The Chase Meidroth Era in Chicago got off to a sprint … OK, maybe a walk … as the power-packed energy wad of a middle infielder made an immediate and significant impact in the White Sox lineup. And the farm system made the day a sweep, with a win … and three rainouts.

Chicago White Sox 11, Boston Red Sox 1 Boy howdy, is adding CHASE MEIDROTH (1-for-1, two runs, three walks) all it took for the White Sox to snap out of their early-season slumber? The club continued its pattern of only winning home series opener, and by blowout fashion. Davis Martin pitched splendidly (six innings, one run, six Ks), Lenyn Sosa and Brooks Baldwin each had two hits and Michael A. Taylor slapped out three (!). The White Sox improve to 3-10 and now are faced with actually winning a game that doesn’t start a home series; they have two more shots against Boston this weekend.

Birmingham Barons 4, Chattanooga Lookouts 1 (11 innings) In a sense, the Barons were lucky to pull this one out, because early on they had scoring opps that were whiffed on. In fact, only a DJ Gladney sacrifice fly provided the only tally in regulation. But in the 11th, Gladney (playing like he can taste Charlotte) doubled to score the Manfred Man and then came around on a triple from Wildred Veras. The real story of the game was the burgeoning piggyback arms as the Day 3 starters for Birmingham, Grant Taylor and Tyler Schweitzer. Taylor went three scoreless and will likely yield early in all of his starts to Schweitzer; the southpaw went five strong innings. How weird would it be that the three best starters (along with Riley Gowens) in Birmingham did not include Noah Schultz or Hagen Smith?