White Sox win two out of three at Yankee Stadium

Tim Anderson

The New York Yankees have almost a full team of guys on the injured list: Luis Severino, Didi Gregorius, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Hicks, Gary Sanchez, Miguel Andujar, Dellin Betances, Aaron Hicks, Troy Tulowitzki and Jacoby Ellsbury.

There are a few others, too, but those are names that most people know.

Not that anyone is going to feel sorry for the Yankees. Coming into the weekend, I was thinking it was a good time for the White Sox to play New York, just because of all those injuries.

On the other side, however, I'm sure Yankees fans were thinking this was a good time to play the Sox, who entered this series on a five-game losing streak.

Turns out, it was a good time for the Sox to play the Yankees. They won two out of three games and improved to 5-9 on the season. Here's a look back at the weekend that was:

Friday, April 12
White Sox 9, Yankees 6 (7 innings): This rain-shortened game will be remembered because Eloy Jimenez hit his first two home runs in the major leagues. Jimenez's first home run, a two-run blast in the top of the fifth inning, capped a four-run rally and put the Sox ahead to stay at 7-5.

If Jimenez has the career that Sox fans hope he does, Yankees reliever Jonathan Holder becomes the answer to a trivia question -- he gave up the first home run in Jimenez's career.

Yonder Alonso also homered as part of that fifth inning, and Jimenez and James McCann hit back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning off Chad Green to cap the scoring. The rain came before the Yankees had a chance to bat in the bottom of the inning, and when the game was called, most Sox fans probably breathed a sigh of relief knowing the bullpen wouldn't be asked to protect a three-run lead.

Lucas Giolito (2-1) gave up four runs in the first two innings to put the Sox in an early hole, but he hung around long enough for the offense to rally and give him a win. Giolito gave up six runs, four earned, on six hits. He struck out six and walked four.

Saturday, April 13
Yankees 4, White Sox 0: CC Sabathia is retiring after this season, and not a moment too soon for Sox fans. He's 19-7 in his career against the South Siders, and although he did not get the win on this day, Sox batters had no answer for him.

Sabathia worked five innings and allowed only one hit -- a single by Jose Rondon -- and combined on a one-hitter with three Yankees relievers.

Ivan Nova (0-2) got stuck with a loss because second baseman Yolmer Sanchez didn't catch a routine grounder. Nova held the Yankees off the board through six innings, before giving up a leadoff single to Gleybor Torres in the bottom of the seventh.

Jace Fry relieved Nova and got the ground ball the Sox needed off the bat of Greg Bird. It should have been a double play, but Sanchez kicked it, and the Sox got no outs. Instead of two out, nobody on, the Yankees had first and second with nobody out.

I always say, when the opposition hits you a double-play ball and you make an error and get no outs, that's going to lead to a crooked number against. Sure enough, the Yankees went on to score three runs in that seventh inning. Ballgame.

Sunday, April 14
White Sox 5, Yankees 2: I heard most of this game on the radio, because I had to take my better half to Midway Airport in the middle of a freak April snowstorm. Thank goodness the Sox were on the road this weekend, right? And they secured a series win behind a grand slam from Tim Anderson and a quality start from Carlos Rodon.

Rodon scuffled early, giving up single runs in both the first and third innings. Both runners that came around to score reached on walks, but the left-hander recovered to give up nothing through the middle innings. In fact, the Yankees had only one hit after the third inning in this game.

The final line for Rodon (2-2): 6 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 Ks, 2 BBs.

The Sox got to Masahiro Tanaka (1-1) the second time through the batting order. Jose Abreu doubled with one out in the fourth inning. Alonso and Jimenez walked, and that set the table for Anderson, who lined an 0-1 pitch over the wall in right-center field for a grand slam and 4-2 Sox lead.

Abreu's sacrifice fly in the fifth inning added a run, and the pitching did the rest. Fry, Nate Jones, Kelvin Herrera and Alex Colome combined for three innings of scoreless relief. Colome worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his third save in as many chances.

The Sox now come back to snowy Chicago for a brief three-game homestand. A series against the Kansas City Royals is set to begin Monday night.

Deep thoughts: Should Ryan Cordell take Adam Engel's roster spot?

Adam Engel

Outfielder Ryan Cordell hit for the cycle Wednesday night in the Charlotte Knights' 10-9 victory over the Norfolk Tides.

Cordell, who started the season with the White Sox and appeared in five games before being optioned to Triple-A, went 5 for 5 with four runs scored and three RBIs in the victory. He's 6 for 9 since being sent down.

Hmmmmm ... Cordell only had six at-bats in the major leagues in those five games, and he struck out in three of the six. But, he also produced a two-run, pinch-hit home run that gave the Sox a lead. His other hit was an RBI double.

I don't necessarily think Cordell has much lasting power in professional baseball, but he seems to be playing well right now, and that makes me wonder whether he'd be a better use of a roster spot than Adam Engel -- who is being squeezed out of playing time by Leury Garcia, of all people.

On Tuesday, the Sox lost, 10-5, to the Tampa Bay Rays. But, they had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth. The Sox had pulled within 8-5, and they had the bases loaded with two outs. Yolmer Sanchez was due to hit, but with a left-handed pitcher on the mound, manager Rick Renteria decided to use a pinch hitter.

And he summoned ... Engel?!

Engel, the lifetime .205 hitter, who is 2 for 15 so far this season. Naturally, Engel struck out to end the threat, and that was it for the Sox on that day.

You can't help but wonder if Cordell would have been more of a threat with the bat in that scenario -- at least in the short run while he's hot. (Note: Cordell is NOT a long-term answer for anything.)

If Renteria isn't going to start Engel in center field every day to take advantage of Engel's run prevention skills, then why is Engel on the roster?

Just wondering.

Some rare positivity: Dylan Cease pitches well in Triple-A debut

Let's preface by saying this: Dylan Cease should not be called up to the White Sox until he is ready to pitch in the major leagues. There still are things he can improve upon at the Triple-A level.

That said, it's possible Cease is the best starting pitcher in the organization right now. The Sox's best healthy pitching prospect made his Triple-A season debut Tuesday in Game 1 of a doubleheader and tossed five shutout innings in a 4-0 Charlotte victory over Norfolk.

Cease struck out five, allowed three hits, issued no walks (!) and threw 47 of his 73 pitches for strikes. His fastball sat at 96 mph, and he retired the final 10 batters he faced.

Good start.

Now, it is possible Norfolk isn't swinging the bats very well. The Knights won the second game of the doubleheader, 3-0, with Dylan Covey, Zach Thompson and Thyago Vieira combining on a one-hitter with 10 strikeouts.

I mention this only to put things in proper context. It is only one outing for Cease, but as Sox fans, we are starved for some good news on the pitching front these days.

At the major league level Wednesday, Reynaldo Lopez got his rear handed to him again as the Sox lost, 9-1, to the Tampa Bay Rays. 

Lopez lasted 4.1 innings, allowing eight earned runs on 10 hits. He struck out five, walked four and gave up three home runs. His season ERA swelled to 12.15.

It's concerning. Lopez's 2018 peripherals suggested maybe he wasn't as good as his 3.91 ERA, and a reasonable person shouldn't be surprised by some regression from the right-hander this season. But there's regression, and then there's falling off a cliff.

This is falling off a cliff. Lopez has given up an alarming six home runs in 13.1 innings this season.

The Sox (3-8) did not get a single quality start on the six-game homestand. Sox starters have posted a 14.91 ERA over the past six games. It's a miracle they won one.

As a Sox fan, I've praying to see some credible run prevention on the field. At this point, I don't care if they lose 2-1. I just want to see somebody pitch well, and see some players catch the damn ball and make smart plays on defense.

Maybe Ricky's boys don't quit, but they sure can't pitch

Ervin Santana

You have to give the White Sox front office credit. They took a 100-loss team and somehow managed to make it even less enjoyable to watch.

I'm glad Tuesday's 10-5 Sox loss to the Tampa Bay Rays was an afternoon game, as being at work spared me from the majority of the agony. Although, Jace Fry's 46-pitch slog of a relief appearance in the top of the ninth inning spanned most of my 45-minute drive home from the office.

That's a little too much bad radio with Ed Farmer for me. The game ended at 5:06 p.m. local time, which means the nine-inning game took four minutes short of four hours.

Sox starting pitcher Ervin Santana didn't survive the fourth inning. He worked only 3.2 innings, allowing seven earned runs on seven hits. He walked three and struck out one. He threw only 45 of his 88 pitches for strikes and gave up three home runs.

Tampa Bay batters drew eight walks, and I don't even want to count how many three-ball counts there must have been in that game.

The Sox are 1-4 on the homestand and 3-7 for the season. They have received poor starting pitching in every single one of the these five home games. Here's a look at the last pass through the rotation:

Reynaldo Lopez: 5 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 5 Ks, 4 BBs, 3 HRs allowed
Lucas Giolito: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 Ks, 4 BBs, 1 HR allowed
Ivan Nova: 2.1 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 Ks, 1 BB, 0 HR allowed
Carlos Rodon: 4.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 9 Ks, 5 BBs, 0 HR allowed
Santana: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 1 K, 3 BBs, 3 HRs allowed

So, Sox starters have a 13.50 ERA on this homestand. That's not going to get it done. In fact, it's completely unwatchable, watching this team get buried in the early innings day after day.

Personally, I've grown tired of the alleged "positive trajectory" the Sox claim to be on. They think they are positioning themselves to compete for "multiple championships."

Frankly, I think they are positioning themselves to alienate the few fans they have left. Yes, Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada are swinging the bats well. However, with so little pitching in place and not much beyond Dylan Cease in the pipeline, this looks more like a express elevator straight to hell than a "positive trajectory."

First homestand going poorly for White Sox

The view from my seat on Opening Day at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Steve Stone normally is a good TV analyst, but I was scratching my head Sunday when he was talking about Monday's pitching matchup between the White Sox's Carlos Rodon and the Rays' Blake Snell.

Stone said something to the effect of Rodon and Snell being the type of left-handers who "could win a Cy Young in any year."

Uhhh, no, not quite.

Snell went 21-5 with a 1.89 ERA in 2018 and actually did win the Cy Young Award. Rodon's career record is 27-30 with a 3.95 ERA -- respectable given the horrible Sox teams he has played on -- but let's not kid ourselves here: Snell is a cut above Rodon, and he showed it Monday in a 5-1 Tampa Bay victory.

Snell went six innings, allowing one run on six hits. He struck out 11 and walked nobody. Jose Rondon's solo home run was all the Sox could muster offensively.

Meanwhile, Rodon gave up two runs in the first inning and two more in the second inning. By the end of the fifth inning, he was gone, having allowed 13 base runners (eight hits, five walks) through 4.2 innings. He did strike out nine. If not for that, Tampa could have scored more runs -- the Rays stranded 14 for the game.

The loss drops the Sox to 3-6 on the season and 1-3 on the opening homestand. They won the home opener Friday (with me in attendance) as Yoan Moncada's four RBIs lifted them to a 10-8 victory over the Seattle Mariners. The Sox overcame a poor start by Reynaldo Lopez.

However, they could not overcome a poor start by Lucas Giolito on Saturday, as the Mariners rolled to a 9-2 win. Nor could the Sox overcome a poor start by Ivan Nova on Sunday, as Seattle took the series with a 12-5 victory.

The Sox have been outscored 34-18 so far on the homestand. This is not good run prevention. Seattle was 9-2 entering Monday's play, so the Mariners have been hot. The Rays also are hot. They are 8-3 after beating the Sox on Monday.

The South Siders have two more games against Tampa, before going on the road to New York to face the Yankees.

This is shaping up to be an ugly week. When I walked out of Guaranteed Rate Field on Friday, the Sox were a respectable 3-3. Unfortunately, with the way they are playing, and with the quality of the opposition, they are in jeopardy of losing touch with .500 this week. The losing record likely will be permanent for the rest of the 2019 season.

White Sox beat Corey Kluber for first time in almost four years

Corey Kluber

White Sox fans are conditioned to believe any game against Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber is an automatic loss.

Admit it, did you think the Sox were going to win Wednesday? I sure didn't.

After all, the Sox had not beaten Kluber since July 24, 2015. And it isn't for lack of opportunity. The Indians are a divisional opponent, and the Sox have faced Kluber 11 times in those almost four years.

Kluber went 9-0 with a 1.81 ERA in those 11 starts. In 2018 alone, he was 4-0 with an 0.96 ERA in four starts vs. the Sox.

So, of course, the Sox torched him Wednesday. They got three in the first inning and one more in the second. Kluber didn't make it through the fourth inning, allowing six runs (four earned) on eight hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

The Sox won, 8-3, as Carlos Rodon tossed six innings of one-run ball, Yoan Moncada connected for his second home run of the season, and Jose Abreu went 2 for 5 with three RBIs.

Go figure. You just never know. That's why we watch.

Covey optioned; Anderson back from paternity list

Sox shortstop Tim Anderson missed both games in Cleveland after being placed on the paternity list. He's back for Friday's home opener against Seattle, and to make room on the roster, Dylan Covey has been optioned to Triple-A Charlotte.

Covey had made two appearances, covering 1.1 innings. He allowed two runs on two hits with two walks. His success from spring training did not carry over, and he could not consistently throw strikes.

Jose Ruiz is now in the Sox bullpen. He was recalled when Anderson went on the paternity list.

Bullpen emerges as early weakness for White Sox

The White Sox's 1-3 record is either angering or discouraging, depending on your perspective. Or maybe some fans are indifferent to this bad baseball -- I wouldn't blame them if they are.

But we can't say this start is surprising. I figured the Sox would be 1-4, maybe 2-3 at best, when they came back to Chicago for their home opener. They are right on track, going into Wednesday's day game against the Cleveland Indians.

The Sox dropped two out of three in Kansas City to open the season, and then the bullpen blew a two-run eighth-inning lead in a 5-3 loss to the Indians on Monday.

Ah, the bullpen. It's not the only weakness of this Sox team, which has holes in its roster like Swiss cheese. But through four games, it strikes me as the most glaring problem. (There are others.)

I can't blame the starting pitching. Only Reynaldo Lopez had a bad outing among the four starters to take the mound. Lucas Giolito took a no-hitter into the seventh inning Sunday and won his game. Ivan Nova tossed seven innings of one-run ball Monday and got the shaft from the bullpen. Carlos Rodon was at least respectable, albeit not great, in the season opener.

Here's the line for Sox starting pitchers:
23 IP, 18 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 20 Ks, 7 BBs, 1.087 WHIP, 3.52 ERA

In contrast, here's the line for Sox relief pitchers:
10 IP, 11 H, 11 R, 10 ER, 6 Ks, 7 BBs, 1.800 WHIP, 9.00 ERA

More walks than strikeouts is not a good look. It's even worse when you consider closer Alex Colome has tossed two scoreless, hitless innings. The rest of the bullpen has been a wreck.

Kelvin Herrera, the primary right-handed setup man, was shaky in earning a hold Sunday. He allowed a run on three hits, and through two outings, not a single one of his pitches has induced a swing and a miss.

Jace Fry and Dylan Covey combined for three walks and four runs allowed in the Monday loss to Cleveland. Fry, a left-hander, is around to get left-handed hitters out. He sure hasn't been doing it. He walked Leonys Martin and gave up a double to Jake Bauers on Monday, and that's how the Sox got in trouble.

Fry's ERA is 20.25. Nate Jones has nothing on his fastball, and his ERA is 13.50. If Covey is getting high-leverage looks ahead of Jones, what does that say?

Right now, Colome is the only relief pitcher who can be trusted. Maybe the Sox should have just left Nova in Monday. He was at only 93 pitches. Perhaps he could have navigated that eighth inning better than this crummy relief crew.