Jonathan Stiever threw batting practice.
Garrett Crochet’s stuff was anything but.
The former gave up six runs on five over 2⅔ innings, and four of those five hits left the yard. He threw 64 pitches without getting a single swinging strike, thanks to a combination of a still under-powered fastball and breaking ball command that he never quite ironed out.
The latter struck out the first two batters he faced, and ended his 1-2-3 inning with a weak roller to the right side. He threw nine of his 13 pitches for strikes, and six of his nine fastballs cracked 100 mph, including a max of 101.5. It was an incredibly impressive display that had the Cincinnati Reds crew talking about it innings later.
Crochet’s sizzling introduction was about the only thing to say about the White Sox, because they couldn’t generate much against Tyler Mahle on the other side of the ball.
The lineup card was a lot shorter with Tim Anderson getting a day off, Yoán Moncada and Luis Robert still in funks, and both Edwin Encarnación and Nomar Mazara both starting, and it short-circuited the only threat of the evening.
Trailing 6-0, the Sox had a chance to get back into the game in the sixth when they loaded the bases with nobody out on a Nick Madrigal double, Yasmani Grandal walk and a José Abreu HBP. Eloy Jiménez got one run home with a broken-bat fielder’s choice that resulted in a force at second, but the lagging bats couldn’t keep the party going. Encarnación, who had struck out in both of his first two plate appearances, hit a dribbler to the right side amount that couldn’t get Grandal home, and although Yoán Moncada reloaded the bases with a five-pitch walk, Robert swung over three sliders off the plate to end the threat.
The White Sox were outhit 8-4 on the night, with Madrigal owning half the hits. Mazara reached base twice on a walk and a shanked single, but he was caught stealing on what looked like a busted hit-and-run with Madrigal to erase him once.
Bullet points:
*Besides Crochet, Gio González stepped up to throw 2⅓ scoreless innings that got the game through five. José Ruiz threw a scoreless eighth with two strikeouts.
*The Cubs shut out the Twins 1-0, so the White Sox still lead the AL Central by three game. Their magic number is down to five.
Record: 33-18 | Box score | Statcast
Man, Robert is just going up there with absolutely no plan whatsoever. Looked hopeless in that bases loaded AB
Yeah exactly. Hoping rest, coaching, watching tape will get him out of it in time for the playoffs
Piling on:
Man, Moncada needs a rest. Not just a day off, but maybe a week.
Robert needs to sit for a bit also. Doesn’t seem to have a clue. Someone really needs to help him.
EE and Mazara keep proving that 2021 may find them in different uniforms.
EE might be in street clothes in 2021.
Is Robert just in a “funk” or is this where he is at in his stage of development? That 6th inning at bat looked like a pitcher who just wanted to get the at bat over with as quickly as possible. If this is what he is going to look like in the post-season, and if the Sox want to take this post-season seriously, then they should consider whether he should be out there
Stiever sure became yesterday’s news in a hurry….
I think an outing like this is to be expected from someone with his limited experience. Dunning sure has raised the bar on Sox rookie pitchers.
It was always a big ask for Steiver to come from single A ball and contribute at the mlb level, this start was the more likely scenario then his last start where he gave the sox some effective innings.
Crochet was flat incredible, if bummer and marshall come back healthy be end of year and you add this guy to the heuer , foster, colome mix… I mean it could be a 5 or 6 inning game at that point.
I absolutely hate throwing out speculation like this but Robert for the last two weeks or so looks like a guy whose dog just died… I wonder if he has something going on in his personal life… the dropped fly ball the other day, the lack of interest in big at bats… it doesnt look like just a funk he is having 0 fun out there all of a sudden and his confidence seems to have drained from his body.
Mazara and EE continue to make Rickys job actually easier as I dont see how they can be apart of the starting playoff lineups at this point.
Mazara and EE being bad does not make Ricky’s job easier.
I have advocated for McCann to get more playing time due to Edwin’s Suckage but McCann is no panacea. We know McCann tends to get exposed when he gets too much playing time.
Ricky did a nice job using Engel and Dyson at the right times this week but we know what happens if they play too much. Furthermore, his headaches are further compounded by Moncada and Robert.
Having a lot of bad options is a nightmare for a manager.
I’d like to see Collins on the playoff roster instead of Mazara. That would allow Ricky to deploy Grandal and McCann as he sees fit. Collins could be the left-handed power bat late in the game. Engel or Dyson get the starts in right.
I would think the Sox would carry one less pitcher on the playoff roster. Unless the lack of off days and starting depth makes them skittish.
Not a single comment on Garret Crochet”s debut? He was electric! I’ve been watching Sox baseball since the 50’s and I have never seen a pitcher look that impressive in his first appearance.
Yeah, I’ve been trying to think of a way Crochet could have had a more impressive debut inning, and can’t really think of anything.
Brian Goodwin, Jose Garcia, and Tucker Barnhart are not a very scary trio. Two of them have negative bWAR, and none of them have batting averages over like 220.
But they’re still MLB hitters. And it’s not like any of them even looked close to being able to handle Crochet.
If he can reliably repeat that performance — and I don’t mean the results, just the pitches themselves— I think he instantly becomes one of our two or three best bullpen arms.
I don’t think anyone is going to be able to make solid contact against a fastball with that much velo, deception, and movement, especially if he can also command the slider.
I mean, with stuff that good, he only needs to well execute like 2/3 of his total pitches thrown to be dominant. He had multiple waste pitches yesterday, and it didn’t really affect his dominance.
Reminds me a little of 2005 when Bobby Jenks showed up late in the season. I don’t expect Crotchet to contribute that much in this year’s post season, but optics are super exciting.
Garret didn’t pitch an immaculate innings with 3Ks. Utter trash. Sox Scouting drafting another bust yet again smh.
😉
Verlander needs Tommy John…
He’s out through next year. His contract runs through next year. He may be done.