Danks to DL, Sox call up Hector Santiago

[Heads22]

So...LEFT HANDED SCREWBALLL

[Balta1701]

Is he available today?

[justBLAZE]

Hector who?

[Melissa1334]

Hector who?

some crappy a ball player

[southsider2k5]

Is he available today?

 

It has to be someone who can pitch multiple innings today.

[maggsmaggs]

It has to be someone who can pitch multiple innings today.

Yeah, I would imagine he will be sent down following the game.

[scenario]

With the addition of Santiago, the Sox 40-man now sits at 38.

 

[maggsmaggs]

With the addition of Santiago, the Sox 40-man now sits at 38.

Oh he wasn't on the 40? Maybe they won't be sending him down after the game.

[JoshPR]

Who?

[southsider2k5]

Oh he wasn't on the 40? Maybe they won't be sending him down after the game.

 

They can send him down without dropping him from the 40

[Heads22]

Santiago turns the screws on Lookouts

White Sox prospect finding success with newly acquired pitch

By Ashley Marshall / Special to MLB.com05/31/2011 1:22 AM ET

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Hector Santiago has 49 strikeouts over 50 1/3 innings across two levels. (Carl Kline/MiLB.com)

Hector Santiago learned to throw a screwball just six months ago while pitching in the Puerto Rican Winter League. After Monday's gem, other hurlers may soon be inquiring about a trip to the Caribbean in the offseason.

Santiago allowed a lone hit -- a sixth-inning single -- and struck out a career-high nine batters over eight sparkling innings to lead the Double-A Birmingham Barons to a 4-1 victory over the visiting Chattanooga Lookouts.

 

 

· Gameday box score

· Santiago's bio, stats

· Catch a game in Birmingham

· White Sox affiliates coverage

"This was, by far, the best game I've had as a pro," the southpaw said. "I was excited to be out there and I was hoping for the ninth, but it wasn't to be."

 

The 23-year-old set down the first 16 batters he faced before issuing a one-out walk to Jessie Mier in the top of the sixth inning. Mier advanced to second on a balk and Ivan Ochoa broke up the no-hit bid with a single to center field. Brad Coon followed with a walk to load the bases, but Santiago retired the final two batters to strand all three runners and keep the Barons' 2-0 lead intact.

 

"I realized I was perfect through four, but then I didn't really pay any attention to it," the Chicago White Sox prospect said. "Then I fell behind 2-0 [to Mier] in the sixth, and I told myself to settle down and throw strikes. But I walked him and then gave up the hit and then walked another guy. It was huge to get out of that inning."

 

Santiago recovered from the lapse quickly, working two more perfect innings before reaching 108 pitches and turning over a 4-0 advantage to the bullpen in the ninth.

 

"My arm felt fine and I had that much energy and momentum," the New Jersey native said. "In games like this, you always hope for one more. I threw 103 pitches my last two games and I had never thrown more than 100 before, so I wasn't planning on throwing 100 again, but it worked out."

 

Santiago -- who throws a fastball, a change-up, a slider and the screwball -- kept hitters off balance all night in just his second Southern League start, in large part because of the pitch he only started throwing before Thanksgiving.

 

"I threw everything for strikes and I was throwing off-speed pitches early in the count, sliders on 3-2 and screwballs in and out," he added.

 

"I didn't have a change-up when I first came into pro ball, but I went to play Puerto Rican Winter Ball with [Gigantes de] Carolina. I was playing with Angel Miranda, who said I had a great arm slot from the left-hand side and eventually that developed into a change-up. My pitching coach there asked me to try throwing a screwball, and when I did, it had a lot of drop and there was a big difference in velocity. It became an out pitch and he just told me to keep throwing it as much as I can."

 

With Monday's victory, Santiago improved to 4-3 overall and 2-0 in two Double-A starts. He had a 3.68 ERA and 43 strikeouts over 44 innings in eight starts with Class A Advanced Winston-Salem before his promotion. In his Southern League debut Wednesday, he allowed three runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out six over 6 1/3 innings in a 5-4 win over the Carolina Mudcats.

 

"I'm pretty sure it won't always be this easy," Santiago said of moving up. "I haven't had to shake [catcher] Josh Phegley off in two games, so it's pretty nice to just go right after hitters.

 

"If I keep throwing first-pitch strikes and getting early outs I'll be okay. Strikeouts are awesome, but first-pitch ground balls are even better."

 

Charles Shirek lost the shutout when he allowed one run on two hits, a walk, a wild pitch and a passed ball in the ninth.

 

Phegley finished 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs.

 

Ashley Marshall is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

[Balta1701]

Link

Hector Santiago's workouts while growing up could fill a se­ries of "Rocky" training mon­tages: dragging a tire while run­ning through inches of snow in freezing New Jersey winters, miles upon miles on the local 24/7 YMCA's track and climbing steps.

 

Santiago is now a left-handed starting pitcher for the Birming­ham Barons. A need for an ef­fective lefty in the Chicago White Sox bullpen could help him reach the major leagues this season.

 

White Sox left-handed reliev­ers Chris Sale, Matt Thornton and Will Ohman all entered Sat­urday with ERAs over 4.60. San­tiago is 3-1 with a 3.86 ERA over 25 2⁄ 3 innings with the Barons with 23 strikeouts, 11 walks, and a .189 opponents' batting aver­age.

 

"He's got three quality pitches that make him a candidate to be a starter in the big leagues," Bar­ons manager Bobby Magallanes said. "He's got a lot of upside."

 

His fastball, ranging from 91 to 93 mph but sometimes touching 95 even toward the end of starts, has attracted inter­est. His performance is rare for two reasons: starters converted from a relief role, such as happened to Santiago, rarely maintain their velocity in extended innings and not many left-handers throw that hard.

 

"(His fastball) comes out hot," Magallanes said. "It's got some fuzz on it."

 

The success comes after spending what seemed like every waking moment with his father, also named Hector Santiago, and brother, Anthony Santiago, working on fields or playing baseball while growing up.

 

Their days, beginning when he was seven, started at 6 a.m. during the summer and would end deep in the evening. They would dry the infield with cat litter or by dragging mattresses over it. "That was my life," Santiago said.

 

He was a reliever in the minor leagues until a spot start last season after several lengthy relief outings. The White Sox asked him to continue starting, which has developed his other pitches.

 

The change has been beneficial. Santiago, 23, relied on his fastball in high school. He didn't throw a curveball until his freshman year of college and refined his screwball just last winter.

 

"I didn't know what a screwball was," he said. "I had a pitching coach from Puerto Rico who said lefties normally threw it in the old days. I went out into a game and had some ugly swings on it. When it's in the zone, it's an effective pitch."

 

Catching the screwball has also been a challenge.

 

"I haven't quite figured it out yet," catcher Josh Phegley said. "It's a pretty interesting pitch. I've heard hitters ask me what it is. It's like a right-handed curveball from a left-hander. The 95-96 (mph fastball) from the left side is going to be hard enough."

 

Santiago still maintains the same warm-up routine he used as a reliever, throwing just 20 pitches in pregame bullpen work. Some pitchers will get as high as 50.

 

"I try not to overdo it in the bullpen," he said. "I feel that's enough. As long as I'm in the zone and don't feel tight, I'm good to go. I just try to keep the same routine. Everybody's like, 'Oh, you warm up so quick.' " Learning his between-starts routine will be Santiago's biggest adjustment. He needs to balance running and throwing on his four days off and being strong on the fifth day.

 

There is also the challenge of dealing with more pitches and innings than he's been used to. Santiago has already surpassed his career high in innings pitched (previously 64 1⁄ 3) with 692⁄ 3 innings this season including his time with the Barons and a season-opening stint at Class A Winston-Salem.

 

He has also thrown more than 100 pitches in three of his four starts with the Barons.

 

"I'm trying to not overdo it those days in between (starts)," Santiago said. "That's probably the one hard thing, just trying to maintain my arm, just trying to figure out your routine and maintaining it throughout the whole season.

 

"I haven't got anywhere close to 100 innings in my career. I'll probably pass 100 this season -- hopefully."

[winninguglyin83]

left-hander with below average control who has been so-so at Birmingham.

 

Four lefties in the pen?

 

Why this guy instead of Infante or addison Reed?

 

Kenny Stanford has a plan.

[southsider2k5]

left-hander with below average control who has been so-so at Birmingham.

 

Four lefties in the pen?

 

Why this guy instead of Infante or addison Reed?

 

Kenny Stanford has a plan.

 

Santiago is here for one day, can throw a lot of innings, and can be sent down without exposing him to waivers.

 

Yes that is the plan.

[Balta1701]

Why this guy instead of Infante or addison Reed?

I'd have to guess it's because he's stretched out and able to go multiple innings today if needed.

[winninguglyin83]

Counting on him to neutralize Giambi and Helton in Colorado!

[JPN366]

Wow.

[chw42]

Who's Hector Santiago?

[JPN366]

He has potential, from what I saw.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Better than Lucas Harrell. I'd rather call up a new guy and he perform below average at his place of employment than call up the same guy to perform below average at his place of employment.

[JPN366]

I guess Tony Pena will be activated from the DL tomorrow and Santiago will head back to B'ham.

[maggsmaggs]

I guess Tony Pena will be activated from the DL tomorrow and Santiago will head back to B'ham.

What about Infante? Pena is awful. 5.10 ERA last year (1.52 WHIP) and 6.20 ERA (1.72 WHIP) this year. The guy is just not good.

[Jordan4life_2007]

What about Infante? Pena is awful. 5.10 ERA last year (1.52 WHIP) and 6.20 ERA (1.72 WHIP) this year. The guy is just not good.

 

Without sounding hyperbolic, we have a lot of guys on our 25 man roster who are no good or performing at a level that does not meet the criteria of a productive baseball player. But you have to keep running them out there over and over and over and over and over and over and over again because, well, you have to get a return on your investment. NO.MATTER.WHAT.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Sweet I would love to see Santiago pitch.

[Cali]

Hey! Alright, kinda cool. Didn't have to call someone up from the garbage pile in AAA!