Yoan Moncada hasn’t had many off days so for this season. Perhaps that’s what made Saturday’s game a bit surprising.
Moncada went 0 for 5 with two strikeouts and left four runners on base as the host Chicago White Sox suffered a 9-2 defeat to the Seattle Mariners.
That dropped Moncada’s average to a still-robust .379 entering Sunday’s finale of the three-game series.
Moncada has two home runs and 10 RBIs this season and drove in four runs Friday as the White Sox won their home opener. He just missed a grand slam in the first inning of that game, as Seattle outfielder Mallex Smith got a glove on the ball as he leaped at the fence, deflecting it back toward the field for a double.
“Days like (Friday) are going to come in a bunch this season,” Moncada said through an interpreter.
Indeed, it seems Moncada is starting to fulfill the promise he brought with him from Boston as part of the Chris Sale trade at the 2016 winter meetings.
“People will continue to try to make adjustments,” Renteria said. “But I’m hoping we’re seeing the guy that everybody was expecting from the beginning, from the inception of acquiring him, and that he continues to grow. That experience of being in the big leagues has helped a lot. He’s slowing the game down a little bit more.”
Teammate Yolmer Sanchez echoed his manager, telling MLB.com: “I always say he’s going to be a superstar. He’s going to be in the All-Star Game.”
Moncada struggled last season, leading the major leagues in strikeouts (217) and committing more errors (21) than any other second baseman.
The White Sox moved him to third base this spring and have had bench coach Joe McEwing working with him.
McEwing is “trying to have him stay behind the ball a little bit more,” Renteria said. “Other than that, everything else has been really, really good. Makes plays great laterally, coming forward, taking jab steps back.
“His reaction off the ball is quick. He’s as good as anybody I’ve ever seen over there. So, he’ll be able to cover a lot of ground.”
The task of shutting down Moncada on Sunday will fall to Mariners left-hander Wade LeBlanc (1-0, 6.75 ERA). He’ll face White Sox right-hander Ivan Nova (0-0, 1.29).
LeBlanc is 1-0 with a 2.35 in five career appearances (two starts) against the White Sox; Nova has no decisions and a 3.94 ERA in three starts against Seattle.
Mariners starting pitchers are 7-0 with a 3.55 ERA this season after right-hander Mike Leake’s victory Saturday.
“It was a nice offensive game, but really the key to the ballgame was Mike Leake pounding the strike zone,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said. “We played errorless baseball. Isn’t it great when that happens?”
The Mariners hit three home runs Saturday, two by Jay Bruce, to give them 24 in 10 games. Tim Beckham went 4 for 5 with a double, home run and three RBIs.
“It’s been fun,” Beckham told MLB.com. “We want to worry about one game at a time. We have another game (Sunday), so we never want to underestimate anyone and continue to play good baseball.”