Nick Nastrini makes solid White Sox debut, loses anyway

Here's some positive White Sox news for a change: Rookie right-hander Nick Nastrini had an encouraging big-league debut on Monday night.

Nastrini retired the first 11 Kansas City Royals batters he saw. He got his first career strikeout out of the way quickly, as he fanned Bobby Witt Jr. for the second out in the top of the first inning.

Unfortunately for Nastrini, he gave up a solo home run to Vinnie Pasquantino with two outs in the top of the fourth inning to fall behind 1-0. The game was essentially over at that moment, since the incompetent Sox position players are incapable of scoring runs.

Sure enough, the Royals went on to defeat the Sox, 2-0.

Final line for Nastrini: 5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 Ks, 2 BBs

You will take that every time from a rookie starter.

However, the Sox have now been shut out six times in their first 16 games this season. They managed only four hits (all singles) and six total baserunners against Kansas City starter Seth Lugo (3-0) and two relievers.

Really, the only reason to follow the Sox this year is to see what kind of records they will set for futility. The Sox are 2-14. There are 146 more games of this crap remaining.

It's not Gavin Sheets' fault

Gavin Sheets went 3 for 5 with two doubles, a home run and five RBIs on Wednesday night.

The White Sox still lost, 7-6, in 10 innings to the Cleveland Guardians.

That's because the Sox only went 3 for 15 with runners in scoring position. All three of those hits were by Sheets, including a 3-run homer in the top of the third inning that put the Sox ahead 5-0.

But for the second straight night, the Sox blew a five-run lead. On Tuesday, they were able to overcome that and win anyway.

On Wednesday, the game went extra innings. The Sox took a 6-5 lead in the 10th on an RBI double by ... Sheets, of course. 

Sheets got to third with one out on a sacrifice bunt by Kevin Pillar, but Andrew Benintendi and Martin Maldonado both struck out.

For some reason, manager Pedro Grifol summoned washed-up veteran Bryan Shaw to try to protect the one-run lead. Naturally, Shaw allowed the ghost runner to score, plus one more, and lost the game. Typical.

The Sox are 2-10. Only 150 more games of this crap to go.

Yoan Moncada injured in White Sox win at Cleveland

Yoan Moncada (right)

During spring training, White Sox designated hitter Eloy Jimenez said his goal was to play 150 games during the 2024 season, alongside teammates Yoan Moncada and Luis Robert Jr.

That's not looking possible right now. Only 11 games into the season, Jimenez and Robert are already on the injured list, and Moncada is almost certainly heading there after suffering an adductor strain during Tuesday's 7-5 victory over the Cleveland Guardians.

Moncada was ... wait for it ... running to first base in the second inning after hitting a grounder to the left side of the infield. He went down as if he were shot about halfway down the line and rolled around in agony.

After the game, manager Pedro Grifol described Moncada as being in "severe pain" on the field. He added that more would be known tomorrow after the injury is evaluated.

Reports indicate the Sox will call up outfielder Oscar Colas to take Moncada's spot on the roster ahead of Wednesday's series finale in Cleveland.

Two of the top prospects in the Sox farm system are infielders -- shortstop Colson Montgomery and third baseman Bryan Ramos. However, neither is ready for the majors, and the Sox are wisely resisting the temptation to call them up prematurely.

Montgomery, who is at Triple-A Charlotte, and Ramos, who is at Double-A Birmingham, should be allowed to continue their development in the minor leagues. They should be called up when they are ready for the big leagues. They should NOT be called up to solve a crisis in Chicago.

As for the game, the Sox scored five runs in the top of the first inning, but starting pitcher Michael Soroka couldn't hold it. The Guardians tied the score at 5 in the bottom of the fourth inning.

That's where the score stayed until the top of the eighth, when Dominic Fletcher delivered a two-run double to put the Sox ahead 7-5.

Michael Kopech took it from there, firing two scoreless innings of relief for his second save of the season. The right-hander retired all six men he faced, four by strikeout, and threw 15 pitches that were 100 mph or faster. It was the kind of performance you'd like to see more often from Kopech.

The Sox are 2-9.

The White Sox manage to make it even worse

Things have gotten worse for the White Sox since I last blogged:

• Luis Robert Jr. is likely out "for months" after straining his right hip flexor running to second base on a double.
• Eloy Jimenez is on the 10-day injured list because of a strained abductor muscle, sustained while running to first base on Easter Sunday.
• The Sox managed to get swept in a four-game series in Kansas City, losing 2-1 Friday, 3-0 Saturday and 5-3 Sunday.

Don't believe the narrative about the Royals "being improved." Sure, they might be marginally better than the 106-loss team they were in 2023. This series was ridiculously lopsided because the Sox are worse than your average local T-ball team.

It's completely unwatchable. At present time, I have no plans to attend a baseball game this season.

The Sox are 0-7 against the American League Central. Remember when people said the Sox were lucky to be in this division? All you can do is laugh.

The Sox are 1-8 overall. There are 153 more games of this crap.

Only 12 runs in 6 games: That's not going to cut it

The Kansas City Royals scored eight runs in the bottom of the seventh inning Thursday night, throttling the White Sox, 10-1, in the first game of a four-game series.

But hey, at least the Sox scored one run! Moral victories, I guess, but they should have scored more. The South Siders grounded into double plays in each of the first three innings, had a runner thrown out at home plate on a shallow fly ball in the sixth and finished 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position.

If my math is correct, the Sox are now 4 for 32 with runners in scoring position through the first six games of the season. They have scored only 12 runs total, and six of those came in one game.

Michael Soroka (0-1) took the loss Thursday night, even though it wasn't his fault. He posted a quality start -- six innings pitched, with two runs allowed on six hits. He struck out two and walked nobody. You'll take that.

The problem was the seventh inning, when Deivi Garcia and Dominic Leone imploded. They combined to issue three walks and allow four hits. Andrew Vaughn dropped a pop fly in foul territory, and shortstop Braden Shewmake booted a routine grounder. The wildness by the pitchers and the poor defense fueled the Kansas City rally.

But the offense continues to be the biggest sore point. Eloy Jimenez was out of the lineup for the third straight game with abductor strain, but we can't blame the DH spot for Thursday's woes. Gavin Sheets went 2 for 2 with a double, a single and two walks.

Alas, Luis Robert Jr. was 0 for 4, and Dominic Fletcher is off to a 1-for-15 start to the season after another 0-for-4.

Something else to keep an eye on as this weekend series progresses: Andrew Benintendi in the leadoff spot. The veteran is batting .125 to start the season, and the four years left on his contract are starting to look really bad. What exactly does Benintendi do for this team? It's time start asking.

The Sox are 1-5. They are 156 more games of this crap.

I'll blog next after this series is over, and we'll see if it's gotten any better.

Garrett Crochet delivers first White Sox victory of 2024

Previously on this blog, in January, I offered the unpopular view that the White Sox should try Garrett Crochet as a starting pitcher. 

I acknowledged all the risks and red flags. I understood the skepticism and even shared in it. But I also figured, why the hell not? Give it a shot. This isn't a contention season. Crochet is a former first-round pick who has battled injuries and hasn't gotten an opportunity. He has the desire to be a starting pitcher. This is the time to find out what you have, no? If it fails, so what?

The Sox agreed, and in fact, they made Crochet their Opening Day starter. So far, the move is a bright spot in a lackluster start to the season.

Crochet delivered the South Siders' first victory of 2024 Tuesday night, holding the Atlanta Braves to just one run in a 3-2 win.

Frankly, Crochet should have won his first start. He threw six innings of one-run ball against the Detroit Tigers, while striking out eight and walking nobody. The Sox, of course, lost that game 1-0.

Against Atlanta, a team that won 104 games last season, Crochet pitched seven innings. He allowed five hits and one walk, and once again struck out eight. Marcell Ozuna's solo home run in the seventh inning was the only blemish on his line.

For those wondering, "Who is the closer?" On this night, it was Michael Kopech, who got five outs for his first career save.

Kopech escaped a bases-loaded jam by getting a double-play ball off the bat of Austin Riley in the eighth. Ozuna also homered off Kopech in the ninth to cut a 3-1 Sox lead in half. The Braves put two more men on base before Kopech shut the door.

The Sox are 1-4 and have one more game to play against the Braves, weather permitting, on Wednesday afternoon.

Mike Clevinger coming back to White Sox on 1-year deal

The White Sox and right-handed pitcher Mike Clevinger agreed to terms on a one-year contract Monday, sources told MLB.com.

The team has yet to confirm the signing of Clevinger, 33, who went 9-9 with a 3.77 ERA over 24 starts with the Sox in 2023.

There are significant question marks in the starting rotation for the Sox, who fell to 0-4 with a 9-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Monday afternoon.

Chris Flexen started this latest loss, allowing four earned runs on six hits over only 4.1 innings pitched. Flexen walked three, struck out one and threw just 45 of his 85 pitches for strikes.

Among the first four starting pitchers used by the Sox this season -- Garrett Crochet, Michael Soroka, Erick Fedde and Flexen -- only the converted reliever Crochet recorded an out in the sixth inning.

Enter Clevinger, because there are 158 games to go and about 1,400 more innings to pitch this season. I'm guessing Sox GM Chris Getz does not have a high level of confidence that he can get through the year with the arms that are available.

So, he's adding a veteran on a short-term contract. Not that we expect Clevinger to cause the team's win total to increase in a significant way.

The Sox have perhaps the worst MLB roster I've ever seen. It's loaded with mediocre and bad veterans who are just trying to hang on to their professional careers. Most have no future with the Sox, or with any other team.

Clevinger is another such mediocre veteran.