A White Sox sweep? Ha! Too much to ask

We didn't really think the White Sox could sweep a three-game series from the Cincinnati Reds, did we? Of course not!

The Reds clobbered the Sox, 7-1, on Thursday in the final game of the series at Great American Ball Park. The South Siders saw their modest three-game winning streak come to an end.

It was not a good day for Sox starter Bryse Wilson. Three batters into the bottom of the first inning, Cincinnati had the bases loaded with nobody out. The Reds ended up scoring three runs, highlighted by a two-out, two-run single by Will Benson, and the outcome was never much in doubt after that.

Wilson (0-2) lasted 5.1 innings and allowed seven runs on 10 hits. He struck out three and allowed three home runs.

The Sox didn't get their first hit until the top of the fifth inning off Cincinnati starter Nick Martinez (2-4), who allowed only two singles over seven shutout innings.

Miguel Vargas had two of the Sox four hits and drove in the lone Chicago run with a two-out single in the eighth.

Say this for Wilson: He covered 16 outs on a day where he did not have good stuff. The Sox only had to use two relievers to get through this game. Jared Shuster used 17 pitches to get five outs. Yoendrys Gomez used 14 pitches to get three outs.

Honestly, the Sox bullpen came away relatively unscathed given that it was a blowout loss, and they shouldn't be in bad shape for their next game.

I saw some complaints on Twitter/X today about Wilson, a veteran placeholder who doesn't have a future with the Sox beyond this season. Some fans want him to lose his spot in the rotation to a younger pitcher from Triple-A. I saw both Nick Nastrini and Jairo Iriarte mentioned.

It would be a mistake to recall either of those two pitchers. Nastrini has a 6.61 ERA in Triple-A Charlotte, and he was recently moved to the bullpen. He doesn't have a reliable out pitch against left-handed batters. His future in the majors, if there is one, will be as a right-on-right relief specialist. 

Iriarte is averaging fewer than three innings per start at Charlotte. He's made five starts, thrown 14 innings, walked 14 batters and posted a 7.71 ERA.

If you call either of these two pitchers up, they will not be able to handle the task. They'd routinely get knocked out in the second or third inning. The Sox bullpen is not a strength. You don't want to get in the habit of asking relief pitchers to cover 17, 18, 19 or 20 outs per game.

Wilson is going to get into the fifth or sixth inning, even on his worst day -- like Thursday. There is value in that.

It's important to remember what we saw in 2024. There were a lot of short starts and long days for the bullpen. That's how you get those soul-sucking losing streaks that last 10 or more games. That's how you lose 121 games in a season.

The Sox are 14-30 as it is. Let's not make it any worse by calling for the team to bring up pitchers who are unqualified for the job.

White Sox have first 3-game winning streak of 2025

If you have any Cincinnati baseball fans on your friends list, you might want to call for a well-being check on them.

That's because the Reds have lost two games in a row at home to the lowly White Sox, who were previously 3-17 on the road.

The South Siders beat Cincinnati, 4-2, on Wednesday night to earn their third consecutive win. This is the first such winning streak for the Sox in 2025. 

This also means the Sox have secured their fourth series win of the season, having previously won home series against Boston, Houston and Miami. By way of comparison, the 2024 Sox only won four series the entire season.

Let's not get it confused: The Sox are 14-29, and they still stink. But at this stage, you take the positives wherever you can get them.

Davis Martin (2-4) pitched 6.2 innings of one-run ball to pick up the win Wednesday. He allowed seven hits, struck out five and walked nobody.

Lenyn Sosa hit his third home run of the season as part of a 2-for-4 night. Michael A. Taylor also homered, his second of the year, for the Sox. Luis Robert Jr. went 2 for 3 with two singles, a walk, an RBI and a run scored.

Mike Vasil got three outs in the ninth for his first career save.

The Sox will look for a rare sweep on Thursday afternoon.

Tim Elko's home run lifts White Sox to series win over Marlins

First baseman Tim Elko got his long-awaited call-up to the White Sox on Saturday. He went 1 for 6 in the last two games of the weekend series against the Miami Marlins, but it was a big one -- a 3-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning Sunday that put the Sox ahead to stay in a series-clinching win.

Elko's presence also seemed to wake up incumbent first baseman Andrew Vaughn. For the three-game series, Vaughn went an ordinary 3 for 12, but it was a big three -- two solo home runs and an RBI single.

One thing the Sox need to do better is create roster competition. There are a handful of guys -- and Vaughn is one -- who haven't had their spot on the team challenged in years.

Everyone should have a little bit of fear that they might lose their job. It's what prevents you from coasting, from going through the motions. Watching the Sox the past several years, you always had the feeling that certain guys thought they were above reproach.

Let's hope that feeling starts to dissipate. Here's a look at the games from the weekend:

Friday, May 9

White Sox 6, Marlins 2: The Sox scored three runs in the seventh to snap a 2-2 tie. Josh Rojas singled, advanced to third on a double by Lenyn Sosa and scored on a sacrifice fly by Brooks Baldwin.

Sosa also advanced on the sac fly, and he scored on a bunt single by Jacob Amaya. Later in the inning, Matt Thaiss worked a bases-loaded walk to cap the decisive rally that put the Sox ahead 5-2. They tacked on a run in the eighth when Rojas scored on a wild pitch.

Bryse Wilson had a good five-inning start for the Sox, allowing only one run on three hits. He did not figure in the decision, however.

Saturday, May 10

Marlins 3, White Sox 1: Vaughn's home run in the first inning turned out to be the only Sox run of the game, as the South Siders wasted six shutout innings from starting pitcher Shane Smith.  

Smith fanned seven, did not walk a batter and allowed only four hits, but he once again suffered from lack of run support, and the Sox bullpen could not hold the slim 1-0 lead it inherited. 

The Marlins tied the game in the seventh and added two runs in the eighth.

Back to Smith, he has started eight games for the Sox and allowed only 10 earned runs. That's excellent starting pitching, but the Sox are only 1-7 in his starts. The South Siders have scored only 15 runs in those eight games. 

Sunday, May 11

White Sox 4, Marlins 2: Vaughn's RBI single in the first inning gave the Sox an early lead, but the Marlins tied it at 1 in the fourth.

That set the stage for Elko in the sixth. After singles by Thaiss and Joshua Palacios, the rookie hit a pitch from Sandy Alcantara 381 feet into the left-field seats to put the Sox ahead, 4-1.

That made a winner out of Mike Vasil (2-1), who tossed three innings of one-run relief in place of starter Sean Burke, who struggled through four innings with five walks.

Tyler Gilbert worked a scoreless eighth, and Cam Booser got three outs in the ninth for his first save of the season. That's only the second save the Sox have as a team.

The Sox are 12-29. They are a normal bad team at home, with a 10-11 record at Rate Field. However, they are 3-17 on the road. They'll seek to improve that this week, as they open a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night.

Nick Maton? Why not Tim Elko, Corey Julks or Dominic Fletcher?

We noted earlier this week that the White Sox have had a lot of trouble scoring runs in Kansas City in recent years.

Nothing new to report Wednesday night: The Royals got a two-run homer from shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., and that was enough for Kansas City to beat the Sox, 2-1.

One thing you notice about the Sox: There is almost no power whatsoever in their lineup. After Wednesday's loss, it has now been five consecutive games without a home run for this team. Luis Robert Jr. hit his fifth home run of the season last Friday in a 7-3 win over the Houston Astros, but the quick-strike offense has been lacking for the South Siders.

Adding to the problem: another injury for Andrew Benintendi, who hit the 10-day injured list Wednesday with a calf strain. Whatever power the Sox have, it typically comes from Robert Jr. and Benintendi. The two are tied for the team lead in homers with five. 

Strangely, the Sox selected the contract of Nick Maton to take Benintendi's place on the roster. You might recall that Maton was designated for assignment on April 26, after batting .173/.295/.327 in 23 games to start the season.

I guess Maton did hit two homers in those 23 games, but I wouldn't say he's the sort of player who is a threat to hit the ball out of the park with any regularity. He's not going to fill any power void.

He's also an infielder, so he's not going to fill the holes the Sox have at the corner outfield spots. Benintendi, Mike Tauchman and Austin Slater are all injured now, leaving the South Siders woefully thin in the outfield.

Brooks Baldwin, an infielder by trade, has been playing left field in this series against Kansas City. Joshua Palacios started in right field on Wednesday. Palacios is lucky to be in the big leagues, but at least he's playing his natural position. 

This is why the addition of Maton is so curious. He doesn't help in any of these two glaring problem areas, and the Sox have other options at Triple-A Charlotte.

Tim Elko is batting .348 with 10 homers and 23 RBIs for the Knights. No, Elko is not going to stand at a corner outfield spot, but you can put him at designated hitter and at least have another guy besides Robert Jr. who is a threat to hit a ball into the seats.

Then there's Corey Julks, who is pretty much a Quad-A player. But he's dominating at Charlotte, hitting .364 with three homers and 14 RBIs. We've seen Julks before, and we know that production won't translate all that well to the majors, but at least he can play a competent corner outfield in the short run.

Dominic Fletcher is hanging around Charlotte, too, batting .265 with an .836 OPS. Fletcher is actually a good defensive outfielder, especially if you put him at a corner spot. At least that's *something,* a skill that has some utility.

What exactly is Maton going to give the Sox? I always say, even if I disagree with a move, I can live with it if I understand the thought process behind it. 

But I just don't see the logic here of passing over Elko, Julks and Fletcher to add Maton to the roster.

Has Kansas City replaced Oakland as the White Sox house of horrors?

For years and years, the White Sox seemingly couldn't win a game in Oakland to save their lives. Now that the Athletics have moved to Sacramento, the Oakland Coliseum is no longer a place for teams to visit.

But it seems to me that Kansas City has replaced Oakland as the house of horrors for the Sox. During the Pedro Grifol era (2023-24), the Sox went 2-11 at Kauffman Stadium -- including 0-7 in 2024.

During those seven games, the White Sox scored eight runs. Total. Averaging just over one run per game generally gets you beat. Then on Monday night, the Sox got shut out, 3-0, in their first game of 2025 in Kansas City.

The continuation of a trend.

Believe it or not, the Sox scored three runs on Tuesday night. Their cup runneth over! And they took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth inning. But then this sequence of events happened:

1. Relief pitcher Cam Booser walked pinch-hitter Mark Canha on five pitches.
2. Drew Waters hit a routine infield fly. Sox second baseman Chase Meidroth missed the ball, and it clanged off his face into right field. Canha held at first, understandably believing the ball would be caught. Sox right fielder Michael A. Taylor had a chance to force Canha at second, but his throw airmailed Sox shortstop Jacob Amaya, and everyone was safe. You read that right: The ball hit Meidroth right in the face.
3. Freddy Fermin attempted to give the Sox an out with a sacrifice bunt. But Booser was slow to cover the bunt up the third-base line. By the time he retrieved the ball, the Sox had no play anywhere. Bases loaded, no outs.
4. Kyle Isbel popped up to third baseman Josh Rojas. The ball did not hit him in the face. He caught it. Even if he hadn't, the infield fly rule was called. One out.
5. With the infield at double-play depth, Jonathan India grounded one back up the middle. Amaya ranged to his left and dove to glove the ball. From the seat of his pants, he made a toss to second to try to get the force, but it was errant. Everyone was safe. Tying run scores. Bases still loaded.
6. Kansas City's all-world shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. hit a deep fly ball to center field. Luis Robert Jr. let it drop for a walk-off single. Even if he had made the catch, it would have been a game-winning sacrifice fly.

4-3 Royals. The Sox are 10-26. There are 126 games left to play. 

Can Miguel Vargas save his career with White Sox?

If you've watched a White Sox game lately -- and based on Chicago Sports Network ratings, you probably haven't -- the broadcasters have been noting over and over again that third baseman Miguel Vargas has made some adjustments to his batting stance.

His hands are starting higher, and he's holding his bat in a more horizontal position. Hey, he had to try something, right? His career is hanging in the balance.

At the conclusion of play on Easter Sunday, Vargas was batting .139/.236/.203 in 22 games. He had no home runs and only five doubles. Not a good sign, especially considering that the 25-year-old batted a pathetic .104/.217/.170 in 42 games last season after he joined the Sox in a midseason trade from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Frankly, as recently as 10 days ago, I was ready for the Sox to designate Vargas for assignment. But since Easter Sunday, he has hit in eight consecutive games. He's 13 for 29 with two home runs and a double during that span. His batting average has been raised from .139 to .222. His OPS has gone from .439 to .644. 

Those are still not good numbers overall, but you have to start somewhere, and Vargas is buying himself a little time with his improved play. On Thursday, he delivered a clutch 3-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, taking the Sox lead from 1-0 and 4-0.

It was the biggest hit in an eventual 8-0 win over the Milwaukee Brewers, as the Sox (8-23) salvaged the final game of a three-game home series.

Given how much bad we've seen from Vargas, it's hard to believe in him. We'll see how he fares this weekend as the Sox welcome the Houston Astros to Rate Field for a three-game series.

The day I realized my White Sox fandom had changed

(Photo by Jason Bauman)

Is it unusual that I can pinpoint the exact day when my White Sox fandom changed? We're coming up on the two-year anniversary of that moment.

The date was April 30, 2023. Ironically, I was in attendance that day at a game the Sox won. 

It was a Sunday afternoon. It was the final game of a four-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox were 7-21. (Sound familiar?) They entered the afternoon on a 10-game losing streak.

The weather was cloudy and cool, about 45 degrees, and it rained intermittently throughout the game. My girlfriend did not want to go to the game that day -- the combination of the poor play on the field and the miserable weather put her in a dour mood. She had no problem reminding me throughout the game just how poor the conditions were.

But surprisingly enough, the Sox were ahead 4-2 after seven innings. They were in good position to break their long losing streak. Alas, this was a bullpen that featured Joe Kelly, Reynaldo Lopez, Aaron Bummer and Kendall Graveman. 

Some combination of that group lit the game on fire, and by the top of the ninth, the Sox were trailing 9-5. Amid all the traffic on the bases and all the pitching changes, the pace of the game slowed to a crawl. The weather was getting worse, and my girlfriend's complaints were growing louder.

Finally, I realized that she was right: The whole thing sucked. We weren't having a good time. She didn't want to be there. I no longer wanted to be there. I said, "Let's go," and we left.

We listened to the bottom of the ninth inning in the car on a rainy drive home, and naturally, the Sox staged a seven-run rally and won, 12-9, on a walk-off home run by Andrew Vaughn.

And I didn't care. I didn't care that I had missed the comeback. I didn't care that the Sox had won. My girlfriend must have asked me 10 times on the hour-long drive home if I was mad at her for complaining about the weather. 

Each time, I answered "no," and I wasn't lying. I legitimately wasn't mad. It had been my decision to leave early, and she had not objected.

In a different time and place in my life, I might have been mad at her. Or I might have insisted that we stay until the end of the game. I've been around long enough to know that you never know what you're going to see.

But I had reached a point where I didn't care about the outcome of the game, and I no longer cared about the outcome of the Sox season. I realized that day that I disliked most of the players on the team anyway. I had no real connection to any of them. I realized that it no longer made sense to invest my money and emotions in a baseball team that was dysfunctional, didn't care about its fans and played poorly most of the time.

Strangely, not giving a damn about a dramatic, come-from-behind victory made me aware of just how indifferent I had become to the whole enterprise.

Sure, I continued to attend games for the rest of the 2023 season, although I did so halfheartedly. After all, I had bought a 20-game ticket plan. You couldn't resell the tickets on the secondary market. The team was so bad that tickets weren't worth the digital bandwidth they were printed on. It was a sunk cost, and the only way to recoup any value was to go to the games.

But I dropped my ticket plan after the conclusion of the 2023 season, and I haven't returned to Rate Field since, not even once. I had been a season ticket holder for 19 seasons, and it was not a decision I took lightly. It's a sad state of affairs, and I just happened to be reflecting on it today for whatever reason.

Hopefully, one day, there will be a reason to invest money and emotions into the Sox again. However, that day is not today.