Castillo Deals: White Sox Blank Reds Behind a 10-K Masterclass

CHICAGO — Forget the Boston disaster. Luis Castillo showed up Wednesday night and reminded everyone why the White Sox traded for him.

The right-hander was absolutely dealing, striking out 10 in seven sparkling innings as Chicago blanked the Cincinnati Reds 5-0. He allowed just one hit — a first-inning single from Sal Stewart — and walked two. It was Castillo's first win in a White Sox uniform, and it couldn't have come at a better time.

Just one day after the Sox coughed up a 4-0 lead in a painful 5-4 loss, Castillo took the ball and slammed the door shut. It was his longest outing of the season, matching an earlier start, and he looked every bit the ace Chicago thought they were getting in that Aug. 1 trade with Seattle.

Bats Come Alive

Chase Meidroth and Drew Romo both went deep, and Sam Antonacci chipped in with three hits as the AL Central leaders won for the third time in four games.

The game-breaking moment came in the sixth inning. After Reds starter Rhett Lowder was pulled following a Colson Montgomery single, Meidroth greeted reliever Julian Garcia with a no-doubt drive to left for his 12th homer of the season, stretching the lead to 3-0.

Romo, meanwhile, earned every bit of his third-inning blast. He fought through a 10-pitch at-bat before launching his first homer since May 25 and his sixth of the year. He added an RBI single in the eighth for good measure.

Defense Shines Too

It wasn't just Castillo's arm. He made a slick play on TJ Friedl's two-out bunt in the fifth, and Tristan Peters made a leaping grab at the wall to rob Matt McLain of extra bases in the third.

Hagen Smith handled the eighth before Huascar Brazobán finished off the two-hitter.

Streak Watch

White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami extended his on-base streak to 27 games with a two-out walk in the fifth, tying Cleveland's Steven Kwan for the longest active streak in baseball.

Up Next

The series wraps up Thursday with Andrew Abbott (6-7, 3.92 ERA) taking the mound for Cincinnati, while Davis Martin (9-6, 4.17) goes for Chicago. If Castillo's outing was any sign, this Sox team is ready to make some noise.