33 games into 2018 and the Chicago White Sox still haven't reached double-digit wins.
Things were looking great in the first inning as luck was on the Sox side. Leury Garcia led off the game with a hard grounder that ricochets off Pittsburgh Pirates starter Ivan Nova. Third baseman Colin Moran was able to field and made a strong throw to first base what was initially called an out. Using a challenge on the first at-bat was a successful move as the replay showed that Garcia barely beat the throw. With Garcia on first, Yolmer Sanchez hit a line drive right at left fielder Corey Dickerson. It appeared that Dickerson had a good handle on the play, and then suddenly he lost the ball. Garcia scored all the way from first base as Sanchez scooted to third base for a triple.
Up 1-0, Jose Abreu hit a chopper off the plate that was just high enough that the only play Moran had was to first base as Sanchez scored from third. Three batters in and the White Sox were up 2-0. The fun continued as Nicky Delmonico drew a nine-pitch walk to set the table for Welington Castillo, who sprayed a deep fly ball to right field that was guided by the wind for a two-run homer. With just one out, the White Sox were up 4-0 with the kind of start to push them to 10 wins on the season.
Then Lucas Giolito stepped on the mound for the second inning.
Corey Dickerson started the rally with a double which then followed by Giolito hitting Francisco Cervelli. After striking out Moran, recent call-up Jose Osuna singled to center scoring Dickerson to make it 4-1 and Cervelli advanced to third. He would score on Jody Mercer's fielders choice as Yolmer Sanchez and Leury Garcia couldn't complete the 5-4-3 double play in time. Thanks to Mercer's feet the inning continued.
Giolito would walk Adam Frazier putting runners on first and second with Gregory Polanco up to bat. On a 2-1 pitch, Polanco laced a ground-rule double down the right-field line scoring Mercer and putting runners on second and third. Frazier would score on Starling Marte singled to left field that would tie the game, and Polanco tried to give the Pirates the lead but was thrown out by Nicky Delmonico at home plate. Giolito was given a four-run lead, and after allowing four hits, one walk, and hitting one batter, the game was tied 4-4.
In the bottom of the second, Jose Abreu helped the Sox re-take the lead. After Yolmer Sanchez singled, Abreu hit his sixth double of 2018 down the left field line. Sanchez scored from first base and the White Sox were up 5-4.
Giolito was able to maneuver the third and fourth innings without allowing any runs, but he was ineffective even to make it five innings. His final line of 4 IP 7 H 4 ER 2 BB 3 K was a disappointment considering how well he pitched in his last start in St. Louis. For 2018, Giolito has a 7.25 ERA in seven starts.
Handing it over to the Sox bullpen has been a disastrous plan early as Chris Volstad allowed three runs in the fifth inning. Then Luis Avilan allowed two runs in just 0.1 IP in the sixth inning, and Pittsburgh was rolling with a 9-5 lead. That would be pushed to a five-run lead as Joakim Soria allowed a run in the eighth to make it 10-5.
As a silver lining, Welington Castillo would hit his second homer of the game and his fifth of 2018 in the bottom of the eighth to make it 10-6. Hector Santiago pitched a clean ninth inning, but the White Sox outside of Castillo's homer couldn't muster any offense against the Pirates bullpen.
At 9-24, the 2018 White Sox are trying to avoid history as the 1948 squad won their 10th game at the 36-game mark. If the Sox can't beat Pittsburgh tomorrow afternoon, they will have to try win one at Wrigley this weekend to avoid the worst start in team history.
At least the Birmingham Barons and Winston-Salem Dash won.
Record: 9-24 | Box Score
