Tonight’s effort by the White Sox makes for an easy Top 10 loss nominee for 2021. A performance by the White Sox that should be balled up and tossed into the garbage can. Hopefully, never repeat itself in what is a contending season. An absolute clunker.
Let’s start with the eye-opening stat. Detroit committed five errors in this game. Five. Both runs scored by the White Sox were on a terrible field attempt by Jeimer Candelario in the first inning and an awful throw by Candelario in the third inning. Despite the defensive gifts, the White Sox offense went 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position. All they could give their ace starting pitcher was a measly two runs of support.
It appeared at first that’s all the runs Lucas Giolito needed. After making the mistake of continuing to challenge Miguel Cabrera with fastballs in the first inning that ended up as a solo shot, Giolito found his rhythm. From the second to the sixth inning, all the Tiger’s offense could muster was a walk and two singles against Giolito.
In that sixth inning, Detroit was threatening to tie the game as Cabrera pulled a hard grounder heading to left field. Tim Anderson made the diving stop that kept Robbie Grossman at third base preventing the game from being tied. Facing Jonathan Schoop, Giolito threw three changeups that demonstrate his masterful ability to command the pitch. A big-time strikeout to leave the game-tying run 90-feet away and a barbaric roar from Giolito coming off the mound.
The seventh inning was a different story.
Despite not getting more run support, the White Sox will find themselves in 2-1 ballgames in 2021. It’s something that this team, despite all of the experience from their manager, needs to learn how to win low-scoring games.
Giolito’s pitch count was piling up closer to triple digits after spiking a fastball on 3-2 to leadoff hitter Willi Castro. Then Akil Baddoo battled for nine pitches before flying out to Adam Eaton in right field. Giolito just needed one more grounder for a double play to end the inning with one out and catcher Wilson Ramos coming to bat.
Instead, Ramos hit a liner that split the gap in center field. As Billy Hamilton chased after the ball, Castro scored from first base to tie the game at 2-2. Giolito threw over 100 pitches, and Codi Heuer warmed up in the bullpen; that should have been the end of his night.
Except it wasn’t. Tony La Russa opted to let his ace figure out a way to get out of the seventh running on fumes. On the very next pitch, Goodrum swung hard at a slider that appeared to jam him. As the ball continued to carry in right field, Eaton’s knee buckled on him on the warning track. Falling to the ground went Eaton, and Goodrum’s fly bounced off the top of the right-field wall and into Detroit’s bullpen for a two-run homer.
Did La Russa pull Giolito after the home run? Nope.
JaCoby Jones, on the next pitch, lined out to center field. It wasn’t until Giolito walked Robbie Grossman on four straight pitches that La Russa strolled to the mound and called for Heuer. In Giolito’s last seven pitches, Detroit racked up a double, two-run homer, and a walk. His final line was 6.2 IP 5 H 4 ER 3 BB 7 K on 114 pitches.
Somehow, Jose Urena lasted through seven innings despite the poor defense behind him. Pitching around seven hits and three walks, Urena generated 15 grounders to just three fly balls. That type of ground game leads to four double plays turned by the Tigers infield.
White Sox had the game-tying run hitting in the eighth inning with runners on first and second, but despite having Andrew Vaughn on the bench, La Russa stuck with Hamilton and Leury Garcia to hit for themselves. Of course, they both struck out.
It was a terrible night.
Game Notes:
- Yermin Mercedes went 2-for-4
- At least the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins lost.
Record: 12-10 | Box Score | StatCast
April 28, 2021 at 01:33PM
https://www.soxmachine.com/2021/04/27/tigers-5-white-sox-2-a-night-to-forget/
Tigers 5, White Sox 2: A night to forget - Sox Machine
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