enough runs to secure the victory. Catcher Drew Romo broke a scoreless tie in the third inning with a home run off Rhett Lowder on the 10th pitch of a grueling at-bat. Romo added a run-scoring single during an eighth-inning rally, finishing a productive night at the plate after entering the game carrying a .126 batting average and .474 OPS.

Chase Meidroth, who missed multiple games due to left wrist soreness aggravated on a swing against the Guardians, returned to the lineup. In the sixth inning, Meidroth tagged an elevated sweeper into the White Sox bullpen for a two-run shot—his 12th home run of the season, extending his career high. An eighth-inning run driven home by Romo and a subsequent wild pitch brought the score to its final 5-0 margin.

“He fits right in. He hasn’t missed a beat. I feel like he’s been here all year. He’s just a veteran presence, and just the way he carries himself every day, you watch him go about his business and how he goes about it every day, and it’s a huge impact on all the young guys.”

Chase Meidroth

Bullpen Preservation and Division Standings

Relievers Hagen Smith and Huascar Brazobán protected the shutout over the final two frames. Smith struck out the side in the eighth around a leadoff walk, while Brazobán handled the ninth despite allowing a one-out single to Stewart. The win moved the White Sox record to 62-57 on the 2026 season.

The victory also strengthens the team’s standing in the American League Central race, holding a 3 1/2-game lead over the Tigers and Twins, and a four-game advantage over the Guardians. With Castillo under contractual control through the 2027 campaign, the trade deadline acquisition continues to pay immediate dividends as the club chases a postseason berth.