Padres 6, White Sox 1: The 100th loss
I went to watch Mizzou improve to 5-0 against Vanderbilt this afternoon, although I spent most of my time there fascinated by this incredible scoreboard setup.
Anyway, by the time I got home, the White Sox were trailing 6-0 and Mike Clevinger was out of the game. So I took my time to getting around to how the Sox lost their 100th game of the season. They’ll shoot for their first 101-loss season since 1970. I’ll be rooting for/against them.
Bullet-point recap:
*Mike Clevinger got Xander Bogaerts to check-swing his way into a 3-1 groundout to start the game. By the time he recorded his next out, the Padres led 4-0. Clevinger, who hadn’t walked a batter over 32 innings in April, walked a pair of batters to load the bases. Jurickson Profar unloaded them with a double into the right-field corner that Gavin Sheets couldn’t corral, and then Ji Man Choi slashed a double to the left-center gap to score a fourth.
*Clevinger wasn’t much better in the second inning. He started the inning with a backward K, but then Bogaerts reached on a hot shot that Andrew Vaughn blocked but couldn’t control in time, Ha-Seong Kim served a single to right, and Juan Soto wedged a double into the base of the right-field wall for an RBI double.
*Yasmani Grandal prevented one run when he gloved Tim Anderson’s terrible one-hop throw home on a contact play, then absorbed a blow from Kim, who couldn’t slide because Fernando Tatis Jr.’s bat spun back into the baseline. Profar made it moot when he lined a single to two-out single to right to score Soto, making it 6-0.
*Tanner Banks then took over and struck out Choi, starting another successful night for the bullpen. Banks got the game through four, Sammy Peralta and Luis Patiño combined for 12 outs between them, and Bryan Shaw pitched a scoreless inning because he’s contractually obligated to appear no matter what.
*The White Sox offense had nothing for Michael Wacha, who limited the Sox to three singles and a walk over seven innings, throwing 60 of 87 pitches for strikes.
*Yoán Moncada had one of the few professional nights. He singled his first time up, drew the only walk in his second trip, and lined out hard to right in the sixth inning, which was the first for the White Sox with runners in scoring position. Alas, Eloy Jiménez popped out and Andrew Vaughn flied out, so that gave the Sox an 0-for-3 start toward their 0-for-5 finish with runners in scoring position.
*Lenyn Sosa had the only multi-hit night, and produced the only run with a classic Guaranteed Rate Field opposite-field solo shot in the eighth inning.
*Grandal went 0-for-2 in what’s likely his last game with the White Sox, but he’ll always have that play at home.
Record: 61-100 | Box score | Statcast
Author
The disappointment of Clevinger going unclaimed on waivers is mitigated by him wearing the team’s 100th loss tonight.
Looking at the standings, the list of rebuilds / retools / lower salary teams that have done it right in the same window is mind numbing.
Having the Sox player I hate the most take the L in the 100th loss for the Sox team I hate the most is oddly satisfying.
Going for 101 tomorrow, which would be all alone worst in 1/2 century (100 ties them). It’s good to have goals.
106 is the most in team history. Next year they should easily get there. 2024 will be like Disco Demolition all season!
Roster Demolition 2024!
Bring in your least favorite players to get kerploded!
🥳💯💯💯💯🥳
Grandal is scheduled to DH today, yea I watched long enough to get that nugget.
No playoff spots are left to be decided today, I’m glad the Cubs were able to join the rest of us in misery.
For those who thought the ALC would be won by someone .500 or worse, well not quite as the Twins will go for win #88 today vs Colorado to finish up the season.
I’m sure JR is thinking, ‘I could have gotten the same result running out 26 guys at league minimum. Live and learn.’
The Sox are 26 games out of first, and 16 out of 2nd. In the AL Central. People who kept clamoring about how it would not take much for the Sox to be competitive b/c of how weak the division is drove me nuts.
Checking back in to celebrate their 100th loss. The Getz hiring was so absurd that I finally just stopped paying attention. This team is such a trainwreck that even with a good owner/GM they would be several years away from having a good team again. Instead of hiring somebody good, they promoted fucking Getz. Which makes this a 5-10 year, or never plan.
About the highest hope anybody can realistically have for this team for the rest of the decade is that there won’t be any more ballpark shootings.
Sure, 100 losses sounds pretty bad, but the current version of this team is worse than that. They’ve played at a 18-37 clip since July 30th (trading away key players). If they lose their finale, that’s 18-38, or a .321 winning percentage. Over 162 games, that’s a 52-110 record. Getz doesn’t need to improve a 100 loss team. He has to improve a team that right now has the ability of a 110 loss team.
“Nuh uh”-Jerry Resindorf’s response probably
This is true. And consider that this was Robert’s only healthy season. If he doesn’t play 145 games again, they are even worse than a 110 loss team.
But with this current roster, worst pitching/defense imaginable and a nothing offense, they are worse than a 100 loss team, you are correct about that.