Cubs 5, White Sox 1: More of the same

I’d say I missed this game because I picked up a shift teaching curling, but that just sets up the line saying that, actually, I didn’t miss anything.

To that point, I’d disagree. Catching up on the action, there was a lot of action, and a lot of it was characteristic of White Sox struggles on the margins. That’s just not anything anybody wants to watch.

Anyhooooo, bullet-point recap:

*Johnny Cueto gave up his first two earned runs of the season in the first inning, and the Cubs scored all the runs they needed. Granted, they came on a bloop single, a stolen base on which Yasmani Grandal was interfered with by Ian Happ’s bat, a bloop double, and a hanging slider that turned into a legit RBI single.

*Cueto gave up another run in the second on a pair of singles and a fielder’s choice, but he should’ve had a quality start.

*For some reason, Tony La Russa really wants Cueto to throw more than six innings. He somehow faced six batters in the seventh, een though he gave up three consecutive line drives. He almost got out of it with a sensational double-play attempt by Tim Anderson that was a step too late to get two, but the Cubs were able to punch home a run on that play, and another on a subsequent single.

*For some reason, La Russa batted Josh Harrison second. He’s not the reason they were held to one run on seven hits, but he went 0-for-4 to drop to .174/.248/.272 on the season.

*Tim Anderson had chances to impact this game, but went 0-for-4 with three stranded.

*Jake Burger provided the only run with a solo shot off Keegan Thompson, who otherwise threw five fine innings. Burger went 3-for-4 on National Burger Day, and also made a couple of nice choices on short hops in the field.

*The White Sox’s best offensive sequence — including one of Burger’s hits — resulted in zero runs. Grandal (walk) and AJ Pollock (single) both reached with one out in the second, and both after falling behind 0-2. Gavin Sheets flied out, but Burger kept the inning alive with a single through the right side … until Joe McEwing sent Grandal to his death at home by 25 feet for the Sox’s ninth out at home this year.

*Adam Engel robbed Willson Contreras of a homer in classic Engel fashion in the right-center gap.

*The Sox actually thwarted a first-and-third stolen base attempt. Grandal threw through, and Tim Anderson scooped the hop and fired home in time to get Patrick Wisdom at home.

*Pollock was charged with an error when Grandal’s mitt was clipped off him trying to catch the throw home on the first-inning single, but the Sox played fine defense otherwise.

*It’s the offense, stupid.

Record: 22-23 | Box score | Statcast

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vince

A night full of Sox hitters taking pitches they should have swung at and swinging at pitches they should have taken.

Although calling them “hitters” seems optimistic.

Last edited 1 year ago by vince
To Err is Herrmann

Tony really believes in putting people in situations way over their head in order to inspire confidence and jump-start productivity. One day, it might even work.

FishSox

On a day when there could have been joy by shedding dead weight and rising to greet the new challenges, we were mired in Mudville once again.

Can someone please get an EEG for Joe McEwing to see if it registers any activity? Maybe it’s only one side that’s lost function since last year.

Last edited 1 year ago by FishSox
ParisSox

Can’t wait to see what Gavin Sheets does on National Bed Linens Day.

itaita

Bad offense, bad manager yadda yadda. The important question is whats the one thing that people are always caught off guard by when they first start playing curling?

BenwithVen

This team is totally lost.

soxygen

White Sox baseball 2022: mired in joyless mediocrity.

I suppose I could look forward to 2023 when they’ll have that DK money to spend really…bolstering their utility infielder depth, adding another corner outfield platoon type, or maybe acquiring some right handed relief pitching…oh hell, nevermind.

Last edited 1 year ago by soxygen
jhomeslice

Cueto struggled the entire game. To get through 6 giving up only 3 runs was a gutty performance. With a vaunted bullpen and an off day Monday, utterly inexcusable to put him out there again in the 7th.

The Sox didn’t score anyway, but if they were down 3-1 they at least have a chance to get the tying run to the plate with any baserunner. TLR bats Harrison 2nd… he undermines this team every fucking game.

soxygen

100%. Cueto was lucky to get through 6 giving up only 3. It was dumb to bring him back out for the 7th, especially given the off day yesterday and the one coming on Monday, and it was bleeping ridiculous to leave him hanging out there for so long in the 7th.

Tony should have been able to play yesterday’s game to win, using his best relievers to keep it close. Foster should have started the 7th.

Last edited 1 year ago by soxygen
BenwithVen

TLR manages for a tomorrow that never comes.

Augusto Barojas

If he is not already, eventually Michael Jordan will be old enough that if he were to suit up to play, he would be the worst player in the history of the NBA beyond doubt.

I’m totally convinced that TLR at his age is the WOAT. Worst of all time. He should have a statue outside Sox park with the caption “worst there ever was, worst there ever will be”.

PauliePaulie

We waited six years for THIS?

roke1960

So, I keep posting about how the Sox are going through the toughest part of the schedule now and the 2nd half will be really easy. But right now they can’t regularly beat the bad teams either. This team just seems to have .500 written all over it. Now, of course, the offense may wake up at some point (see Boston), but with the way Tony manages this team, I’m not sure if that will ever happen. Grandal should definitely move down, but the question is who then moves up? Sheets almost always just pops up high fastballs- the league has definitely figured him out. Harrison hitting 2nd is just managerial malpractice. I guess we need to see what happens when Eloy, Robert and Moncada are all healthy. That’s a rather formidable top 6 with those 3, Timmy, Vaughn and Abreu. But what are the odds that all 6 (or even 5 of them) are all healthy at the same time? And even if they are, what are the odds that Tony lets them play every day? I think both of those things are not likely to happen. I said it at the beginning of the year, and I’ll repeat it now- we could see the same result as 1984, when a supposedly great team just never got going. And it really seems Tony is determined to make that happen. He is just plain awful as a manager.

FishSox

With 8 hits in the first 55 games, what is Moncada’s WAR (since everyone likes to throw that around).

roke1960

He’s at a negative WAR right now, but he missed the first several weeks, had a decent week, then struggled the last 2 weeks. And of course, Tony sits him about every 3rd day, so he can’t get into a rhythm. Just get him out there and let him bat 2nd and he’ll be fine.

FishSox

So what is his WAR when he’s sitting out, injured?

Sorry, that came out snarky. It’s my point though, that his value to the team isn’t what most people think it is when you add in all the missed time with his long streaks of disappearing at the plate.

Last edited 1 year ago by FishSox
Greg Nix

Moncada has only played 14 games, but go off king.

FishSox

“but go off king”

Not sure what you mean by that?

Augusto Barojas

I’m not sure Eloy, Robert, and Moncada are ever going to all be healthy at the same time. They have a pretty frail team it seems like.

jhomeslice

Is there any reason McGuire has not hit 2nd or 3rd? I’m just trying to think the way a managerial genius would.