With dedicated fan section, Smith 'solid' in first Fenway Park start

BOSTON -- Amazing.

It’s the first word White Sox manager Will Venable used to describe the four starts comprising Shane Smith’s Major League career, including his effort Saturday during a 4-3 loss to the Red Sox in 10 innings.

Smith, who exited after 4 2/3 innings with a 2.82 ERA, might use the same word to describe pitching at Fenway Park as a native of Danvers, Mass., located 23.3 miles from the home of the Red Sox. There were close to 200 family members and friends supporting the right-hander, who has gone from the top pick in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft to the current top of the White Sox rotation, with some friends even watching at an establishment nearby the ballpark.

The specialness of the day might have been lost a bit in the rough finishing moment with Triston Casas’ single off the Green Monster handing the White Sox (4-16) a sixth straight loss and dropping them to a franchise-worst 0-8 on the road to start the 2025 campaign.

But as soon as Smith was announced, the large Danvers crew situated down the left-field line could be heard without any straining or craning.

“I did hear them, yeah. I don’t know the number. I know it was a lot,” Smith said. “It was good. I tried to use yesterday as the shock and awe factor so I could go out and focus on the job I had to do. But really cool to be here and throw in the hometown.”

Smith, Sean Burke (Sutton) and Mike Vasil (Wellesley) explored the Green Monster on Friday and handled countless media requests as local Boston players who have done well. Baseball reality returned on Saturday, as Vasil suffered the loss after walking Kristian Campbell to load the bases with one out in the 10th to set up Casas.

Entering a scoreless battle opposite Boston starter Garrett Crochet in the fifth, Smith had allowed one double as the lone extra-base hit over his first 21 2/3 innings. That number increased through Ceddanne Rafaela’s leadoff double and Rafael Devers’ long three-run blast to left. Smith had given up just one hit over the first four, although he hit three batters.

“You know, it started out pretty good, but I would have liked to have been a little sharper early on,” said Smith, who struck out three and walked one. “Solid for most of it. Hit a couple of guys early, had a little more traffic than I would have liked. Wish I had just finished stronger.”

“Great. Just like every other start, attacking guys with the fastball,” said Venable of Smith. “Great changeup and the slider was good today, too. Yeah, just kinda ran into some good at-bats toward the end of the start.”

Crochet threw six scoreless innings and left in position for a second victory over his old team in the same week, striking out seven and allowing four hits. But the White Sox scored three in the seventh off reliever Greg Weissert with two outs to tie the game.

Chase Meidroth, who had his first career three-hit game, first stolen base and first RBI Saturday, singled home the first run. Luis Robert Jr. followed with a long game-tying home run to left marking the 90th of his career.

Catcher Edgar Quero, playing in his third game since arriving from Triple-A Charlotte, knocked out two hits and threw out Alex Bregman trying to steal second. So it was a rebuild sort of victory, with the young players showing strong.

This sort of idea doesn’t make it easier for the White Sox to deal with a Major League-worst three walk-off defeats.

“Every opportunity we have on the field is an opportunity to analyze and get better,” Venable said. “At the same time, this gives them confidence that they can come in here and play with these guys. Good game, sucks to lose.”

“We’ve been working,” said Robert through interpreter Billy Russo. “It’s just a matter of the results haven’t been there. But we’ve been working.”

Working toward “amazing,” which Smith has hit at the outset, in Venable’s opinion. But he understands there’s much more work to come.

“I’ve thought about my journey a lot. I’m trying to think about what I can do now,” Smith said. “Obviously it’s incredible and there’s bumps in the road and everything but the ultimate goal is to end up here.”

“We had an idea that he was a good pitcher,” Venable said. “As a Rule 5 guy we took him for a reason. It’s fair to say he exceeded expectations and has been incredible.”