San Francisco Giants’ Mike Yastrzemski watches his solo home run during the fifth inning of the Chicago White Sox season home opening baseball game Monday, April 3, 2023. (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The San Francisco Giants have a rare off day Tuesday in the middle of a three-game series with the Chicago White Sox. The Giants had quite a night on Monday. The Giants pounded the White Sox 12-3.

The G-Men hit seven home runs in the game. They blasted four solo home runs in an inning- two back-to-back solo homers. David Villar had two homers, including a grand slam in the ninth. Another highlight was Anthony DiSclafina’s outstanding effort after missing the 2022 season with a leg injury.

The Giants evened their record at 2-2. They lost two out of three to the New York Yankees and were shut out twice. Having the bats come alive Monday night had to please the Giants’ manager Gabe Kapler. The question in Kapler’s mind is this: Can we find a way to beat the White Sox in the next two games?

It will take work. The White Sox will have their ace, Dylan Cease, on the mound for Wednesday’s game. Cease went 14-8 last year and was a candidate for the AL Cy Young Award. Cease will be making his second start of the season. He is 0-0 with an ERA of 1.40. The Giants will counter with their ace, Logan Webb. Webb took the loss in his first start on opening day against the Yankees. Webb was 15-9 last year and had a very impressive 2.90 ERA. Webb is 0-1 with an ERA of 6.0 this year.

The Giants have most of their players back from last year. New names include Michael Conforto, Vlake Sobol, Bryce Johnson, Taylor Rodgers, Roberto Perez, and Mitch Haniger. Haniger is currently on the IL.

The White Sox lost former AL MVP Jose Abreu to the Houston Astros. Their closer, former Oakland A’s reliever Liam Hendriks, is on the IL after he was diagnosed with non-Hodkins lymphoma in January. The White Sox are considered a team that can win the AL Central Division crown in 2023.

The White Sox moved Andrew Vaughn to first base to replace Abreu. They signed Andrew Benintendi to play left field. The Sox signed former Oakland A’s shortstop Elvis Andrus as their second baseman. Tim Anderson returns as the shortstop. Anderson is a potential All-Star every season.

Yoan Moncada is their third baseman. Luis Robert is in center field, and Oscar Colas will patrol right field for Chicago. Eloy Jimenez will be their DH.

The Giants will face the veteran hurler Lance Lynn on Thursday. Lynn is in his 12th year. He has a career record of 123 wins and 84 losses. The Giants will send lefty Alex Wood to the mound to face the Sox, Wood was 8-12 last year, but his lifetime record is 71-60.

The Giants would love to take the next two games and finish the road trip with a winning record. After the series with the White Sox, the Giants return home to face another American League team, the Kansas City Royals, at Oracle Park. It will be the home opener for the Giants.

Jerry Feitelberg covers the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s for http://www.sportsradioservice.com