Gamethread: White Sox at Athletics

Sit back, folks, it’s the game of the year!

Happy Sunday and more importantly, happy St. Patrick’s Day! As if the White Sox don’t give enough reason to drink, at least today there’s a reasonable exception.

In all seriousness, the team will visit the Oakland Athletics at Hohokam Stadium, with Nick Nastrini and Alex Wood facing off.

Prior to the game today, LHP Jared Shuster was optioned to AAA Charlotte after rough spring (4 2⁄3 innings,12 hits, 10 earned runs).

Nastrini, who was acquired in the Lance Lynn trade last year with the Los Angeles Dodgers, aims to be one of the bright spots on this struggling pitching roster. He has thrown in three spring training games this year and in seven innings total has allowed two hits, one run and nine strikeouts. He has been absolutely outstanding , and should be in the starting rotation at some point soon. Today will be important in seeing if there’s continuity in his success to fill that role as a possible starter.

Wood is a lefty veteran who has bounced around in the league. The 33-year-old spent the last three seasons with the San Francisco Giants before signing a one-year deal with the Athletics in February. He has appeared in two games this spring and has a 7.11 ERA in 6 1⁄3 innings pitched.

Dominic Fletcher will lead it off, and Eloy Jiménez is finally back in the lineup after being absent the last few days.

Game time is at 3:05 p.m. CT. No White Sox broadcast today, but the Athletics will have a broadcast — as they do for every home game.