By PAUL GOTHAM
Danny Mendick hadn’t pitched in a competitive game since his days at Pittsford Mendon High School, but the former Monroe Community College and UMass-Lowell star didn’t skip a beat Monday afternoon.
In the first game of a doubleheader between visiting Chicago and the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, Mendick took the mound and tossed a scoreless eighth inning of relief for the White Sox.
“I was actually pretty pumped,” he said by text message. “I was hoping they came to me when it got like that. Something I’ve always wanted to do!”
With Chicago trailing 11-4, Mendick faced five batters and threw 15 pitches, 12 for strikes.
“I was just all about the strikes,” he added.
Danny Mendick is untouchable pic.twitter.com/mld4qaoJXD
— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) April 19, 2021
After hitting Red Sox shortstop Marwin Gonzalez with a pitch and surrendering a single to Hunter Renfroe, Mendick settled in and retired the next three batters.
The right-hander struck out Franchy Cordero before getting Bobby Dalbec on a fly ball. He induced a ground ball for a fielder’s choice out of Enrique Hernandez to end the inning.
“When I got ahead maybe flipping something in there super slow,” he explained. “But I wasn’t going to throw hard because I know if I was hitting anyone who throws slow is hard to hit.”
A 22nd round selection in the 2015 draft, Mendick has appeared in eight games this season with the White Sox collecting six hits, five walks, two runs scored and two RBI.
Mendick played in 33 games with the White Sox during the COVID-shortened 2020 season collecting 26 hits including three home runs, four doubles and a triple.
Mendick was part of the Monroe CC All-Decade Team.
ALSO: Danny Mendick: Have glove, will travel
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