White Sox swept by Blue Jays, fall to season-low 15 games below .500
White Sox Yasmani Grandal, manager Pedro Grifol (5), Jake Burger and Andrew Vaughn wait for relief pitcher Bryan Shaw during the 11th inning in the first baseball game of the team’s doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday, July 6, 2023, in Chicago. The Blue Jays won 6-2. (AP)
AP Photos
What a waste.
One little old run could have salvaged Lance Lynn’s stellar outing — backed by scoreless relief from Gregory Santos, Kendall Graveman and Reynaldo Lopez that saw White Sox pitchers retire 22 straight batters — but only two singles against Jose Berrios and two Blue Jays relievers in the first 10 innings of a 6-2 loss spelled doom, and gloom, Thursday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
A 5-4 loss in Game 2 of a doubleheader completed a series sweep for the Jays. It was the Sox’ fifth loss in six games and dropped them to a season-low 15 games below .500. The Sox (37-52), who have three games against the Cardinals this weekend before the All-Star break, must go 44-29 from here to match last season’s .500 finish, which was considered the most disappointing season in recent memory.
What does that make this one, then? Awfully disappointing?
In the awful Game 1 loss, the Jays racked up six runs and five hits against left-hander Aaron Bummer in the 11th inning. Much of the contact was of the soft variety, adding to the frustration.
“It just went their way right there, and a few balls found the holes,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “Offensively, we didn’t get anything going all game.”
After the Sox were blanked by Trevor Richards and closer Jordan Romano in the eighth, ninth and 10th innings, they got two after-thought runs in the 11th, one on rookie Oscar Colas’ RBI double.
The Sox have lost 13 of 20 games. If losing two of three against the lowly Athletics at Oakland over the weekend didn’t feel like a dagger, this sweep certainly did.
“The mindset’s there. The work’s there. Everybody’s doing everything they can,” Lynn said.
Perhaps, but catcher Seby Zavala getting sent home by third-base coach Eddie Rodriguez and thrown out on Andrew Benintendi’s double for the first out of the third inning was questionable.
“I think that was a good send,” Grifol said. “I had no issues with that send.”
Grifol’s message to the team?
“Keep playing hard,” Grifol said. “Keep preparing to play. We have a ton of games left, and we have to get ready for St. Louis [Friday].”
Sore elbow lands Kelly on IL
Righty Joe Kelly was put on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation, retroactive to July 5. Grifol said Kelly’s elbow flared up after his last appearance Tuesday when he gave up Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s game-winning homer in a 4-3 loss.
Righty Nick Padilla, who was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte, made an appearance in the seventh inning of Game 2 and gave up a tiebreaking RBI double to Guerrero.
Broadcast news
Mike Monaco of ESPN filled in for play-by-play voice Jason Benetti on the NBC Sports Chicago broadcast and will fill in again Saturday. Benetti is taking time off.
This and that
Sox pitchers had 16-plus strikeouts for the fifth time, which is tied for the major-league lead with the Giants. The Sox are 0-5 in those games.
• Eloy Jimenez hit his 12th homer in Game 2.
• Right-hander Jimmy Lambert was recalled from Charlotte as the 27th player and pitched two innings of scoreless relief in Game 2.
• The Sox are 8-18-2 in series this year.