News » Dylan Covey has come a long way since his major league

All the way to an increasingly interesting prospect for the rebuilding Chicago White Sox.

Covey carried a shutout into the eighth inning Daniel Jones Jersey , continuing his impressive June and helping the White Sox beat Trevor Bauer and the Cleveland Indians 3-2 on Wednesday night.

”He kept grinding,” manager Rick Renteria said. ”He kept pitching, getting after it and did a really nice job.”

Covey (3-1) allowed 10 hits – all singles – and walked none. The 26-year-old right-hander improved to 3-0 with a 1.53 ERA in five starts since he was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte last month.

The White Sox got Covey from Oakland in the 2016 Rule 5 draft. He went 0-7 with a 7.71 ERA in 18 games, 12 starts, last season, but he has looked like a different pitcher since returning to the majors.

”I’m just super comfortable, with my mechanics, with my pitches,” he said. ”I’m throwing offspeed for strikes, I’m throwing my curveball for strikes. It’s just all about comfort for me right now.”

Covey got a warm ovation from the crowd of 19,390 when he departed after the first two batters reached in the eighth. Edwin Encarnacion hit a one-out RBI single and Yonder Alonso doubled home another run before Jace Fry struck out Melky Cabrera and Jason Kipnis, preserving Chicago’s 3-2 lead.

Joakim Soria allowed two more hits in the ninth before finishing for his 10th save in 12 chances. Michael Brantley bounced into a game-ending double play with runners on first and second.

”We couldn’t string enough hits together,” Indians manager Terry Francona said.

Cleveland wasted another impressive start for Bauer in its second straight loss after a stretch of five wins in six games. Brantley had three hits, but the AL Central leaders went 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base.

Bauer (5-5) struck out 12 in 7 2/3 innings while becoming the third pitcher in franchise history to record at least 10 Ks in four consecutive starts, joining teammate Corey Kluber and Hall of Famer Bob Feller.

”Missing a lot of bats, limited contact, keeping the ball in the yard Quincy Williams II Jersey , not walking many people. It was a great outing,” Bauer said.

Bauer matched Covey zero for zero until the White Sox scratched across two in the fifth. Tim Anderson walked, stole second and went to third on a throwing error by catcher Roberto Perez before Charlie Tilson tripled into the corner in right . Tilson then scampered home on Trayce Thompson’s perfectly placed suicide squeeze.

Kevan Smith added an RBI single in the sixth as Chicago won for the third time in four games.

HELPING OUT

White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu helped Covey by turning a pair of slick double plays. He also doubled and scored on Smith’s single.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: LHP Andrew Miller (left knee inflammation) threw another bullpen session and could start facing hitters during Cleveland’s upcoming nine-game homestand. … Francona said the plan is to activate OF Brandon Guyer (strained neck) on Thursday. … C Roberto Perez returned to the lineup for the first time since he was hit by a pitch on the right wrist against Detroit on Sunday. … OF Bradley Zimmer, who was sent down to Triple-A Columbus on June 5, hurt his right shoulder in a drill Monday. He is expected to rest for five days.

White Sox: RHP Nate Jones was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a muscle strain in his forearm. The veteran reliever had an MRI, and Renteria said the injury is ”very mild.” RHP Juan Minaya was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte to take Jones’ place on the roster. … OF Avisail Garcia (strained right hamstring) went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts in his second rehab game with Charlotte.

UP NEXT

Indians right-hander Mike Clevinger and White Sox left-hander Carlos Rodon start the series finale Thursday afternoon. Clevinger (4-2, 3.31 ERA) pitched 6 2/3 innings of one-run ball in a 7-3 victory over Chicago on May 29. Rodon (0-1, 3.60 ERA) is making his second start after missing the beginning of the season while he worked his way back from shoulder surgery last September.

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Jay Cohen can be reached at

J.J. Watt, Greg Olsen and Benjamin Watson are finalists for the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

The recipient of the award that recognizes a player’s contribution in his community and to society in general will be revealed on Feb. 3 at NFL Honors, when The Associated Press announces its individual NFL awards.

Houston defensive end Watt, in his seventh NFL season and a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, had the goal of raising $200,000 for Hurricane Harvey relief in Houston.

His fundraising did a whole lot more, bringing in an incredible $37 million in 19 days. Watt has dedicated himself to finding organizations that will apply the funds in a way he has promised both donors and victims of the storm.

”For me, this nomination is about so much more than one man,” Watt tells The Associated Press. ”It’s about the hundreds of thousands of people who helped donate to those who went through an extremely difficult time and rose above it all.

”I also know this is about honoring the city and its people.”

Watt says he noticed something special evolving from his involvement in the fundraising efforts.

”I learned how much good there is in the world, how humanity steps up to the plate when they see fellow humans going through difficult times Ryquell Armstead Jersey ,” he says. ”From my high school and from kids with their lemonade stands … to seeing people putting aside any differences and rivalries and helping out … and how they wanted to donate to be good people and help their fellow humans. It shows how much good light there is in the world.”

Carolina tight end Olsen, who just finished his 11th pro season, has put together two initiatives, one to fight breast cancer, the other to help youngsters with a congenital heart defect.

Olsen’s mother is a breast cancer survivor, and in 2009 he founded Receptions for Research: The Greg Olsen Foundation. The Foundation’s ”Receiving Hope” focuses on cancer research and education programming.

In early 2013, Greg and his wife Kara founded the HEARTest Yard Fund after a routine examination of their unborn son, T.J., revealed the infant had Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS). It’s a family service program administered in conjunction with Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte.

”We meet with the hospital staff and the nurses and doctors and go into these homes,” Olsen explains. ”Just to see and hear the families and have them relay the stories about this program and … what the lives of these families would be like without our program. To hear how it is helping their family life and family dynamic is something far beyond what we imagined.

”It’s been fun watching it grow and have such an impact.”

Baltimore tight end Watson, a 14-year pro, assists countless people through his charitable arm, the One More Foundation.

Most recently, One More partnered with the International Justice Mission (IJM), the world’s largest international anti-slavery organization working to combat human trafficking, modern day slavery and other forms of violence against the poor. Benjamin and his wife, Kirsten Gardner Minshew II Jersey , joined the global fight to end the scourge of sex trafficking.

”There are 2 million children worldwide involved in sex traffic and exploitation,” he says. ”This slavery issue is really a big deal that kind of goes on unnoticed and unheralded.

”People want to help, a lot of times people don’t know how. The problems of the world seem so overwhelming that they do not know where to start. We provide people the opportunity to do something for someone.

”Whenever you help somebody, they end up helping you and you learn as much from them as they do from you.”

Olsen broke into the NFL with the Bears. So the Payton legacy is more than a familiar one for him.

”Playing in Chicago for four years, I saw firsthand what the Payton family has meant to the city and the community,” he says. ”I was a teammate with Walter’s son, Jarrett, at the University of Miami for a year, kept in contact with him. It’s interesting how many parallels there are. They have a great foundation that does a lot of great work.”

The three finalists emphasize that hundreds of their peers are doing similar work, selflessly and without fanfare.

”A lot of guys are doing those things, more than what people know,” Watson notes. ”One thing I always wanted to do is take advantage of the opportunities as long as I play and after I play.

”We obviously have some influence. Yes, as NFL players … we have the ability to be more visible. Everybody has a sphere of influence they can affect positively, whether it is 10 people or 10,000 people. I want to use it to help people and advocate for people whenever I can, to be someone who stands for what is just and kind and right.”

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