With the score knotted at three in the sixth inning, White Sox manager Will Venable turned to Penn Murfee in what turned out to be the biggest moment of Saturday’s game against the Astros.
Reliever Fraser Ellard had taken over for Davis Martin to begin the frame and quickly struck out the first two batters he faced. But the Astros sparked a two-out rally, drawing back-to-back walks to put runners on first and second. That set the stage for Murfee, who was called upon to face a red-hot Jake Meyers, who had already logged a home run and a triple on the day, tasked with preserving the tie.
But Murfee left a lazy 79 mph sweeper over the inner half of the plate, and Meyers didn’t miss it, launching it 409 feet over the left-field fence to break the game open. It was another tough outing in what’s been a rocky season for the 31-year-old right-hander, whose ERA ballooned to 7.82 over 12.2 innings of work.
It was the final straw for the White Sox, who demoted Murfee to Triple-A Charlotte in a series of roster moves. Ellard was placed on the 15-day IL with a lat strain, while Tyler Gilbert and Caleb Freeman were called up to replace them. Infielder Josh Rojas was activated off the injured list, making his first start of the season on Sunday. In a corresponding move, Bobby Dalbec was designated for assignment.
Fraser has also struggled this season, getting tagged for a 6.75 ERA across 6.2 innings. However, the lefty does own an intriguing 40 percent strikeout rate, albeit in a limited sample size.
Freeman is getting his first taste of MLB action. The 27-year-old was taken in the 15th round of the 2019 draft. He owns a respectable 3.61 ERA across six minor league seasons and has gotten off to a hot start in Triple-A this season, posting a 1.35 ERA and 33.3% strikeout rate in his first 13 1/3 innings. It was enough to catch the attention of the big league club, which has been searching for answers in a bullpen filled with question marks.
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