Yes, another one-run loss
What a White Sox way to start the season!
The Chicago White Sox lose again by one run, this time in a 3-2 ballgame. The Detroit Tigers stay undefeated, while the White Sox have only been defeated. And with a three-game series coming up against the Atlanta Braves, will they ever get that first win?
Erick Fedde started the game for the White Sox and had a solid first three innings, supported by a Korey Lee home run in the bottom half of the inning for the first run of the game.
Lee extended his hot spring into the beginning of the year, as he wasted no time hitting the first pitch he saw out of the ballpark.
Kerry Carpenter opened up Detroit’s fourth inning with a solo home run of his own to tie it back up, and Jake Rogers started the top of the fifth the same way, now putting the Tigers up, 2-1.
Fedde induced back-to-back strikeouts before being replaced by Tanner Banks. Overall, it was a solid start for him, going 4 2⁄3 innings with five hits, two runs, one walk, and, most impressively, seven strikeouts. Aside from the two solo home runs, Fedde’s outing was promising. The most important thing to look at going forward will be extending his outings to five-plus.
Banks allowed a one-out walk to Mark Canha before getting another strikeout, and was replaced by John Brebbia. Paul DeJong had a crucial throwing error attempting to get a force out at second to end the inning. For a team that has nothing other than their defense to showcase, that can’t happen. Luckily, for the second day in a row Dominic Fletcher showcased his arm in right field to gun Cahna out at home and end the inning.
This is what happens when you actually put a right fielder in right field!
Jack Flaherty had an outstanding debut for the Tigers, going six innings with just four hits, one run, and seven strikeouts.
Unfortunately, Eloy Jiménez is in midseason form, exiting the game in the sixth inning after running to first base on a ground ball.
Eloy Jimenez left today's game with left adductor soreness. He currently is being further evaluated.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) March 31, 2024
Grifol on Eloy: "He's got an adductor strain. We'll see tomorrow how he wakes up. They're going to do some testing on it. I think he's had this before. We're not sure until tomorrow."
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) March 31, 2024
Given that we’re all waiting breathlessly to see how damaged Eloy is after having [checks notes] run to first base, as of right now there are no roster moves or timetables for what is going to happen; Oscar Colás may see his flight diverted from Memphis to Chicago.
DeJong made up for his error to start the bottom of the seventh inning with an opposite-field shot off of Andrew Chafin to tie the game. Shout-out to a fellow Illinois State Redbird!
Kevin Pillar followed with a walk, but Lee grounded into what turned out to be a double play, after the Tigers challenged the original safe call and it was successfully overturned.
The review is from the Tigers broadcast, of course, and for a second my mind was really confused hearing Jason Benetti.
Going into the ninth inning, the Tigers rallied against our weak bullpen. Steven Wilson started the ninth inning, and Gio Urshela had a one-out single. After the pre-scheduled Javier Báez strikeout, Jack McKinstry had a two-out walk to extend the inning. Tim Hill replaced Wilson, and pinch-hitter Andy Ibáñez came through with the go-ahead single to take a 3-2 lead.
The White Sox couldn’t even get a bit of a pulse in the bottom of the ninth, and went 1-2-3 to end the game.
If this is how it’s going to be all season, it’s going to be painful. Unfortunately, these were winnable games, but when you have generic bullpen arms and an offense that can’t wake up in clutch situations, these are going to be losses. I’m practically out of positivity already, three games into the season, but I guess you can look at these games and be happy that the White Sox fought until the end of each game, losing every game by just one run. I mean, at least they aren’t getting blown out? I really don’t know what to say at this point. As if it can’t get any worse, the Atlanta Braves come into town on Tuesday, and there is a solid chance we can start the season 0-6. Which, yes, even 0-5 would qualify as the second-worst start in White Sox history.
Well, enjoy the rest of your Easter Sunday. See you all at 1:10 p.m. CT tomorrow, for the beginning of the Chris Flexen Experience.