There’s a five-word saying that that comes to mind about this game, the last four of which are “around and find out.”
Well, the White Sox found out what happens when they commit four errors before Dallas Keuchel can record four outs: a 10-0 deficit with still eight innings remaining.
Tim Anderson started the first and second innings with errors and tacked on a third one later for good measure. Jake Burger backed up Anderson’s throwing error with one of his own to turn two routine grounders into first and second with nobody out. Keuchel almost got out of it unscathed, but the double-play ball he generated developed a little too slowly, and he had to settle for a 1-0 deficit after the run-scoring fielder’s choice.
But when Anderson bobbled a slow grounder to open the second, Keuchel couldn’t muscle the floodgates shut. Instead, the Guardians tagged him for eight consecutive hits — and nine over 10 batters around Anderson’s third error — before Tony La Russa pulled Keuchel from the game with still nobody out in the second. Eight of those hits were singles, but José Ramírez’s grand slam in the middle of it broke the game open.
For somebody who entered the season with doubts about his tenability as a starter, today’s performance only emboldened those who think the White Sox should cut bait with Keuchel. But the whole idea of him as a starter is that the soft contact needs to be turned into outs to limit the damage of contact later, so the general concept of his success didn’t stand a chance.
That made the already difficult task of beating Shane Bieber an impossible one, so the White Sox had to settle for limiting the repercussions. Tanner Banks took over and induced a double play on the first pitch en route to four perfect innings, so La Russa only needed to use Matt Foster and Anderson Severino the rest of the way, leaving the proven part of the staff wholly available for Game 2 behind Jimmy Lambert.
As for the White Sox offense, it struck out 10 times in a game for the first time in 2022, including seven over six strong innings by Bieber. They did mar his line with a run in the sixth inning, as Anderson scored Adam Engel from first with a double to left.
Otherwise, the Sox tallied just five hits. Anderson had the lone extra-base hit, as Andrew Vaughn’s bid to turn a single into a double was unsuccessful when he slid past the bag, ending the second inning.
Bullet points:
*The Guardians were 9-for-14 with runners in scoring position, whereas the White Sox were 0-for-2.
*Keuchel became just the second White Sox pitcher to allow 10 runs over an inning, joining MIlt Gaston, who gave up 10 runs (three earned) back in a doubleheader on June 13, 1934.
*Adam Haseley made his White Sox debut, drawing a walk after pinch-hitting for Adam Engel in the eighth inning.
*The White Sox lost their DH as Gavin Sheets moved to left field, not that it factored into anything.
Record: 6-4 | Box score | Statcast
Between this game and the lineup that La Russa is running out for game 2, maybe it should’ve just kept raining.
(Hopefully this ages terribly and the Game 2 team gets it done.)
This is the UGLIEST Sox lineup I have ever seen. Why on earth is Vaughn batting 6th and Hasely 2nd? wtf?
No kidding… before I read that this was set up ahead of time, my theory was that Tim and Jose got in a fistfight in the clubhouse, Robert got hurt breaking up the fight, and so all three had to sit and were just replaced in the lineup by their replacements without changing the order. Nothing else seemed to make sense. Sigh…
Larussa is a clown
Not just any clown, an assclown!
At least Lambert looks sharp. And he figured out the 2nd time to not pitch to Ramirez.
And let us never speak of this game again until the end of year ‘10 worst games of the season’ article.
They have to cut bait now, this isn’t 2017 and we just need bodies to eat innings. He’s toast and they gambled poorly that he could hold down the 5th spot.
I get the
I get the errors extended innings, but 9 straight hits isn’t a big league pitcher. His whole game plan is based on starting at the bottom of the zone and dropping out. He can’t miss bats in the zone, and the speeds on his pitches are too close.
Forgetting the analytics, their ML scouts don’t know how to evaluate their own players much less other big leaguers. To go into a season with DK as your 5th man is not a plan, and speaks to a GM who doubles down on bad deals and bad trades.
Dump his ass and make the deal to get Montas. He needs reminders that more AL Central pennants don’t count anymore.
I don’t have a ton of confidence in them identifying and acquiring MLB level talent via trade mid season. That hasn’t exactly been a point of strength.
Theoretically they will have Giolito, Lynn, Cease, Kopech, Cueto at some point, hopefully by early June. That’s 5. They signed VV, he sucks but is still on the roster. He and/or Lopez will probably have to do between now and when Giolito and Cueto are up, along with eventually Lynn.
I don’t see them making any trades unless Lynn comes back and isn’t that good, which is something I am a bit worried about. Just because of his age, and the Sox track record with aging players. Lynn is just a year younger than Cueto actually.
12 games in but troubling similarities to last year and things that weren’t addressed in the off season continue showing up
Sox dont hit righty starters, check
Sox dont play good defense, check
Sox inability to hit much vs other teams bullpens, check
Sunday and split DH lineups all but give games away, check
Abundance of injuries, check
Hitting too many ground balls, check
Not taking enough walks, check
Back of rotation floundering, check
TLR has brought absolutely nothing to the table, I mean nothing and its hard to think he isnt a net negative at this point.
The sox talent level is enough to overcome a lot of deficiencies in this division assuming they get back to some level of health but I still find it hard to believe this team can win the multiple number of series it takes to win a championship.
Having the worst manager and one of the worst defenses in the league are big obstacles to overcome trying to win a title. TLR cost them game 2 any way you want to look at it. Bieber vs Keuchel is likely a loss, so you punt that game (if you choose to give up either, after just having two days off) rather than game 2, as HallOfFrank said.
The list you provide is pretty much the same list I would make at this stage of the season. The first team (first game lineup) pretty much took their 3rd day in a row off, it looked like game 162 of a season in which they are 20 games out of the playoffs. That may or may not be on TLR, but they weren’t ready to play.
I’m a half-full glass guy, so I’ve remained hopeful. However, I’m about ready to throw in the towel on TLRs managing influence. I hated what he did last year to Sunday/getaway lineups, especially in the second half of the season, basically giving away many games. Given that the depth of the lineup is much better this year, I thought we couldn’t possibly run out a total giveaway again; I was wrong. Why load the game 1 lineup against a pitcher that has owned you? Once game 1 was out of hand (second inning), why not remove the best regulars and put in some of the game 2 scheduled starters, and reverse the script? Why in the H is a guy with zero 2022 ABs batting second, and Leury (who might as well have zero ABs) batting third. Why does a relatively young team that just had 2 off days need wholesale rest in the first place?
During the offseason both Giolito and Hendriks voiced their opinion that part of the playoff woes was the coasting that they thought occurred in the second half of the season. My first thought was that might be a message for TLR. Unfortunately, I think he has perceived it in an odd manner – it appears that his strategy may be to not get a commanding division lead in the first half, rather create a dogfight to the end.
This is the worst I’ve felt about the situation since he was hired.
Maybe the Sox just took 4/20 a little too literally.
Probablly Larussa did