Seranthony Domínguez got the kind of inning he has been chasing Thursday, entering in the 12th and working a scoreless frame for the White Sox while earning the victory. It was his first genuinely high-leverage turn since he blew back-to-back saves last month, and it came with his ERA down to 4.21.
That matters now because Domínguez was signed in the winter to be the White Sox closer, then pushed out of the top of the bullpen hierarchy after the recent losses. On Thursday, he was back in the kind of spot that decides games, the one he has not been trusted with often since the setbacks that changed his role.
The inning itself was clean. Domínguez did not allow a run, and the White Sox kept handing the biggest work to other relievers while he waited for a chance to show he could handle it again. Earlier in the week, he said the others were doing their jobs and taking care of the important innings for now. On Thursday, he took his turn and made it count.
His view of the situation has been blunt. Domínguez said he understands he cannot be in the biggest situation if he is not doing his job right now. He added that he has been struggling, but believes that if he feels good and feels comfortable, he can come back and do his thing. That is the gap the White Sox are trying to close: a pitcher who still has the arm to work late, but not yet the consistency to own the inning.
There are signs of progress. Will Venable said the fastball has been in the zone and Domínguez has been attacking right away. He also said Domínguez was ambushed by Jake Burger on a home run but has otherwise been really good at limiting walks and being aggressive in the zone. The numbers are still uneven — a 14.1 percent walk rate, a 27.8 percent strikeout rate and six home runs in 37 1/3 innings — but the last nine appearances have been better, with a solo home run in Texas the only run he has allowed over that stretch.
The mechanics have been part of the problem and part of the fix. Domínguez said his shoulder was flying open early in his motion, which was causing him to yank balls off target, and he said he has dealt with that before during his eight-year big league career. That is why Thursday was more than a scoreless inning: it was proof that the delivery can hold together long enough for the stuff to play in a meaningful spot.
The White Sox bullpen has been covering for him, and doing so often. Trevor Richards threw a scoreless eighth Wednesday, Grant Taylor logged a season-high seven outs, and Jordan Hicks worked for the third time in four days. Thursday brought two innings from Sean Newcomb, another outing for Bryan Hudson in his third appearance in four days, and Chris Murphy's fifth appearance of a seven-day homestand. Domínguez is still working his way back into that mix, but Thursday suggested the door is open. The question now is how many more clean, late-inning turns it takes before the White Sox trust him with the biggest ones again.
