White Sox make 11 roster moves, beat Twins in 10 innings

Tim Anderson

Andrew Benintendi's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning lifted the White Sox to a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Tuesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.

It took 30 games, but the Sox (9-21) have finally won two in a row for the first time in the 2023 season. But the biggest news of the day came during the afternoon, when the club announced a series of 11 roster moves.

In the 40-plus years I've been following this team, I don't think I've seen anything quite like it. I guess you might say it's indicative of the fact that things have not been going well. 

Let's take a look at the comings and goings.

Who's here?

• Tim Anderson (sprained knee) was activated off the 10-day injured list. He played shortstop and batted leadoff Tuesday night for the first time since suffering the injury April 10. The Sox went 3-15 during his 18-game absence.
• Hanser Alberto (groin strain) was activated off the 10-day injured list. He appeared in Tuesday's game as a late-inning defensive replacement and scored the winning run as the ghost runner in the 10th inning.
• Veteran right-hander Alex Colome had his contract selected from Triple-A Charlotte. Colome served as the Sox closer in 2019-20. He pitched two-thirds of an inning Tuesday night and gave up a game-tying solo home run to Minnesota's Nick Gordon.
• Outfielder Billy Hamilton had his contract selected from Triple-A Charlotte. This is also his second stint with the Sox. He was a member of the 2021 AL Central championship team. He appeared in Tuesday's game as a pinch runner in the ninth inning. He stole a base, but was stranded at third.
• Pitcher Sammy Peralta had his contract selected from Triple-A Charlotte. The 24-year-old has never pitched in the majors. He figures to be deployed as the second lefty out of the bullpen -- or maybe the first lefty, given how bad Aaron Bummer has pitched this season.

Who's gone?

• Veteran relief pitcher Joe Kelly was placed on the paternity list. This move was expected Tuesday.
• Right fielder Oscar Colas was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. The decision to give the 24-year-old rookie a starting job proved premature, as Colas batted .211/.265/.276 with only one home run in 25 games. He'll need to work on his plate discipline before he can return to the majors. Once again, right field looks like a sore spot for the Sox.
• Second baseman Lenyn Sosa was optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. The 23-year-old is not ready for the big leagues at this time. He batted .151/.167/.245 in 16 games with one homer. With Anderson's return, Elvis Andrus moves from shortstop back to second base.
• Utility player Romy Gonzalez was placed on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation. A fake injury? You decide. Gonzalez is batting .139/.139/.194, and he's struggled at every position he's played defensively. Had he been optioned to Charlotte, no one would have batted an eye.
• Veteran reliever Jake Diekman was designated for assignment. The lefty was the only acquisition made by the Sox at last season's trade deadline, and he was a disaster. He had a 6.52 ERA in 26 games with the Sox in 2022. This year, he was 0-1 with a 7.94 ERA in 13 games. The evidence suggests the 36-year-old's career might be over.
• Minor league pitcher Franklin German was designated for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster for some of the additions noted above.

How much impact will these moves make? My thinking is that Anderson is the only one that moves the needle, but it's clear that Sox brass is shaking it up to try to save this sagging season. 

What else is there to do right now?

White Sox to host Minnesota Twins for first time in 2021

Alex Colome

When the season started, many observers thought the AL Central race would come down to the defending champion Minnesota Twins and the White Sox -- and it still might.

But thus far, things have been going much better for the Sox than they have been for the Twins. The Sox are 19-13 and alone in first place in the division, while the Twins sit seven games behind in fourth place at 12-20.

The two teams will match up for three games in Chicago starting Tuesday night, and the Sox will be seeing a lot of the Twins in the next two and a half months -- 16 of the 19 meetings between these two clubs will occur within the next 77 days.

Of note, the Twins are 0-7 in extra-inning games so far this season, so they've lost a lot of close ones. You could say it's bad luck, but you could also say Minnesota's bullpen has been brutal.

Former Sox closer Alex Colome has had his problems since joining the Twins -- he has given up 15 runs (eight earned) in just 12.2 innings this season. He's 1-3 with a 5.68 ERA. Tyler Duffey (0-2, 5.56 ERA) also has been having a rough time out of the Minnesota bullpen.

Here's a look at the pitching matchups for this series:

Tuesday: Dylan Cease (2-0, 2.37 ERA) vs. Kenta Maeda (2-2, 5.02 ERA)

Wednesday: Dallas Keuchel (1-1, 3.79 ERA) vs. J.A. Happ (2-0, 1.91 ERA)

Thursday: Carlos Rodon (5-0, 0.58 ERA) vs. Michael Pineda (2-1, 2.43 ERA)

Three things to watch for in this series:

1. Can the Sox solve Pineda? I always cringe a little when I see Pineda scheduled to pitch against the Sox. Lifetime, he's 5-3 with a 3.21 ERA against the South Siders, and frankly, I'm surprised he's not 8-0. Pineda is a decent, but not great pitcher -- a lifetime 3.96 ERA. But especially since he's joined the Twins, he always seems to save his best games for the Sox.

2. Michael Kopech's usage. Looking ahead a little bit, the Sox have a doubleheader against the Kansas City Royals on Friday, and they are considering using Kopech to start one of those games. But if the Sox have a high-leverage situation in the late innings against the Twins, such as extra innings, will manager Tony La Russa use Kopech to try to get the win? With all due respect to the Royals, my general feeling is still that Minnesota is a bigger threat to the Sox. No matter what the standings say at the moment, it's important to beat the Twins.

3. Yasmani Grandal's offense. It's starting to get a little insane for the Sox catcher, who is batting .113/.378/.242 so far this season. Grandal has appeared in five games in the month of May and taken 22 at-bats. He's 0 for 7 with five strikeouts, 14 walks and a sacrifice fly. Fourteen walks in 22 plate appearances for a guy who is batting .113 and can barely put the ball in play! At this point, you wonder why pitchers are not challenging Grandal more often.

For better or for worse, Liam Hendriks is the big White Sox offseason acquisition

Liam Hendriks

Forgive me if this offseason is giving me flashbacks to 2014-15 as a White Sox fan. The players general manager Rick Hahn has acquired this year remind me a little of the guys he brought in that winter.

Here in 2020-21, we've got Lance Lynn starring as Jeff Samardzija, and Adam Eaton as Melky Cabrera. And ... introducing Liam Hendriks as David Robertson!

OK, I think Lynn is a better pitcher than Samardzija. And for all his limitations, Eaton is at least a more economical roster addition than Cabrera was. And Hendriks, the latest White Sox signee, is similar to Robertson in the sense that he was the best free-agent relief pitcher on the market.

Hendriks, a 31-year-old right-hander, was signed Monday to a three-year, $54 million contract. He will earn $13 million in each of the next three seasons. The deal includes a $15 million club option for 2024, with a $15 million buyout -- hence the $54 million in guaranteed money.

I don't want to make the same argument twice, so I'll refer everyone back to my previous comments on Hendriks. Hey, the guy has been an elite relief pitcher the past two seasons. It's reasonable to believe he makes the Sox better. He brings swing-and-miss stuff to the closer's role --13.1 strikeouts per nine innings in both 2019 and 2020 -- and that's an element the Sox bullpen has been lacking.

On paper, Hendriks is a better closer than Alex Colome, and I would never argue otherwise. Thing is, at $54 million, it's likely that Hendriks will be the biggest free-agent addition this offseason, and my concern overall has been whether closer is the appropriate position to spend money on. I felt as though starting pitching and right field were bigger needs. 

The Sox filled those two spots with cheaper acquisitions in Lynn and Eaton.

Am I the only one who finds it fascinating that the Sox are willing to shop at the top of the market for relief pitching, while being unwilling to do so at any other position?

They ponied up for Robertson back in 2014-15, and now they made Hendriks their top target. However, they seem uninterested in George Springer, the best outfielder on the market, and uninterested in Trevor Bauer, the best starting pitcher on the market. It's frustrating and baffling to see the Sox not pursue those guys.

But, let me say this for the Sox: Who else in the American League is doing ANYTHING this offseason? Nobody, really. 

Aside from the San Diego Padres and New York Mets, two National League clubs, the Sox are the only team that appears to actively be trying to get better. 

Even though I wish they were doing more, they are at least doing something, so there's that.

White Sox, Evan Marshall agree on one-year contract, avoiding arbitration

Evan Marshall

Holiday weekend roster news: Right-handed relief pitcher Evan Marshall and the White Sox agreed on a one-year, $2 million contract, avoiding arbitration.

Marshall has worked out of the Sox's bullpen the past two seasons, and they've pretty much been the two best years of his career. Combining his 2019 and 2020 numbers, Marshall has gone 6-3 with a 2.45 ERA in 78 appearances.

The 30-year-old struck out a career-best 11.9 batters per nine innings in 2020 and limited opponents to a .198 batting average. Thanks to Marshall's outstanding changeup, left-handed batters managed only five hits in 42 at-bats against him last season.

The Sox have now signed three of their five arbitration-eligible players: Marshall, Adam Engel and Jace Fry. The remaining two are starting pitchers Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez.

The bullpen is one area of the Sox's roster that figures to be stable going into the 2021 season. Here's the projected relief corps right now:

Right-handers: Marshall, Codi Heuer, Jimmy Cordero, Matt Foster

Left-handers: Fry, Aaron Bummer, Garrett Crochet

That's seven guys out of a projected eight-man bullpen. Alex Colome remains a free agent. You figure the Sox will add one more veteran relief arm this offseason, whether it's bringing back Colome or signing someone else.

The biggest free agent linked to the White Sox is ... Liam Hendriks?

Liam Hendriks

The White Sox are 92-1 when leading after eight innings over the past two seasons. That is good evidence that the bullpen is NOT the greatest area of need on the South Side of Chicago.

Yet, the biggest free agent who has been linked to the Sox is a closer, Liam Hendriks.

Granted, the Sox's incumbent closer, Alex Colome, also is a free agent. As of this writing, it remains unclear who will be tasked with closing games for the Sox in 2021.

We'll also acknowledge that Hendriks is a more dominant relief pitcher than Colome. Based on recent track records, it would be foolish to argue that Hendriks would not help the Sox. Let's take a look at the numbers from these two pitchers over the past two years:

Colome in 2019: 4-5, 2.80 ERA, 30 saves, 61 IP, 55 Ks, 23 BBs, 1.066 WHIP, 8.1 K/9, 3.4 BB/9

Hendriks in 2019: 4-4, 1.80 ERA, 25 saves, 85 IP, 124 Ks, 21 BBs, 0.965 WHIP, 13.1 K/9, 2.2 BB/9

Colome in 2020: 2-0, 0.81 ERA, 12 saves, 22.1 IP, 16 Ks, 8 BBs, 0.940 WHIP, 6.4 K/9, 3.2 BB/9

Hendriks in 2020: 3-1, 1.78 ERA, 14 saves, 25.1 IP, 37 Ks, 3 BBs, 0.671 WHIP, 13.1 K/9, 1.1 BB/9

There's no getting around it. Hendriks was the best reliever in the American League in 2020. And he's better than Colome. He strikes out more batters. He walks fewer batters. In general, fewer batters reach base against him. That's exactly what you want in a closer.

Here's the problem: To sign Hendriks, it's probably going to take a four-year deal, worth somewhere between $50 million and $60 million. That sort of outlay would probably be the biggest the Sox would make in this most unusual of offseasons.

The question isn't whether Hendriks is good. The question is whether he's the best use of (apparently) scarce resources.

Closer has not been a problem for the Sox. If need be, they could probably retain Colome on a two-year commitment for a lot less -- maybe two years, $20 million. And even if Colome leaves, you still have two left-handers (Aaron Bummer and Garrett Crochet) and three right-handers (Codi Heuer, Evan Marshall and Matt Foster) who can be used in high-leverage situations.

Meanwhile, the Sox had a right fielder last season (Nomar Mazara) who posted an OPS+ of 64. League-average is 100, so that means Mazara was 36% below league average.

They also had a DH (Edwin Encarnacion) who posted an OPS+ of 70, or 30% below league average.

These are glaring, massive holes that are begging to be solved through free agency. Colome is not as good as Hendriks, but he's also not below league average. The closer spot simply is not a liability, while right field and DH are.

The Sox have already strangely plugged right field with Adam Eaton, who had a 76 OPS+ last season -- he should fit right in, LOL.

To the Sox's credit, they plugged a hole in the starting rotation by trading for Lance Lynn, who is both good and reasonably priced. Lynn will earn $8 million in 2021.

That means there still should be room with the payroll to make a significant addition on a multi-year deal. Should that money be spent on an upgrade at closer? Not in my world. A better use of money would be adding an impact bat who can help you each and every day. 

You don't need a $15 million closer to win a World Series.

Toughest White Sox offseason decisions: Alex Colome and Leury Garcia

Alex Colome

Over the past two seasons, the White Sox are 92-1 when leading after eight innings. They were a perfect 32-0 in that situation in 2020, after going 60-1 in 2019.

A won-loss record like that is a clear sign that your closer is doing his job. As annoying as it can be to watch Alex Colome work slooooooowly on the mound, the veteran right-hander has had back-to-back successful seasons on the South Side of Chicago.

This year, he went 2-0 with a 0.81 ERA with 12 saves in 13 opportunities. Over the past two seasons, he's appeared in 104 games, going 6-5 with a 2.27 ERA with 42 saves in 46 chances. 

Unless you've got Mariano Rivera on your team or something, you can't really expect better from your ninth inning guy.

However, the Sox face a tough decision on Colome this offseason. He's a free agent, and by the time next season begins, he'll be 32 years old. He was scheduled to make $10.53 million in 2020 before the pandemic reduced everyone's salary, and since he had a strong year, there's no doubt he'll be seeking more on the open market.

Should the Sox prioritize Colome, knowing they have other quality relievers in their bullpen? Aaron Bummer and Codi Heuer both have closer stuff, and both could do the job for much cheaper.

That said, 2021 is a win-now season for the Sox, and can they afford to go into it without a proven closer? Sure, we *think* Bummer and Heuer can do the job, but we don't *know* they can do the job. They haven't been given the opportunity yet.

A strong case can be made, too, that the Sox have bigger needs than the bullpen. They are certainly a starting pitcher short. They need a right fielder and a designated hitter, as well.

But even though Colome likely is heading toward the regression phase of his career, I'd like to see the Sox re-sign him if the price is right. 

The guess here is free agents aren't going to make a whole heck of a lot this offseason. The big-name guys, George Springer and Trevor Bauer, are going to get paid, but second-tier and third-tier guys -- such as Colome -- may not command as much as they would in a normal year. Teams didn't get any revenue from ticket sales in 2020, and spending is going to be down. That's just a reality.

If the Sox were to offer Colome two years, $20 million right now, he'd have to consider it. But if they wait out the market, they might be able to get him at an even cheaper rate -- perhaps two years, $16 million.

It will be interesting to see how the Sox play it with their closer situation this offseason.

The other tough decision ahead? How about oft-injured utility player Leury Garcia? He has a $3.5 million option with a $250,000 buyout.

If Garcia could reliably stay healthy, I think that option gets picked up. However, he missed most of the season this year with torn ligaments in his thumb. And despite all his positional versatility -- and his ability to switch-hit -- the Sox could carry Adam Engel as a backup outfielder and Danny Mendick as a backup infielder, and probably get the same production for less money.

Then the Sox could put that $3.5 million toward filling the aforementioned holes, or trying to entice Colome to return.

I would buy out Garcia, but I'm acknowledging that it's not an easy decision. He's been a good soldier during the rebuild, and he has utility as a bench player. I'm just feeling as though that money would be better spent elsewhere.

White Sox tumble to No. 7 seed, will play Oakland in first round

Luis Robert

2-6. 

That's all the White Sox needed to do in their last eight games in order to secure an American League Central Division championship.

Of course, they went 1-7. 

The Minnesota Twins are the division champions with a record of 36-24. They have the No. 3 seed in the AL playoffs and will get a favorable matchup against the sixth-seeded Houston Astros (29-31).

That spot could have belonged to the Sox, but they lost to the Cubs, 10-8, on Sunday and finished tied with the Cleveland Indians for second place. Both Chicago and Cleveland are 35-25, one game behind the Twins in the division.

The Indians hold the tiebreaker over the Sox by virtue of their 8-2 record in head-to-head matchups, so they get the 4 seed as the top second-place team and will host the No. 5 seed New York Yankees.

Come to think of it, I don't envy the Indians, because New York is probably better than its 33-27 record indicates.

That leaves the No. 7 seed for the Sox, and they will go on the road to face the No. 2 seed Oakland Athletics. The best-of-three series starts Tuesday night. The A's (36-24) are the only winning team in the AL West, and they coasted to the division title by seven games over Houston.

It was a real ugly finish for the Sox. After getting swept in Cleveland, they lost 10-0 to the Cubs on Friday. The Sox won, 9-5, on Saturday, but they fell behind 10-1 on Sunday before a furious rally in the last two innings to make the game look more competitive than it actually was.

However, what's done is done, and the Sox have to look ahead to Oakland. A few positives:

• Lucas Giolito and Dallas Keuchel were both effective in their last starts of the season, and after taking the weekend against the Cubs off, they should be rested and ready for Games 1 and 2.
• Aaron Bummer and Evan Marshall are healthy, fortifying the Sox's bullpen.
• Rookie Garrett Crochet is unscored upon through the first six innings of his pro career. He tossed two scoreless innings in the win Saturday.
• With Bummer, Marshall, Crochet, Matt Foster, Codi Heuer and Alex Colome all healthy and ready, the Sox have SIX relievers they can use in high-leverage spots. This weekend, the Cubs scored ZERO runs against those six men. That's saying something, given that the Cubs scored 25 runs in the series.
• The Cubs did the Sox a favor by blowing up Reynaldo Lopez on Sunday. The right-hander allowed six runs in 1.1. innings, showing that he is not qualified to make a playoff start for the Sox. It's better that we all discover that now than, say, next Thursday in a winner-take-all Game 3 against the A's.
• Luis Robert went 5 for 11 against the Cubs, showing signs that he's breaking out of an extended slump.
• Yoan Moncada, too. He was 3 for 8 with homer and two walks in his past two games.
• Even after being held hitless Sunday, Jose Abreu is still as good as he's ever been. His bases-loaded double put the Sox ahead to stay Saturday night. He totaled 60 RBIs in a 60-game season. He had 19 homers, a .317 average and a .987 OPS.

That's what we got. I think the Sox have two good starting pitchers and six good relief pitchers. As long as that group of eight does most of the pitching, the Sox should at least have a puncher's chance of upsetting the A's.

White Sox clinch first postseason trip since 2008

Eloy Jimenez

Was Thursday the biggest win for the White Sox since the Blackout Game in 2008? You can make the case. Thursday's 4-3 victory over Minnesota sends the Sox to the playoffs for the first time since, well, 2008. 

And there's a huge difference between a three-game lead or a one-game lead in the American League Central Division with 10 games to play. The Sox have that three-game cushion over the Twins now as a result of Thursday's win.

Three times, the Twins took the lead with solo home runs, and three times, the Sox came back. The South Siders scored two runs after two men were out in the bottom of the seventh inning, with Jose Abreu hustling to beat out an infield single to tie the game, and Eloy Jimenez delivering an RBI double to put the Sox ahead to stay.

While Minnesota relievers Tyler Clippard and Sergio Romo failed to get the job done, Codi Heuer and Alex Colome slammed the door for the Sox. Heuer recorded five outs -- three on strikeouts -- to earn the win and improve to 3-0. Colome got four outs for his 12th save in 13 chances.

Abreu increased his MVP chances by going 2 for 3 with his 17th home run of the season and two more RBIs. He now has 51 RBIs in only 50 games. Edwin Encarnacion also homered for the Sox.

And I would be remiss if I didn't give some credit to Sox starter Reynaldo Lopez. He gave up three solo homers, two to Byron Buxton and one to Josh Donaldson, over 5.1 innings. But the key word there is "solo." Lopez struck out six and walked only one. He has a habit of pitching himself into trouble with free passes, but that did not happen Thursday.

Sure, nobody likes to give up home runs, but if they're solo shots, it's not the end of the world. Those home runs did not beat Lopez, nor did they beat the Sox. Given that Lopez was 1-6 with a 6.44 ERA lifetime against the Twins, I was not optimistic coming into his outing Thursday. But he did his job well enough. No complaints.

Next up for the Sox is a three-game road series against the Cincinnati Reds. The Twins are headed 8 miles north to play the Cubs. It will be strange to cheer for the Cubs this weekend, but the truth is, the Sox have their fate in their own hands. They don't need any help. They've got a playoff spot in hand, and they can win the division if they simply win the majority of their remaining 10 games.

Adam Engel foils Minnesota's defense; Sox beat Twins in series opener

Adam Engel

The White Sox have scored an American League-best 81 runs in the seventh inning or later, and that's a great habit to get into. Most of the offense has come in the form of bashing the ball off the wall or over it.

However, Adam Engel's RBI single that gave the Sox the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning of an eventual 3-1 win over the Minnesota Twins on Monday was somehow more satisfying. Maybe this particular hit felt cathartic because Engel outsmarted the Twins, and for years, it seems as though the Twins have been outsmarting the Sox.

Not on Monday. 

With the score tied 1-1 in the eighth inning, Minnesota reliever Taylor Rogers walked Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert to put runners on first and second with nobody out. Rogers is left-handed, so Sox manager Rick Renteria wisely sent Engel to the plate to pinch-hit for Nomar Mazara. 

Engel has laid down 16 sacrifice bunts in his career, so he's certainly no stranger to being asked to bunt in a situation such as this. In fact, he attempted to bunt the first pitch from Rogers and fouled it off.

However, Engel noticed that the Twins were expecting the bunt, and they put the wheel play on. For those unfamiliar, the wheel play involves having the third baseman charge hard, while the shortstop sprints from his position to cover third base, leaving the middle of the field vacant.

In a first-and-second situation, batters are taught to make the third baseman field a bunt. You don't want to bunt down the first-base line in that spot, because it's too easy for the first baseman to field the ball and sling it over to third to cut down the lead runner. 

The wheel play provides the defense with a better opportunity to cut down the lead runner at third on a bunt up the third-base line. The idea is to have the third baseman field the ball and throw it to the shortstop covering third for the force. 

As an offensive player, how do you counter the wheel play? Well, you show bunt, get the shortstop moving, and then slap a grounder through the middle of the infield for an RBI single. That's precisely the play Engel executed, and it ultimately won the Sox a critical September game.

Engel hit the ball roughly where Minnesota shortstop Jorge Polanco normally would be standing. However, Polanco had vacated his position to cover third base as part of the wheel play. With all his momentum heading toward third, he had no chance in hell to reverse course and field Engel's grounder. 

Moncada scored easily from second to make it 2-1 Sox, and moments later, Tim Anderson doubled off the fence to score Robert. 3-1 Sox, and Alex Colome made the lead stand up in the ninth inning.

It was an unbelievable win for the Sox, because the Twins probably should have scored 10 runs given all the opportunities they had. Consider these facts:

• Sox pitchers combined to walk 10 Minnesota hitters over nine innings.
• The Twins stranded 15 runners.
• The Twins left the bases loaded three times.
• The Twins went 2 for 16 with runners in scoring position.
• Sox pitchers walked Minnesota's No. 9 hitter, Ehire Adrianza, three consecutive times. Adrianza is batting .183 this season.
• Minnesota's MVP candidate, Nelson Cruz, stranded nine runners himself. He twice came to the plate with the bases loaded and failed to deliver both times. He also grounded into a double play with runners on first and third.
• Sox pitchers stupidly walked three consecutive batters in a tie game in the top of eighth inning to give Cruz a bases-loaded chance. They got away with it.

The Sox missed their share of opportunities, as well. They went 3 for 13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners. Two of the three hits came in the aforementioned bottom of the eighth inning.

Really, this might have been the most poorly pitched 3-1 game in the history of baseball. It very easily could have been 11-9, but the Sox will take it.

Going into Tuesday's play, the Sox (31-16) hold a two-game lead over the Twins (30-19) in the American League Central Division.

White Sox manager Rick Renteria is burning up his bullpen unnecessarily

Rick Renteria

The White Sox entered Tuesday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 99.6% chance of qualifying for the postseason.

So why is manager Rick Renteria treating every game as if it is the seventh game of the World Series?

The Sox lost, 5-4, to the last-place Pirates, but the way they got there was more concerning than the loss itself. Was it really necessary to burn through five relief pitchers to try to win this game? Not in my world.

Starter Dylan Cease got a quick hook after throwing only 79 pitches. He took a 3-2 lead into the sixth inning, and he gave up a leadoff single. That would be all. Not sure why.

Codi Heuer, pitching for the third time in the past five days, was able to finish the inning without giving up the lead.

Enter Matt Foster, who worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning. Foster was pitching for "only" the third time in the past six days, so I thought he might have another inning in him.

Nah.

Renteria needed to go to Evan Marshall, who was pitching for the fourth time in the past five games, for the eighth inning. Marshall gave up two runs to surrender a 4-2 lead and couldn't finish the inning. Ross Detwiler entered and managed to strand the go-ahead run on third base.

But Detwiler gave up two singles to start the bottom of the ninth. Enter Jimmy Cordero, who has appeared NINE TIMES in the past 12 games. A passed ball, an intentional walk and an error later, the Sox were in the loss column.

Good thing Renteria pulled Cease early to make sure the Sox won this one, huh?

The Sox have played 42 games, and Cordero has already made 21 appearances. Marshall has pitched 20 times, and Steve Cishek has pitched 18 times. All three of these men have more appearances than they do innings pitched.

And that doesn't even get into the 40-pitch outing Alex Colome had in Friday's win over Kansas City. Colome was then asked to save the game Saturday night, too, which he did, but at some point he might wear out as well.

Would it kill Renteria to let guys pitch more than one inning? Would it kill him to let a young pitcher like Cease work his way out of his own trouble for once?

The Sox are in really good shape to make the playoffs. But will the bullpen have anything left for October with this kind of usage, or overusage, as the case may be?

Forget about October. Who is going to pitch in relief Wednesday? Probably at least one or two guys who pitched Tuesday night, and that's a problem.

It's time for Renteria to back off the throttle a little bit. He's got to stop micromanaging so much, even if it means losing a few more games.

2019 version of Lucas Giolito shows up for White Sox

Lucas Giolito

Through the first five games of the season, White Sox starting pitchers had a collective ERA of 12.64. That's a good way to lose four out of five.

But Lucas Giolito put a stop to the madness Wednesday. The right-hander didn't get the win, but he tossed six innings of shutout ball, allowing only four hits. He struck out six, walked two and held the Sox in the game in an eventual 4-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

Giolito continued his mastery vs. Cleveland. In his past three starts against the Indians, he's 2-0 with a 0.00 ERA and 23 strikeouts over 20.2 innings pitched. He's the guy the Sox wanted on the mound to snap a three-game losing streak.

The biggest test for Giolito came in the bottom of the fourth, when the Indians placed runners at first and third with nobody out. But the Sox pitcher rallied to strike out Francisco Lindor on a high fastball. Carlos Santana then grounded into a 3-6-3 double play to end the threat.

Cleveland also loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth, but Giolito got Santana to fly out on his final pitch of the night to keep the game scoreless.

It's a good thing Giolito was on, too, because Cleveland starter Zach Plesac was even better. The right-hander went eight shutout innings with 11 strikeouts and no walks. He allowed only three hits.

Fortunately, the Sox touched up Indians closer Brad Hand and right-hander Adam Cimber for four runs in the top of the ninth. The inning featured a leadoff double from Tim Anderson, sacrifice flies from Yasmani Grandal and Eloy Jimenez, and a clutch, two-out, two-run single from rookie center fielder Luis Robert.

Those extra two runs made the bottom of the ninth inning a little more tolerable, as Sox closer Alex Colome loaded the bases before finishing off the shutout. Aaron Bummer picked up the win in relief for the Sox.

Thursday will be an off day. The Sox will start a three-game series in Kansas City on Friday night.

White Sox avoid arbitration with five players

Alex Colome

The White Sox on Friday announced that they reached agreements with each of their remaining five arbitration-eligible players. Here's how the contracts break down for the 2020 season:

RHP Alex Colome: $10,532,500
RF Nomar Mazara: $5.56M
LHP Carlos Rodon: $4.45M
UTIL Leury Garcia: $3.25M
RHP Evan Marshall: $1.1M

It's always good to avoid going to court with arbitration-eligible players. Those hearings are never fun, because they require the club to highlight why a player isn't worth the money he's asking for. That creates animosity and bad feelings that can last throughout a season.

So, it's just best to come to an agreeable number and move forward. That's what the Sox have done with these five players.

Encarnacion deal becomes official

The Sox also officially announced the signing of veteran designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion to a one-year, $12 million contract.

One other note on Encarnacion: According to the latest addition of Baseball Digest, he hit the second-most home runs of any Major League player during the decade spanning 2010-19 with 335. Only Nelson Cruz (346 home runs), currently with the Minnesota Twins, hit more.

Encarnacion also ranked third over the past decade with 956 RBIs. Albert Pujols of the Los Angeles Angels led all hitters with 963 RBIs, while Cruz ranked second with 961.

Hopefully, the 37-year-old Encarnacion still has some homers and RBIs left in him.

Medeiros outrighted

To make room on the roster for Encarnacion, the Sox designated left-handed pitcher Kodi Medeiros for assignment. Medeiros was acquired from the Milwaukee Brewers in the middle of the 2018 season in exchange for reliever Joakim Soria.

Medeiros cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Charlotte.

The Sox's 40-man roster is at maximum capacity, and someone else will have to be dropped when the signing of relief pitcher Steve Cishek becomes official.

White Sox sign relief pitcher Steve Cishek to one-year deal

Steve Cishek

The White Sox on Tuesday moved to increase their bullpen depth by signing veteran relief pitcher Steve Cishek to a one-year, $6 million contract.

Cishek, 33, will earn $5.25 million in 2020. The deal includes an option for 2021 worth $6.75 million, with a $750,000 buyout -- thus the $6 million guaranteed.

The right-hander spent the past two seasons with the Cubs. He appeared in 70 games in 2019, going 4-6 with a 2.95 ERA and seven saves. He struck out 57 and walked 29 with a 1.203 WHIP over 64 innings pitched.

Let's discuss the pluses and minuses of this signing in 3-up, 3-down format.

3 up

1. An ERA below 3.00 for four consecutive seasons. That 2.95 ERA in 2019 represents the *worst* season Cishek has had in recent memory. Over the past four years, his ERAs have been 2.81, 2.01, 2.18 and 2.95, respectively. Even if he regresses, he has a higher floor that some of the other candidates for the Sox bullpen, such as Carson Fulmer and Jose Ruiz.

2. Experience. Cishek is a veteran of 10 MLB seasons, and he's appeared in 572 games. His career ERA is 2.69, and while he likely won't be asked to close for the Sox, he has 132 saves lifetime. This is somebody who has been in his share of high-leverage situations. There's no reason he can't be placed in a seventh- or eighth-inning role.

3. Rubber arm. Cishek appeared in 150 games over the past two seasons, including a ridiculous 80 appearances in 2018. He's pitched in 60 or more games six times during his career. That reliability has to be respected.

3 down

1. A declining strikeout rate. Cishek struck out 10.0 batters per nine innings with the Cubs in 2018, but that declined to 8.0 batters per nine innings last season. His career mark is 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings, so he performed below his norms in 2019. There may be a little less swing-and-miss in his game going forward.

2. Overuse. I don't care who you are, 150 appearances is a ton over two years. In a way, it's a testament to Cishek that his former manager, Joe Maddon, trusted him that often. But sooner or later, that kind of usage has to take its toll. Perhaps that concern is among the reasons Cishek is only getting one year guaranteed on the open market.

3. An increasing home run rate. Cishek gave up 1.0 home runs per nine innings in 2019, which was the second-highest rate of his career. His career mark is 0.6 home runs per nine innings, which is the exact figure he was at during the 2018 season. Of course, to be fair, the ball was juiced last summer, so a lot of pitchers around the league saw an increase in their home run rate.

With the addition of Cishek, I think we can take a good guess at seven of the eight spots in the Sox bullpen. Here's how it most likely looks today:

Left-handers: Aaron Bummer, Jace Fry
Right-handers: Alex Colome, Kelvin Herrera, Cishek, Evan Marshall, Jimmy Cordero, ??????

Here are some candidates to fill in those question marks: Fulmer, Ruiz, Dylan Covey, Zack Burdi, Matt Foster and Ian Hamilton.

White Sox sign James McCann to one-year deal, clear more roster space

James McCann

The White Sox on Monday agreed to terms with catcher James McCann on a one-year, $5.4 million contract.

McCann, 29, had the best season of his career with the Sox in 2019. He batted .273/.328/.460 with 26 doubles, 18 home runs, 60 RBIs and 62 runs scored in 118 games. McCann made the All-Star Game for the first time in his career, and Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito credited McCann's leadership and game preparation in helping him have a breakout season on the mound.

While McCann played well, that didn't stop Sox management from signing Yasmani Grandal to a four-year, $73 million contract last month. With the addition of Grandal, the Sox are guarding against any regression that McCann may have in 2020 -- McCann is a lifetime .247/.328/.460 batter.

With this move, you figure the Sox are set at catcher. For the first time in a long time, they have two competent players ready to man the position.

McCann will become a free agent when the 2020 season ends.

Here are the tender/non-tender decisions

The Sox on Monday also tendered contracts to utility player Leury Garcia and pitchers Carlos Rodon, Alex Colome and Evan Marshall.

Second baseman Yolmer Sanchez and pitchers Caleb Frare and Ryan Burr were non-tendered. Pitcher Thyago Vieira was granted his release, so that he can pursue an opportunity to play in Japan.

These moves reduce the Sox's roster from 40 to 36, and hopefully, a couple of those spots will be used on free agent starting pitchers in the weeks to come.

When you have five relievers, you have no relievers

In a different sport, commentators sometimes say, "When you have two quarterbacks, you really have no quarterbacks." The thinking is, if either of your quarterbacks were actually good, he would be playing, and the lesser guy would be sitting on the bench. There wouldn't be a need to toggle back and forth between players.

Likewise, if the White Sox had a reliever available they could trust Sunday, maybe they wouldn't have needed to use five of them in the eighth inning of a ghastly 11-10 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

You see, the Sox's reliable relievers -- Alex Colome, Aaron Bummer and, to a lesser extent, Evan Marshall -- were not available Sunday.

That left the rest of the bullpen to protect a 10-5 lead in the eighth inning. It should have been doable. Hector Santiago had done much of the heavy lifting. He replaced a struggling Ivan Nova in the fourth inning, and he tossed up zeroes in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings.

But Santiago tired in the eighth, allowing a two singles and a walk to start the inning. But the veteran lefty left the mound with the Sox still in decent shape, leading 10-6.

Unfortunately, Kelvin Herrera gave up a three-run homer to Kyle Lewis. 10-9. Then Jace Fry came in and walked the only batter he faced. (Surprise, surprise.) Then Jimmy Cordero faced one batter and struck him out.

Maybe Cordero should have been left in ... nah, why do that when we can go with some more stupid lefty-righty matchups?

Josh Osich entered and finished the eighth inning, but not before walking another batter and surrendering a game-tying single to Mallex Smith. The lefty-on-lefty stuff didn't work there, did it? 10-10 after eight.

The Sox had a pathetic offensive inning in the top of the ninth. Tim Anderson, Yoan Moncada and Jose Abreu all swung for the fences. All of them struck out on pitches out of the zone against Austin Adams (2-2). Great discipline, guys.

Jose Ruiz (1-3) became the sixth reliever used in less than two innings in the ninth. Long story short, Anderson and Ryan Cordell made defensive mistakes behind him, an intentional walk was issued to load the bases, and then Ruiz walked in the winning run.

Good job, good effort.

The Sox dropped two out of three in the weekend series to the mighty Mariners (62-88). That means the South Siders have now lost three consecutive series, all to losing teams -- the Angels, Royals and Mariners.

And we're told we should be excited about 2020. Well, you know, you have to have more than four people who can get opposing batters out on your pitching staff in order to contend.

The Sox are now 65-84 on the season. There's a ton of work to be done over the winter to get anywhere near contention, and team brass has no track record as far as signing the right free agents.

They will have to sign the right free agents, because there are no internal solutions here. Colome and Bummer have had good seasons, but two pitchers does not make a bullpen.

White Sox salvage 1 out of 3 against Los Angeles Angels

Tim Anderson is leading the AL in hitting.

The White Sox kicked away a winnable series at Guaranteed Rate Field over the weekend, losing two out of three games to the Los Angeles Angels.

It's disappointing because the Angels (67-77) had lost 11 out of 13 games coming into the series, and Mike Trout left in the middle of Friday's game and didn't play the rest of the weekend. This was a favorable situation for the Sox (63-80), and they failed to take advantage.

But, the win Sunday was the Sox's 63rd of the season, which means they will not duplicate last year's 100-loss campaign. So, at least there's that.

Here's a look back at the weekend that was:

Friday, Sept. 6
Angels 5, White Sox 4: The Sox had been 49-1 this season when leading after seven innings. Make it 50-2, as relievers Aaron Bummer and Alex Colome combined to let this one get away.

Lucas Giolito was seeking his 15th victory of the season, and he did not disappoint, turning in another strong outing. He went seven innings, allowing two runs on only three hits. He struck out six and walked one. Tim Anderson backed Giolito with a two-run homer, and the Sox led, 4-2, going into the eighth inning.

But that's when Bummer walked pinch-hitter Taylor Ward, and two batters later, gave up a two-run homer to Brian Goodwin, who had taken over in center field after Trout left the game with a foot injury. The blast tied the game at 4.

Colome entered to try to preserve the tie in the ninth, but Justin Upton homered on the first pitch of the inning to put the Angels ahead to stay. The Sox could get nothing done against Los Angeles closer Hansel Robles (5-0), who retired all six batters he faced over the final two innings.

Daniel Palka struck out looking to end the game. He is now 1 for 54 this season.

Saturday, Sept. 7
Angels 8, White Sox 7: What will it take for the Sox to stop using Dylan Covey as a starting pitcher? Covey (1-8) was shelled for seven earned runs on seven hits over just 2.2 innings. His ERA is 7.69. It's baffling that this "experiment" has not ended yet. For goodness sake, put Hector Santiago out there. He usually can at least get to the fifth inning before having a meltdown on the mound.

The Sox trailed 7-2 when Covey left in the third inning, and they tried to come back. But, the hole was too deep. Jose Abreu's 30th home run of the season, a 3-run shot in the seventh inning, brought the Sox to within a run. However, they were unable to mount a threat in either of the last two innings, with Robles nailing down his 20th save.

Anderson went 2 for 5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. The Sox shortstop got the day off Sunday, so he exits this series with a .334 batting average. He leads the American League in hitting. New York's DJ LeMahieu was second at .328 entering Sunday's play.

Sunday, Sept. 8
White Sox 5, Angels 1: It wasn't a great day for Sox rookie Dylan Cease, but it could have been worse. Cease needed 36 pitches to get through the first inning, and 30 more to get through the second. However, the Angels managed only one run in those two innings and left the bases loaded both times.

The pitch count caught up with Cease, as he lasted only 3.1 innings. He allowed the one run on four hits with five walks and four strikeouts. Fortunately, the Sox bullpen bounced back from Friday's debacle. Josh Osich (2-0), Bummer and Colome combined for 5.2 innings of one-hit relief.

Osich allowed one hit over 2.2 scoreless innings. Bummer allowed only a walk in two innings, and Colome worked a 1-2-3 ninth.

Abreu hit his 31st home run of the season in the third inning to give the Sox the lead for good. The slugger now has a career-high 112 RBIs.

Danny Mendick also connected for his first career home run. The 25-year-old September call-up started at shortstop with Anderson getting the day off, and he has not looked out of place thus far. Mendick is 5 for 14 in five games, three of them starts.

The Sox will get an off day Monday before hosting the Kansas City Royals for a three-game series Tuesday through Thursday.