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White Sox turn to rookie Hagen Smith to start Game 1 vs. Guardians

The Chicago White Sox are turning to rookie left-hander Hagen Smith to start Game 1 of the Division Series against the Guardians in Cleveland, mirroring their Wild Card opener in Houston. Manager Will Venable announced the decision on Friday, relying on the young pitcher who previously tossed three scoreless frames against the Astros, surrendering two hits and striking out one before handing duties to Jordan Hicks.

Smith expressed calm about the assignment, noting that after delivering the first pitch, competition simply feels like normal baseball. Selected fifth overall in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Arkansas, the newcomer posted a stellar 1.29 ERA across 18 appearances during his debut campaign after arriving in August, which included facing Cleveland three times for a pair of earned runs over 5.2 combined innings.

Venable noted that the five-game series schedule provides advantageous off-days, allowing the team to heavily utilize relief pitching, with a day of rest scheduled on Sunday prior to Game 2 on Monday.

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