Luis Castillo pounced off the mound, scooped up TJ Friedl’s bunt and made a glove-hand toss to first to retire the Cincinnati Reds center fielder to end the fifth inning.
“At that place I just tried to be one more of the guys, one more defensive player to try to help the team,” Castillo said through an interpreter. “I was impressed too with my speed. I’m 33 years old and I was surprised that I was able to make that play.
“When I came into the dugout, I told the manager and the pitching coach, ‘Yeah, I’m surprised too.’ They all gave me that look. It was fun.”
It was one of several stellar defensive plays for the Chicago White Sox in a 5-0 victory Wednesday in front of 24,099 at Rate Field.
Castillo was impressive in his second outing since being traded to the Sox on Aug. 1, allowing one hit while striking out 10 and walking two over seven scoreless innings.
“To me that’s the result when you have confidence in your pitches, confidence in your plan and we had a very good plan today,” Castillo said. “We executed and mixed and matched pitches and that’s the result.”
The only hit he allowed came in the first, a one-out single by Sal Stewart. Castillo and two relievers combined for a two-hitter.
“That was awesome,” Venable said of the outing. “In control the whole time, just the one hit over seven innings, just outstanding. I thought he attacked the zone really well. He and (catcher) Drew Romo were on the same page.”
Romo and shortstop Chase Meidroth homered in the victory.
Romo hit a solo shot in the third inning.
White Sox catcher Drew Romo heads toward home after hitting a solo home run in the third inning against the Reds on Aug. 12, 2026, at Rate Field. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
“I’ve been trying a lot of stuff in the cage,” Romo said. “Everything is good in the cage and then I go out in the field and goes back to the way it was before. I didn’t even hit before the game and I went and did that. Guess (I’m) not going to hit again.”
Meidroth, who missed the previous two games resting a “barking’ left wrist, hit a two-run blast in the sixth.
“The wrist is in good shape, I guess,” Venable said with a smile. “He’s put himself in a really good spot where he’s on time, making good swing decisions, and we’re seeing the power come out too.”
That was plenty for Castillo. The right-hander struck out two batters in the first, second and four innings. He struck out the side in the seventh.
White Sox left fielder Tristan Peters catches a ball from Reds second baseman Matt McLain at the wall in the third inning Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2026, at Rate Field. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune)
Defensive support included a leaping grab at the wall by left fielder Tristan Peters to rob Matt McLain of an extra-base hit leading off the third inning. Second baseman Sam Antonacci made a diving stop in the outfield grass and then threw out Héctor Rodríguez for the first out of the fifth inning.
“(Romo) was phenomenal behind home plate,” Castillo said. “We were on the same page throughout the whole game. And not just him. I also have to give credit to the defense. The guys that were behind me, they played really well. It was outstanding too. It was a good game all around for us.”
Castillo helped his own cause with the nice fielding play on Friedl’s attempt to reach on the bunt later in the fifth.
Castillo pumped his fist after striking out Michael Toglia for the final out of the seventh, which wrapped up his 104-pitch outing.
“After the sixth, the manager came up to me and asked me in the dugout if I was good, if I wanted one more inning,” Castillo said. “I said ‘Yeah, of course.’ I was looking at him like ‘What are you talking about?’ I really wanted that seventh, and it was perfect. Having a seventh inning like that, last inning, striking out the three batters was good.”
Rookie Hagen Smith walked the leadoff batter in the eighth but struck out the next three in his inning of work. Huascar Brazobán allowed a one-out hit in the ninth before retiring the next two batters to wrap up the win. The first-place Sox (62-57) hold a 3½ game lead over the second-place Minnesota Twins (60-62) and Detroit Tigers (59-61) in the American League Central.
“Obviously really good stuff again from Hagen, and a big spot too,” Venable said. “Brazobán comes in and does his job, really good stuff.”