Weak starting pitching exposes White Sox bullpen

Now for some positive news: The White Sox offense woke up on their most recent homestand. They scored 33 runs in six games. There's nothing wrong with averaging 5.5 runs per game. That's decent production. You'll take it.

The problem is, the Sox only went 3-3 because their bullpen collapsed. The Minnesota Twins have now won 10 consecutive games after sweeping the Sox in a three-game series at Guaranteed Rate Field this week. The Sox had the lead in all three games against the Twins, but they failed to finish any of them.

On Tuesday, the Sox had a 4-2 lead going into the seventh inning. They lost, 6-5, after the Twins got two runs in the eighth off Jordan Leasure, and one in the ninth off Michael Kopech.

On Wednesday, the Sox once again had a 4-2 lead, this time after five innings. They ended up losing, 10-5, as no one from the group of Steven Wilson, Dominic Leone, Tim Hill, Tanner Banks or John Brebbia pitched effectively.

In those last two games against Minnesota, the Sox bullpen was asked to cover 8.2 innings. They surrendered 12 runs on 13 hits. They also surrendered seven walks during that stretch, including five in Wednesday's game.

Here's the problem: The Sox bullpen is already gassed, even though it's only May 3. The starting pitchers just aren't giving this team enough innings. Let's look at what the rotation has done so far:

• Erick Fedde has thrown 34.2 innings over six starts, an average of 5.8 innings per outing.
• Garrett Crochet has thrown 34.2 innings over seven starts, an average of 4.95 innings per outing.
• Michael Soroka has thrown 33.1 innings over seven starts, an average of 4.8 innings per outing.
• Chris Flexen has thrown 23.1 innings over five starts, an average of 4.7 innings per outing.
• Jonathan Cannon has thrown 13.2 innings over three starts, an average of 4.6 innings per outing.
• Nick Nastrini has thrown 8.0 innings over two starts, and average of 4.0 innings per outing.

Are you recognizing the theme? Fedde is the only Sox starter who is regularly getting into the sixth inning on average. That means on every day that someone not named Fedde is pitching, the bullpen is being asked to cover at least four innings, and sometimes five or six.

This is not sustainable over 162 games. The appearances are already starting to pile up for Sox relievers:

• Kopech has made 14 appearances, putting him on pace to pitch 73 games.
• Leone has made 16 appearances, putting him on pace to pitch 84(!) games.
• Wilson has made 14 appearances, putting him on pace to pitch 73 games.
• Leasure has made 13 appearances, putting him on pace to pitch 68 games.
• Banks has made 12 appearances, putting him on pace to pitch 63 games.
• Hill has made 12 appearances, putting him on pace to pitch 63 games.

If you're wondering why veterans such as Mike Clevinger and Brad Keller are being brought in to bolster the starting rotation, this is why. The Sox are looking for somebody, anybody, who can get them into the sixth or seventh inning with some consistency.

I know the Sox are 6-25. I know it's a lost season. I know the inclination is "to play the kids." But if younger guys like Cannon and Nastrini are not yet ready to get the Sox through the fifth inning more times than not, then they aren't ready to pitch in the big leagues.

It's a painful admission, because nobody wants to see Clevinger or Keller, but that's where it stands.