Screen gem: In White Sox' latest loss, Brooks Baldwin off to good, running start

 KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Infielder Brooks Baldwin was in a Lowe’s store with his mother near his home in Whiteville, North Carolina, buying screen to repair a door their dog had ruined, when he got the call. He was going to the big leagues.

“I don’t really know what happened after that,” Baldwin said. “I was kind of in shock and couldn’t really talk back. But after a couple of minutes, I was able to say thank you and it’s a great opportunity.”

Baldwin, who turns 24 in August but doesn’t look a day older than 17, joined the Sox in Kansas City Friday to make his major league debut, playing second base in a 7-1 Sox loss, their fifth straight. He’s the 23^rd ranked Sox prospect per MLB Pipeline but has soared through the system, a big leaguer just one year after playing in Low-A Kannapolis. He was leading the Double-A Southern League in hitting when he got promoted July 4 to Triple-A Charlotte, where he homered his first time up. After eight games of more mashing, the Sox couldn’t help but give him a look-see.

“Just go out there and continue playing what I’ve been doing all year,” Baldwin said.

Known to have baseball moxie to go with his numbers, Baldwin handled Adam Frazier's routine ground ball leading off the first, then singled sharply to right field on his second pitch from Michael Wacha. With one out, he made a good read on Tommy Pham's bloop single to center, never breaking stride going to third. In the seventh, Michael Hassey's single tipped off Baldwin's glove as he ranged to his left.

Manager Pedro Grifol said Baldwin will get some run at second base but he has played all infield and outfield positions in the minors. He thrives on being versatile.

“I kind of just woke up every day and figured out what position I was going to be at and it was kind of set,” he said.

Grifol said Baldwin "looked like he belonged out there."

"He looked calm; I liked his approach at the plate," Grifol said. "He has that line drive swing which we like."

 After going 27-71 before the All-Star break, Grifol said there is nowhere to look but ahead, but the Sox kept looking in the wrong direction, falling behind 7-0 to the Royals in the fifth inning. Chris Flexen walked five and gave up seven runs, charged with five in the fifth.

“I’ve asked these guys and I’ve challenged all of them, including myself, to forget about the first half,” Grifol said. “Obviously it’s there, it’s in the books. I’m not saying it doesn’t matter. I’m saying you can’t go back on it. I’ve challenged myself, and challenged these guys, and everybody, to forget about the first half and just focus on what’s in front of us right now."

Michael Wacha stifled the Sox on four hits over seven scoreless innings. He escaped trouble getting Andrew Vaughn and Andrew Benintendi to hit into inning-ending double plays in the first and third innings.

Korey Lee hit his ninth homer in the eighth against Chris Stratton.

“We’ve got [63] games left," Grifol said. "We’re all professionals. Our job is to improve this organization, to improve this team, to improve ourselves as individuals and give our very best on that field. That’s it. That’s a mark of character, that’s a mark of integrity, and that’s what we want our guys to do. Come out here, forget about the first half, come out here, bust your ass, try to win a baseball game tonight and do it again tomorrow. Finish strong.”

NOTE: Grifol supported catcher Martin Maldonado till the All-Star break despite his struggles, but Maldonado, 37, was designated for assignment Wednesday. He batted .119 and was minus-10 in defensive runs saved.

"Yeah but there comes a time during the season where you're going to haveto start making some difficult decisions that can help us evaluate going into next year," Grifol said.

Grifol said catcher Chuckie Robinson, 29, called up from Charlotte for his second major league tour, "can be part of the future."

"It’s been two years [since I played for the Reds]," said Robinson, who will complement Korey Lee. "I have a family now so it’s a different feeling. I’ve grown a lot as a ballplayer and a man. I think the game is going to slow down a lot more my second time around. Just looking to win and have some fun."