Keuchel honors grieving family with gem

CHICAGO -- The White Sox 10-1 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Friday had special meaning beyond the crosstown rivalry value.

At least, it did for Dallas Keuchel, the starting and winning pitcher.

The veteran southpaw paid tribute to Sam Salabura, who works in the visitors’ clubhouse for the White Sox, and Salabura’s father, Stan, who sadly died on May 7. It would have been Stan Salabura’s birthday Friday, which marked the opener of this three-game weekend set.

“Before the game, I was thinking about him and his family and stuff like that, and I just felt like somebody was with me,” Keuchel said. “I don’t really believe in that much, but it was just eerie how good I felt just kind of doing everything.

“I just want the Salabura family to know we are thinking of them tonight. We are happy to get a win on Stan’s birthday.”

Keuchel spoke of how he has known Sam for almost a decade, going back to Double-A baseball and the Arizona Fall League. So Keuchel’s good feeling on the mound and his good feeling about a sixth straight victory for the White Sox was shared with the Salabura family.

“What a great guy,” said Keuchel of Sam. “I feel terrible for the family, but I think about him a lot because of how good of a dude Sam is. I couldn’t be more happy with how we performed tonight, especially on what would have been his [dad’s] birthday.”