Pirates 7, White Sox 0: Another first-inning disaster

I guess the White Sox must think they’re legally required to give up a first-inning crooked number in National League parks.

It only took Reynaldo Lopez two pitches to trail this game for good, giving up a homer to Adam Frazier. He gave up three more runs before the inning was over, with the last one scoring after Nicky Delmonico chased his own tail on a fly ball over his head.

The White Sox have now been outscored 15-0 in the first inning alone over their last four games, and it’s a minor miracle they’ve won any of them.

Lopez didn’t look much better afterward. He gave up two more runs after recording the first two outs of the second inning. Leury Garcia couldn’t hold onto the ball with a leaping effort at the center field wall, and that RBI triple was followed by a near-homer off the top of the wall in right.

Rick Renteria called it a night for Lopez after he started the third inning with an HBP and walk, and the White Sox never made a run at the deficit.

They had their best opportunity in the fifth inning, when Garcia and Tim Anderson started the inning with singles. That brought the pitcher’s spot to the plate, and Renteria let Chris Beck try bunting instead of pinch-hitting. Beck struck out on a foul bunt, and neither Yoan Moncada (strikeout) nor Yolmer Sanchez (groundout) could cover for it.

It wasn’t a great decision for Renteria in terms of watchable baseball. That made up three of the White Sox’ seven hitless at-bats with runners in scoring position.

This is the first of 16 consecutive games for the White Sox, though, and so maybe Renteria didn’t want to burn out his bullpen in an attempt to make up a six-run deficit over five innings. Beck did reward that part of Renteria’s strategy by getting five more outs, running his total to 11 for the night. He was perfect until plunking Frazier on the foot with his final pitch.

While Beck stranded a pair of runners for Lopez, Aaron Bummer couldn’t to the same for Beck. He gave up an RBI double that put a run on Beck’s tab and gave the game its final score.

Bullet points:

*Moncada went 1-for-4 with a strikeout in his return from the DL.

*Six of the Sox’ seven hits were singles, and they didn’t draw a walk. Hence, shutout.

*Jose Abreu had the lone double, and he had a nice game at first, making the picks on a couple of tough throws from Moncada and Tim Anderson.

*The Sox will still not have won a series against a team that isn’t the Royals.

Record: 10-28 | Box score

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Shingos Cheeseburgers

Well the baseline for the rebuild seems pretty clear cut. Best of luck to Rick Hahn in adding 30-40 wins to this club over the next 4 years. 

Milky✌️

I hate to say it but I’m starting to think this team isn’t very good

PauliePaulie

Take it easy with the hot takes, milkohol.

Trooper Galactus

“…starting…”?

asinwreck

Consistently falling behind in the first inning does not bode well for the Sox winning the one-game wild card playoff this fall.

PauliePaulie

Sox are going full ’13 Astros.

Shingos Cheeseburgers

#112OrBust

vanillablue

Carlton Fisk was a better left fielder than Delmonico.

asinwreck

I thought I’d avoid being triggered by Harrelson’s idiocy today by not reading Jim’s post, but no.

StockroomSnail

YAZ didn’t believe in reading.

lil jimmy

So you’re saying Yaz could have been President?

The Wimperoo

I’m ready to pull the plug on the great Delmonico experiment. But whom to replace him? Hmmm……. Trayce Thompson? Adam Engel? And Daniel Palka make Carlos Lee look like a Gold Glover. Gad zooks, man! Where are the options?

StockroomSnail

I hope genuine OFs are part of the rebuild.

ParisSox

Damn.  Jim, I hope you have the stones to stick this out.  I’m really looking forward to your blogging in the good times.  

Remember April 2016?  Good times, good times…

Trooper Galactus

It could only last so long without the clubhouse leader.

Josh Nelson

BANNED

Trooper Galactus

Ricky, please stop using Bummer with inherited runners, at least until he shows more signs of ironing things out. And no, Volstad is not the answer.

seven11

Not pinch hitting for Beck with 2 on and nobody out seems like mailing it in to me. Ricky should have removed himself from the bench for not giving it his all.

zerobs

Maybe he’s thinking of stretching Beck out for the rotation.

35Shields

Batting the pitcher when you’ve got one of the hottest hitters in baseball on your bench is kind of inexplicable.

I’m officially giving up on the “Ricky’s boys don’t quit” mantra, since it seems that Ricky already has.

Otter

The Adam Eaton Trade: Everyone Lost

Smclean09

Dont forget about Dane “savior” Dunning

zerobs

Has Bummer stranded an inherited runner at all this year?