ARLINGTON, Texas — Aaron Civale described the last couple of days as “a lot.”
“Found out yesterday morning (that he had been traded) and packed up a whole house with my wife,” Civale said Saturday afternoon at Globe Life Field. “Did what we could to get everything situated and then hopped on a plane and came down here.”
The Chicago White Sox acquired the starting pitcher in a trade Friday that sent first baseman Andrew Vaughn to the Milwaukee Brewers.
“Played against this team many times in my time in Cleveland,” Civale said. “Exciting to have the opportunity to be here and see what I can do and help out.”
He’ll go Sunday when the Sox look to rebound after Saturday’s 5-4 walk-off loss in 11 innings.
Adolis García drove in Evan Carter with a two-out single to end the wild game in front of a sellout crowd of 38,122 at Globe Life Field.
The Sox had an early lead, scoring twice in the fourth against Rangers starter Jacob deGrom. Kyle Teel collected his first major-league RBI with a sacrifice fly to left. Luis Robert Jr. followed with an RBI single to center.
Rangers shortstop Corey Seager drove in a run with a double in the fifth. Texas went ahead with two runs in seventh against reliever Grant Taylor. Seager scored on a wild pitch to give the Rangers a 3-2 lead.
The Sox tied it in the eighth on Mike Tauchman’s RBI single, but the Rangers responded in the bottom of the inning.
Josh Smith hit a two-out bloop double to left against reliever Jordan Leasure. Shortstop Chase Meidroth then fielded Wyatt Langford’s high chopper, but his throw to first was off the mark, and Smith scored from second to make it 4-3.
The Sox were down to their last out in the ninth when pinch hitter Michael A. Taylor came through with an RBI double against reliever Robert Garcia.
The contest went to extra innings. With the multiple moves throughout the game, pitcher Tyler Alexander had to bat with two on and two outs in the top of the 10th. He grounded out to first.
García came through for the Rangers in the 11th as the Sox lost their fourth straight.
And now the Sox turn to Civale, who was added to the active roster Saturday as one of four moves. The club also called up first baseman Ryan Noda from Triple-A Charlotte and optioned first baseman Tim Elko and pitcher Tyler Gilbert to Charlotte.
The Sox pulled off the deal for Civale a day after The Athletic reported that his agent had asked the Brewers to trade the right-hander rather than use him in a relief role.
“Like I said when I addressed the (Milwaukee) media a few days ago, it’s nobody in the clubhouse, nobody on the coaching staff, just a situation — I feel like I have a lot left to give the game as a starting pitcher and I think that’s how I prepare for the game,” Civale said. “That’s how I prepare in the offseason both physically and mentally, and hopefully I can continue to do that and give to this organization what I’ve always given.”
Like Civale, Noda made a quick turnaround to join the Sox in Arlington.
“I came from Allentown, Pennsylvania, took a bus, an hour and 30 minutes to Philly, had an hour, 40-minute delay in Philly, got in at 1:30 (a.m.) and got to the hotel at 2,” Noda said before the game.
He jokingly added, “So, nice and easy, smooth.”
The Sox claimed Noda off waivers from the Boston Red Sox on Friday afternoon. Noda entered Saturday with a .212 average, 17 home runs and 58 RBIs in 164 career major-league games spanning two seasons with the Athletics (2023-24).
He had a combined .204/.404/.375 slash line with seven home runs, 21 RBIs and 43 walks in 51 games in 2025 for Triple-A Salt Lake in the Los Angeles Angels organization and Worcester (.378 average in 13 games) in the Red Sox system.
“He’s an elite swing decision-maker,” Venable said. “For us, as we continue to put quality at-bats together, just a really good piece to lengthen a lineup.”
Noda said he was a huge White Sox fan growing up in Fox Lake. The Grant product’s favorite player was Paul Konerko.
“To wear Chicago around my chest means the world,” Noda said.
He started at first base Saturday, going 0-for-3. Noda and Miguel Vargas are the options at first base for the Sox after they optioned Elko to Charlotte. Elko is 9-for-58 (.155) with four home runs and eight RBIs in 18 games during two stints with the major-league club.
“As he continues to get comfortable, as he continues to grow his confidence, just going out there and being himself,” Venable said. “I think there’s an onboarding and learning curve at the big-league level that he’s still going through. He’s just got to continue to be himself.
“I don’t think there’s some big adjustment he’s got to make. He’s just got to be comfortable and be confident at the plate.”
