The White Sox quite possibly have the best closer in the game in Liam Hendriks, who threw 34 pitches and 1 1/3 innings during his first save in a 12-8 victory over the Angels Friday night.

But they also have a luxury with one of the best bullpens in baseball. It doesn’t necessarily dictate Hendriks pitching the seventh or eighth with the game on the line, not with manager Tony La Russa believing the psychology of the ninth is different and built for certain pitchers such as Hendriks. But it leaves the White Sox confident in setting up the energetic Aussie or filling in for him if he needs the break.

“I really believe that the guys we have here are not afraid of the ninth inning, besides Liam,” La Russa said. “That's a really good asset for us, and it tells me that days he shouldn't pitch, he's not going to pitch, and we still have a shot to win.”

• Flamethrowing Kopech victorious in return

Hendriks didn’t mind Friday’s workload, mixing in a long wait during the top of the ninth as the White Sox scored five runs. The right-hander even joked about extending his international popularity after yielding a ninth-inning home run to Shohei Ohtani.

“We're going to be on TV in Japan for about a month after that one, so it's good to be building my brand a little bit,” a smiling Hendriks said. “My first time going an inning-plus, unfortunately was in the opener, my first appearance of the year.

“Other than that, I was happy to be pitching, happy to get that first save on the board. Those cleats are now being authenticated because they've got so many runs in them, so we'll turn them over to the next set.”

Vaughn relishes the moment

The 0-for-3 showing with one walk and one run scored for Andrew Vaughn on Friday was the best 23rd-birthday eve present the top White Sox prospect could imagine.

“It was unbelievable getting to go up there,” said Vaughn during a Saturday Zoom on his actual birthday. “My legs were shaking a little bit, had the adrenaline rush and the nerves pumping. It was ultimately a great experience.”

Getting a win was the best part of the night, according to Vaughn, who returned to play left field Saturday after his big league debut there on Friday. He also was glad to have family in the stands.

“I couldn't hear them, but I knew they were there. It was just so awesome that they could make the drive down and be here for this moment,” Vaughn said. “And they've been such a big part of my life.

“They are my everything. They brought me to travel-ball tournaments at five o'clock in the morning, did everything for me. I was just blessed to have them here.”

Keuchel sees early championship mettle

Dallas Keuchel only lasted four-plus innings in Friday’s start, allowing six runs, of which three were earned. But he pointed to the bullpen picking him up in that victory as a sign of what championship teams need to do.

“I’m looking forward to the next start and picking up the bullpen and not have them coming in in the bottom of the fifth,” Keuchel said. “It’s not my forte or what I want to do, to go four-plus. I was very frustrated and very upset with that decision, but I mean, it worked out great. [Matt] Foster came in and did his job.”

Keuchel added a game spanning 3 hours, 44 minutes, as Friday did, is not his forte. But Foster, Michael Kopech and Evan Marshall provided a scoreless bridge to Hendriks.

“I’ve told the guys before camp broke that this is the most talented staff as a whole I’ve ever been on,” Keuchel said. “From top to bottom, it’s filled with guys who throw 95-plus and have devastating breaking balls.

“The starting rotation is full of guys who have uber talent. It’s going to be fun to watch on a day-to-day basis.”

Third to first

• Although José Abreu entered Saturday needing one homer for 200, he's already unofficially hit that mark. Abreu launched what should have been a three-run homer in the seventh inning of a victory over Detroit on April 26, 2019, but ended up overrunning Tim Anderson at first. The Tigers challenged the play, and Abreu was ruled out and credited with a two-run single.

• The White Sox signed Friday’s lineup card for Yermín Mercedes after his historic 5-for-5 effort with four RBIs in his first start.

“A lot of great things happened,” La Russa said. “The greatest was the designated hitter.”

They said it

“[Friday's] victory was for him. He was watching the game, he was following the game and I know that he's very happy with this victory. We are missing him, but there are guys here who can do a very good job and fill that void that Eloy's injury left us.” -- Abreu on Eloy Jiménez

“Eerily familiar. I was a lot calmer than I expected to be. I just really enjoyed being back out there and being in the competitor’s mode again.” -- Kopech, who earned his first career relief win Friday, and pitched in the regular season for the first time since Sept. 5, 2018