I mentioned the Eloy Jimenez injury in my previous blog post. The White Sox's rookie left fielder has a high ankle sprain and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
What I didn't mention: Nate Jones and Ryan Burr also have been sent to the injured list. Jones has elbow inflammation; Burr has shoulder inflammation.
The Sox's bullpen wasn't very good with Jones and Burr in it, so imagine it now.
Who is taking these three roster spots, you ask? Well, Thyago Vieira, Aaron Bummer and Dylan Covey, of course. Three pitchers who have received opportunities in the past and didn't do much with them.
All three are available as the Sox open a series against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night.
This 2019 roster is starting to remind me a little too much of the 2018 roster, you know?
Monday, April 29, 2019
Sunday, April 28, 2019
White Sox sweep snow-abbreviated series vs. Detroit Tigers
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| Tim Anderson |
The White Sox shortstop hit a game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth inning Friday night, and he punctuated the moment with a bat flip similar to the one that provoked a benches-clearing incident with the Royals on April 17.
Nope, he isn't changing his ways.
The home run capped a 12-11 victory over the Detroit Tigers, and the Sox went on to sweep a snow-abbreviated, two-game series. Here's a look back at the weekend that was:
Friday, April 26
White Sox 12, Tigers 11: Coming into the game, you figured the recipe for a Sox victory would include a quality start by Carlos Rodon. You would be wrong. Rodon pitched terrible, giving up eight earned runs, including three homers, in three-plus innings.
After the top of the fifth inning, the Sox trailed, 9-2. But they stormed back with two runs in the fifth inning, five in the sixth inning and two more in the seventh.
It should have been three in the seventh. Jose Abreu hit what should have been a three-run homer, but he passed Anderson on the bases rounding first. He was called out and credited with a two-run single.
That was a dumb play, but nevertheless, Abreu had a great night -- 4 for 5 with five RBIs, including a home run that actually counted during the five-run sixth. Yonder Alonso and Jose Rondon also homered for the Sox, and Anderson totaled four hits.
Anderson connected on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the ninth, a hanging slider from reliever Joe Jimenez (1-1), and sent it into the left-field seats to break an 11-11 tie.
That made a winner of reliever Alex Colome (1-0), who worked a scoreless ninth.
All that said, we might have buried the lead here. Rookie left fielder Eloy Jimenez was injured in the third inning when he crashed into the wall chasing a home run hit by Detroit catcher Grayson Greiner. The future of the rebuild hung in the balance as Jimenez writhed about on the warning track in pain.
Diagnosis: high ankle sprain. Jimenez will be re-evaluated in two weeks. That means he'll likely be out at least a month. He's lucky he didn't break his leg, and this is why I recently called for him to receive more DH at-bats.
Saturday, April 27
Tigers at White Sox, ppd. snow: I was holding tickets to this game, and I'm glad it didn't happen. We had a freak late-April snowstorm in Chicago. It was that heavy, wet snow that leaves slush on the road.
The 6:10 p.m. game was postponed by 10:30 a.m. Good decision. You can't play baseball when there's a winter storm warning.
Sunday, April 28
White Sox 4, Tigers 1: Reynaldo Lopez tossed the most dominating six innings of his career, totaling 14 strikeouts against three walks. He allowed only one unearned run on two hits.
The right-hander's fastball overpowered Detroit hitters. Thirteen of the 14 strikeouts came on the four-seamer, and they were evenly distributed. Lopez (2-3) struck out the side in the second and sixth innings, and he had two strikeouts in each of the other four innings he pitched.
Instead of having to play from behind, the Sox took the lead in the first inning for a change. Welington Castillo's two-out, two-strike double with the bases loaded gave the South Siders a 2-0 lead.
Detroit nicked Lopez for an unearned run in the second, and the game remained 2-1 until the seventh. Matthew Boyd pitched well for the Tigers through six, but the Sox scored one in the seventh and one in the eighth against the Detroit bullpen.
A squeeze bunt from Leury Garcia plated the run in the seventh. Yolmer Sanchez added a sacrifice fly in the eighth.
Jace Fry, Kelvin Herrera and Colome each worked a scoreless inning of relief. Colome picked up his fifth save.
Each reliever struck out two, so Sox pitchers totaled 20 strikeouts for the game. Yeah, that's a team record for a nine-inning game.
Next up for the Sox (11-14): a three-game series against the Baltimore Orioles, starting Monday night.
Friday, April 26, 2019
White Sox DFA Ervin Santana, reinstate Eloy Jimenez from bereavement list
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| Ervin Santana |
However, when said pitcher struggles to make it through five innings in every start, that deal becomes a difficult proposition.
Ervin Santana, we hardly knew ye.
The White Sox on Friday designated the right-handed pitcher for assignment. Rookie left fielder Eloy Jimenez was reinstated from the bereavement list to take Santana's place on the 25-man roster.
Santana made three starts and went 0-2 with a 9.45 ERA. He allowed 14 earned runs and six home runs in 13.1 innings, and he walked more people (6) than he struck out (5).
In Santana's best start, he lasted only five innings against the sad-sack Kansas City Royals, and in his most recent outing, he was knocked out in the fifth inning of a loss to the sad-sack Baltimore Orioles.
This is the right move. Santana has shown nothing, even against poor opposition. That said, I'm a little surprised the Sox let Santana go so quickly. They have a cherished history of sticking with struggling players way too long.
Not this time.
I'm guessing this means Lucas Giolito will be healthy and ready to take his next turn in the rotation, likely next Tuesday. Giolito is on the injured list with a hamstring strain right now. This also means Manny Banuelos is likely to get a chance at sticking in the rotation. He tossed four shutout innings in his first start of the season Monday against Baltimore, a game that Sox won handily.
As for Jimenez, he returns after missing the Baltimore series because of the death of his grandmother in the Dominican Republic. The rookie had been struggling of late both at the plate and in the field.
A modest suggestion for Sox manager Rick Renteria: Detroit is pitching two left-handers against the Sox this weekend -- Daniel Norris on Friday and Matthew Boyd on Sunday. Let's allow Jimenez to DH a couple games to take some of the pressure off. He can focus on his hitting and forget about defense.
Sit Yonder Alonso against the lefties -- he's only hitting .179 and hasn't done enough to deserve an everyday role. Then put the best defensive outfield available out there -- Leury Garcia in left field, Adam Engel in center and Ryan Cordell in right.
I think that alignment gives the Sox the best chance to win against left-handed pitching, at least for now.
Thursday, April 25, 2019
As a season ticket holder, I'm putting the White Sox on the clock
The White Sox lost the last two games of their three-game series with the Baltimore Orioles, the same Baltimore team than went 47-115 last season.
When this season started, many pointed to the stretch of 16 games the Sox are in the middle of now as reason for optimism. Three with Kansas City, four with Detroit, three with Baltimore, three more with Detroit and three more with Baltimore.
Hey, that's a long stretch of games against rebuilding teams -- and teams that happen to be a year behind the Sox in terms of starting the rebuilding process. Some believed this would be an opportunity to have a winning month of April, even if the long-term prognosis for the 2019 season wasn't the most promising.
Turns out the Sox can't do much more than tread water against these three teams, which combined to lose 317 games between them in 2018.
We are 10 games into that 16-game stretch, and the Sox are 4-5 with one rainout. What can you really say? This is a terrible baseball team for the third straight season, and it will be a losing baseball team for the seventh straight season.
As a "valued season ticket holder," I've had just about enough of not being entertained by something that is supposed to be entertaining. I'll give the Sox the rest of this season and next to get this right.
You figure, next year Michael Kopech will be back from injury. Dylan Cease will be on the team, maybe Zack Collins, too. There will be another year of experience for Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, Tim Anderson, Carlos Rodon, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez.
This year is going to be awful. I've accepted it. But three years of tanking for draft position in a major market is enough, don't you think?
Dear White Sox: Improve by the end of 2020, or I won't be a season ticket holder in 2021. I've been with you as one of your best customers since 2004, but everyone has their limits.
I've reached mine.
When this season started, many pointed to the stretch of 16 games the Sox are in the middle of now as reason for optimism. Three with Kansas City, four with Detroit, three with Baltimore, three more with Detroit and three more with Baltimore.
Hey, that's a long stretch of games against rebuilding teams -- and teams that happen to be a year behind the Sox in terms of starting the rebuilding process. Some believed this would be an opportunity to have a winning month of April, even if the long-term prognosis for the 2019 season wasn't the most promising.
Turns out the Sox can't do much more than tread water against these three teams, which combined to lose 317 games between them in 2018.
We are 10 games into that 16-game stretch, and the Sox are 4-5 with one rainout. What can you really say? This is a terrible baseball team for the third straight season, and it will be a losing baseball team for the seventh straight season.
As a "valued season ticket holder," I've had just about enough of not being entertained by something that is supposed to be entertaining. I'll give the Sox the rest of this season and next to get this right.
You figure, next year Michael Kopech will be back from injury. Dylan Cease will be on the team, maybe Zack Collins, too. There will be another year of experience for Yoan Moncada, Eloy Jimenez, Tim Anderson, Carlos Rodon, Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez.
This year is going to be awful. I've accepted it. But three years of tanking for draft position in a major market is enough, don't you think?
Dear White Sox: Improve by the end of 2020, or I won't be a season ticket holder in 2021. I've been with you as one of your best customers since 2004, but everyone has their limits.
I've reached mine.
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
Jose Abreu (finally) has a big game for White Sox
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| Jose Abreu |
That's respectable.
He is, however, a notorious warm-weather hitter. Look at his August career slash line (.331/.391/.575) and his July career slash line (.300/.366/.510). Abreu's pattern is characterized by a mediocre or less-than-mediocre first half, followed by a torrid second half.
This April has been slower than most for Abreu. He came into Monday night's game against the Baltimore Orioles with a .192/.273/.372 slash, which is uncharacteristically cold for such an accomplished hitter. The usual caveats apply about small sample sizes, and you had to believe Abreu was about due for a breakout.
Porous Baltimore pitching seemed to be the cure for what ails Abreu, and the Sox in general. The first baseman went 3 for 6 with a home run and five RBIs in Monday's 12-2 Sox win over the Orioles.
The Sox posted three four-run innings -- four in the fifth, four in the seventh and four in the eighth. Abreu contributed an RBI single in the fourth, a two-run homer in the seventh and a two-run single in the eighth.
He now has four home runs and 17 RBIs through the first 21 games, and with one good performance, he's basically back on the run production pace you'd like to see from him.
Obviously, most of the focus for the Sox is on the younger guys. Who will be part of the future and who will play their way out of the plans? Abreu is one of the veterans who may or may not be here next year and beyond, but for now, the team needs him to be the same stabilizing force he has been in the past.
That's especially true because he bats third, right behind Yoan Moncada. If Abreu is hitting well, and pitchers are worried about him, that means more fastballs to hit for Moncada.
Anything that makes Moncada better is good for the Sox's future.
The Sox are now 9-12 for the season and 2-2 on the current six-game road trip, after dropping two out of three over the weekend in Detroit. There are two games left in Baltimore before the South Siders come home to start a 10-game homestand.
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Palka to Charlotte; Giolito to IL; Cordell excels; Fulmer flops
The White Sox on Wednesday optioned outfielder Daniel Palka to Triple-A Charlotte, just hours after he broke an 0-for-32 slump with a broken-bat single in a 4-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals.
Of course, Palka also grounded into a double play with the bases loaded and one out in a tie game in the bottom of the eighth inning, and he also made the final out of the game in the bottom of the 10th -- making weak contact in both at-bats.
It was time to send him down. Past time, in fact.
Amid all the Tim Anderson controversy, it was almost forgotten that pitcher Lucas Giolito had to leave Wednesday's game in the third inning with left hamstring tightness. It was unfortunate, because Giolito had his good stuff working. He had not allowed a hit and struck out five through 2.2 innings.
These two roster moves allowed Ryan Cordell and Carson Fulmer to return from Charlotte for Thursday's game in Detroit, a 9-7 White Sox loss.
Cordell started in right field batting ninth, and went 3 for 4 with his second home run of the season, which briefly gave the Sox a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning. On this blog, we previously endorsed Cordell's recall from Charlotte, although I had suggested he replace Adam Engel, not Palka.
In any case, Cordell seems to be the best of the bad options in the Sox outfield right now. He's swinging the bat better than Palka, Engel or Nicky Delmonico, who is at Charlotte.
As we've stated before, Cordell should not be seen as a long-term solution to anything, and as a Sox fan, I long for the day when we aren't talking about shuffling through a bunch of never-will-be outfielders. But, this is the situation right now, and the Sox need to give the playing time to the man who is doing the best job.
At the moment, that's Cordell. Give it a week, and it might be someone else's turn.
As for Fulmer, he found himself on the mound in the eighth inning of a 7-7 game Thursday, and he gave up two runs and lost it on a single, two hit batters and two sacrifice flies. Fulmer continued his longstanding habit of giving things away by loading the bases with the two hit batsmen.
I didn't really like Fulmer being on the mound in that situation on his first day back in the bigs, but in fairness to Sox manager Rick Renteria, he lacks good options in the bullpen.
For me, Fulmer is a symbol of why the Sox rebuild has stagnated. The rebuild proponents want to the team to tank again for draft position this season, but the thing is, the Sox haven't done a good job with their first-round draft picks, of which Fulmer is one.
He's out of options, and this might be his last kick at the can with the Sox organization. Can a rebuild really work for an organization that a) doesn't draft well and b) doesn't want to spend in free agency?
It doesn't look good. The Sox (7-12) lost 100 games last season; they are on pace for 99 losses this season. As a friend texted me this afternoon, "This just keeps getting worse."
Of course, Palka also grounded into a double play with the bases loaded and one out in a tie game in the bottom of the eighth inning, and he also made the final out of the game in the bottom of the 10th -- making weak contact in both at-bats.
It was time to send him down. Past time, in fact.
Amid all the Tim Anderson controversy, it was almost forgotten that pitcher Lucas Giolito had to leave Wednesday's game in the third inning with left hamstring tightness. It was unfortunate, because Giolito had his good stuff working. He had not allowed a hit and struck out five through 2.2 innings.
These two roster moves allowed Ryan Cordell and Carson Fulmer to return from Charlotte for Thursday's game in Detroit, a 9-7 White Sox loss.
Cordell started in right field batting ninth, and went 3 for 4 with his second home run of the season, which briefly gave the Sox a 5-4 lead in the seventh inning. On this blog, we previously endorsed Cordell's recall from Charlotte, although I had suggested he replace Adam Engel, not Palka.
In any case, Cordell seems to be the best of the bad options in the Sox outfield right now. He's swinging the bat better than Palka, Engel or Nicky Delmonico, who is at Charlotte.
As we've stated before, Cordell should not be seen as a long-term solution to anything, and as a Sox fan, I long for the day when we aren't talking about shuffling through a bunch of never-will-be outfielders. But, this is the situation right now, and the Sox need to give the playing time to the man who is doing the best job.
At the moment, that's Cordell. Give it a week, and it might be someone else's turn.
As for Fulmer, he found himself on the mound in the eighth inning of a 7-7 game Thursday, and he gave up two runs and lost it on a single, two hit batters and two sacrifice flies. Fulmer continued his longstanding habit of giving things away by loading the bases with the two hit batsmen.
I didn't really like Fulmer being on the mound in that situation on his first day back in the bigs, but in fairness to Sox manager Rick Renteria, he lacks good options in the bullpen.
For me, Fulmer is a symbol of why the Sox rebuild has stagnated. The rebuild proponents want to the team to tank again for draft position this season, but the thing is, the Sox haven't done a good job with their first-round draft picks, of which Fulmer is one.
He's out of options, and this might be his last kick at the can with the Sox organization. Can a rebuild really work for an organization that a) doesn't draft well and b) doesn't want to spend in free agency?
It doesn't look good. The Sox (7-12) lost 100 games last season; they are on pace for 99 losses this season. As a friend texted me this afternoon, "This just keeps getting worse."
Wednesday, April 17, 2019
The Kansas City Royals are intent on teaching Tim Anderson the unwritten rules
Touchdown celebrations are allowed in football.
Goals in hockey? Raise your stick, pump your fist, let out a yell and hug your teammates.
A slam dunk or a 3-point play in basketball gets everyone fired up, right?
However, in baseball, if a batter hits a home run, he is to drop his bat quietly, lower his head and solemnly round the bases -- quickly. Otherwise, he might hurt the tender sensitivities of the pitcher who just gave up the hit.
That's the message the Kansas City Royals sent White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson on Wednesday. Anderson hit a mammoth two-run homer off Kansas City starter Brad Keller in the fourth inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. After making contact, Anderson tossed his bat javelin-style back toward his own dugout and appeared to exhort his teammates, as if to say, "Let's go!"
Now, now, now, Timmy, that show of emotion is not acceptable in this stodgy, ole game of baseball.
Keller -- who is probably the best pitcher on the butthurt, last-place Royals, which isn't saying much -- drilled Anderson in ass in the sixth inning as punishment. Not satisfied, Royals players and coaches came on the field and started chirping at Anderson for his transgression as he slowly made his way down the first-base line. Of course, benches and bullpens emptied. Anderson and Keller both were ejected.
I don't know what Kansas City pitching Cal Eldred is thinking about. His team has one of the highest bullpen ERAs in the league. Perhaps he should be more concerned about that than teaching Anderson a lesson, but yelling at a player on the opposing team for hitting a home run off one of his pitchers seemed to be a high priority today.
Look, I'm not a real fan of the celebration of mundane things. And celebrating a home run in the fourth inning of an April game between two bad teams is not real high on my to-do list.
But, I'm also not going to go into "old man yells at cloud" mode either. A new generation is coming into the game, one that doesn't mind celebrating hits in the fourth inning, and one that doesn't mind charging onto the field as if they've won the World Series after a ninth-inning victory. Times have changed, and I'm OK with that.
More over, all 30 teams in baseball "pimp" home runs now, so in my mind, any team that gets pissed off about another team celebrating a home run is living in a glass house.
Get over yourselves, Royals. If you don't want Anderson to celebrate, get him out next time.
Does anyone else wonder whether these bizarre "unwritten rules" are among the reasons some young people today find baseball boring?
You know, baseball is a game. It's OK if the people playing it have some fun.
If Keller strikes Anderson out in that situation, I wouldn't have minded it if he had pumped his fist for pitching out of a jam. So, why should anyone mind if Anderson flipped his bat when he had success?
It's time to lighten up.
For the record, the Royals won, 4-3, in 10 innings, but the Sox took two of three in the series. So, the Sox (7-10) are in fourth place and the Royals (6-12) are in last. That's probably where these two teams will stay all season.
Goals in hockey? Raise your stick, pump your fist, let out a yell and hug your teammates.
A slam dunk or a 3-point play in basketball gets everyone fired up, right?
However, in baseball, if a batter hits a home run, he is to drop his bat quietly, lower his head and solemnly round the bases -- quickly. Otherwise, he might hurt the tender sensitivities of the pitcher who just gave up the hit.
That's the message the Kansas City Royals sent White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson on Wednesday. Anderson hit a mammoth two-run homer off Kansas City starter Brad Keller in the fourth inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. After making contact, Anderson tossed his bat javelin-style back toward his own dugout and appeared to exhort his teammates, as if to say, "Let's go!"
Now, now, now, Timmy, that show of emotion is not acceptable in this stodgy, ole game of baseball.
Keller -- who is probably the best pitcher on the butthurt, last-place Royals, which isn't saying much -- drilled Anderson in ass in the sixth inning as punishment. Not satisfied, Royals players and coaches came on the field and started chirping at Anderson for his transgression as he slowly made his way down the first-base line. Of course, benches and bullpens emptied. Anderson and Keller both were ejected.
I don't know what Kansas City pitching Cal Eldred is thinking about. His team has one of the highest bullpen ERAs in the league. Perhaps he should be more concerned about that than teaching Anderson a lesson, but yelling at a player on the opposing team for hitting a home run off one of his pitchers seemed to be a high priority today.
Look, I'm not a real fan of the celebration of mundane things. And celebrating a home run in the fourth inning of an April game between two bad teams is not real high on my to-do list.
But, I'm also not going to go into "old man yells at cloud" mode either. A new generation is coming into the game, one that doesn't mind celebrating hits in the fourth inning, and one that doesn't mind charging onto the field as if they've won the World Series after a ninth-inning victory. Times have changed, and I'm OK with that.
More over, all 30 teams in baseball "pimp" home runs now, so in my mind, any team that gets pissed off about another team celebrating a home run is living in a glass house.
Get over yourselves, Royals. If you don't want Anderson to celebrate, get him out next time.
Does anyone else wonder whether these bizarre "unwritten rules" are among the reasons some young people today find baseball boring?
You know, baseball is a game. It's OK if the people playing it have some fun.
If Keller strikes Anderson out in that situation, I wouldn't have minded it if he had pumped his fist for pitching out of a jam. So, why should anyone mind if Anderson flipped his bat when he had success?
It's time to lighten up.
For the record, the Royals won, 4-3, in 10 innings, but the Sox took two of three in the series. So, the Sox (7-10) are in fourth place and the Royals (6-12) are in last. That's probably where these two teams will stay all season.
Sunday, April 14, 2019
White Sox win two out of three at Yankee Stadium
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| Tim Anderson |
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.
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Deep thoughts: Should Ryan Cordell take Adam Engel's roster spot?
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| Adam Engel |
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.
Wednesday, April 10, 2019
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
Maybe Ricky's boys don't quit, but they sure can't pitch
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| Ervin Santana |
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."
Monday, April 8, 2019
First homestand going poorly for White Sox
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| The view from my seat on Opening Day at Guaranteed Rate Field. |
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.
Thursday, April 4, 2019
White Sox beat Corey Kluber for first time in almost four years
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| Corey Kluber |
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.
Tuesday, April 2, 2019
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.
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.
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