Orioles 9, White Sox 3: Arrested development
The box score shows Lenyn Sosa going 3-for-3 with a homer.
The box score doesn’t show Sosa making two of game’s biggest mistakes.
Only one actually hurt the White Sox’s chances of winning, but the other casts major doubt as to what Pedro Grifol and Chris Getz are actually doing here.
This game was actually tied at 1 entering the seventh when the White Sox knocked Dean Kremer out of the game with singles to start the frame. Brandon Hyde called for lefty Danny Coulombe to face Oscar Colás, and Colás responded by trying to bunt. He’s done it before in order to make something of a scary matchup, but he didn’t do it this time, popping out to third base.
Sosa followed, and he also bunted. It would’ve been a great bunt if a sacrifice were called for. It would’ve been an OK bunt attempt if he were trying to take advantage of a defensive alignment to start a rally. In an RBI situation, it was a bad idea that resulted in a fairly routine out, and passing the buck to Korey Lee resulted in an inning-ending 6-3.
It might’ve been moot, because Aaron Bummer was the relief call regardless, and he ended up loading the bases for Anthony Santander, who ended up unloading them with a double into the right-field corner to essential decide the game.
But thanks to a disastrous inning from Bryan Shaw in the eighth, the Orioles created a low-enough leverage situation for Shintaro Fujinami and his 7.49 ERA to make an appearance for the second consecutive game, and the White Sox were able to pad some stats. Eloy Jiménez, Yoán Moncada and Andrew Vaughn all singled, while Oscar Colás grounded into a run-scoring fielder’s choice to make it a 9-3 game.
Sosa then followed with an inside-out single that moved Colás to third, but one batter later, the game was over. Lee hit a fly to shallowish right-center field that Cedric Mullins flagged down on the run. For some reason, Sosa committed to the ball dropping, and left himself no way to return even though the Sox would’ve needed to score four more runs after his in order to tie the game. Sosa was doubled off first, and the White Sox’s player-development abilities took another hit. Good thing the Sox aren’t planning on promoting the guy in charge of that or anything.
Aside from Luis Robert collecting two more hits — and Austin Hays robbing him of a third on a fly ball that would’ve been a homer in 27 of 30 parks — the only bright spot was Jesse Scholtens, who recovered from duds against the Rockies and Athletics to throw 5⅓ innings of one-run ball. He scattered six hits and didn’t strike out anybody, but he only allowed singles and avoided issuing a walk. The Orioles were able to string together three of those singles over the course of four batters in the fifth, which tied the game at 1, but Scholtens managed to wriggle his way out of it with a couple of flyouts.
He then retired Santander to start the fifth, but Grifol pulled Scholtens after he allowed a cheap infield single to Ryan Mountcastle. Tanner Banks stranded that runner, then retired the first batter of the sixth, and it was mostly bad news after that.
Bullet points:
*The White Sox matched their 2022 loss total, while the Orioles matched their 2022 win total.
*Sosa started a nifty 4-6-3 double play to bring that five-run eighth to an end, which only underscores how uneven his night was.
*The White Sox offense did not draw a walk, and Sosa’s fifth-inning homer was the only extra-base hit.
Record: 52-81 | Box score | Statcast
There were a few other questionable things with Sosa during this game. That said, there were enough other mistakes to go around. Overall, it was the worst major league baseball game I’ve seen in years.
I didn’t count the throw because I think that would’ve been an infield single regardless of a clean exchange, and it had some wicked spin that caused it to ramp up his glove.
Making that play, on top of the DP, would have been a nice feather in his cap. Bunting and baserunning were some drawbacks.
I have nothing to say about this game I’m just trying to see if my nonce is valid
I can tell by looking at you that it is not.
Honestly, my commenting in the gamethreads have declined because the wall Mr. Nonce keeps erecting. Sometimes I try to circumvent it, sometimes I just don’t have the energies. Cleaning the cache only lasts one 1 day or so, and it brings unintended consequences in other websites I visit where I wish the cache was still there.
Assuming this doesn’t work for y’all, but when I get that message i just click “post comment” again and it works
That works for me…until it doesn’t. Mr nonce is quite the invalid.
If you clear your cache, you will likely find that Mr. Noonce won’t reappear.
The white (blight?) Sox are Gob from Arrested Development a million times over.
All arrogance, all incompetence.
I mean it’s one reliever, Michael. How much could he cost? 10 million dollars?
There’s always money in the Elotes stand.
I’m imagining reinsdorf shaking Hahn and yelling this.
No touching!
Trying to dazzle us all with smoke and mirrors but the bird up their sleeve has been dead the whole time.
It’s unreal to treat White Sox fans like this. There are dozens of us! Dozens!
We’ve made a huge mistake.
Getz turning a $100 bill into 100 pennies, sending the board into a tizzy. Promoted on the spot
Sosa is awesome. I will not have you disparage him. The bunt – probably not his call. The gaffe in the 9th inning, ok that was stupid but good player development probably corrects that in the minor leagues.
Dude has been crushing it the last week. I know he’s probably streaky, but these are good signs we are seeing from him.
The bunt was Sosa’s idea, per Grifol.
Isn’t Grifol supposed to overrule bad ideas?
Grifol’s press conference was a gem (in a bad way). Looking at the floor or inexistent notes avoiding eye contact like a child explaining why he didn’t do the homework. He looks so out of place.
I’m suffering jet lag and get hit by bouts of extreme tiredness throughout the day. I was actually feeling fine until I watched this. Now I have to go lay down.
My last time in Paris I got some pretty bad jet lag so I’m thinking its a Paris thing.
He opens every media conference by reading things off a note card. Seems like something the reporters tolerate if that’s what it takes to get him in an answering mood.
Haven’t noticed that. It has a terrible optics if you ask me. He is almost whispering. Shows an insecure demeanor, and with of low energy. It even looks like he is ashamed and would rather be somewhere else.
If he was honest, he would point out that there is one good player on the roster, and that most of their pitchers are DFA material. Wtf do people expect? A roster of turd players is going to produce turd results. They are a AAA team, bad at defense, hitting, and pitching. It is not complicated.
Grifol having to give explanation, as if any of it is going to get better without much better players is ridiculous. Most of us knew how this season was going to go before it started.
He should get a giant hat to hide under, like an igloo.
My 16 year old walked into the room right after the Sosa bunt. I had to try to describe what happened and explain what he (or whoever) must have been thinking while keeping profanity to a minimum. It was very very difficult.
Are the Sox abysmal at player development? Yes
Do I consistently see better baserunning in amateur ball than I do in MLB? Yes
Sox player development is horrific, and Sosa is a moronic baserunner. These can both be true, and the former not necessarily responsible for the latter
The comments Grifol has made the last couple of days tells me 1 of 2 things. He’s been told he will be back OR he’s saying things that he thinks will impress his new bosses enough to bring him back. I think it’s number 1. I’m sorry for all us Sox fans.
If Getz is hired as GM and they retain Grifol, I can’t see following this team next year. I have watched 2 games on TV, none since the 2nd week, and attended a game in Atlanta. I still casually follow on Gameday, but really don’t have my heart in it. Thanks, Jerry for destroying my almost 60 years of following the Sox closely. If you hire Getz, you are a bigger moron than I thought.
I mostly tuned out when the GM who once said “talk to me after the parade”, who worked for a team that was supposedly in its contention window, was “blown away” by someone with no managerial experience who was not wanted by the team that had already employed him for several years. That pretty much told me everything I needed to know about 2023. But Chris Getz as GM and Pedro back as manager might be enough to push me over the edge.
Albeit contradicted by the fact that I have read this recap, I don’t care.
On a more engaging subject, I have another update on my grandson’s game. Last Saturday, he went 3 for 3, pitched one inning and got three groundouts on 6 pitches, and made two great plays on hard hit balls, one as the pitcher and one as the second baseman. Again, thanks for listening.
Did the Sox have any scouts at that game? They should sign your grandson now to a 15 year contract.
Woa, woa, woa Chief. As far as we know, the kid is not a mediocre 1B or DH.
Future Ohtani confirmed.