It took a while for the score to reflect how ugly this evening unfolded, but it found a way to grow into it.
Reynaldo López didn't make it out of the second, but the White Sox had to suffer a bunch of smaller indignities -- just about all of them self-administered -- before it reached blowout status.
It's fairly apparent that López doesn't have the stuff to compete for more than a turn through the lineup, but knowing that, it puts defense at a premium, and the White Sox gloves were anything but.
Nick Madrigal nearly cost López an inning-ending double play in the first inning when he flipped so softly to second that it threw off Tim Anderson's timing in crossing the bag. The somewhat-literal twin killing somehow withstood a replay, which allowed López to escape a bases-loaded-nobody-out jam in the first inning completely unscathed.
But an actual Madrigal error opened the floodgates in the second. López had already given up a two-out run on a Jake Cave solo shot that nobody thought was leaving the park -- not my ears, not the broadcasters, not Luis Robert in center, not even Cave himself. López then walked Ryan Jeffers, but got Max Kepler to hit a firm grounder to the left of Madrigal.
Madrigal ranged to his left, but he didn't get the glove down in time. It trickled behind him, and while he recovered to make a throw to first, Kepler beat it to the bag to keep the inning alive. Josh Donaldson doubled them both home, and Rick Renteria came out to lift him from the game 53 pitches and five outs deep.
Once the White Sox offense wasted its best chance to get back into the game -- José Abreu hit a nubber to first with the bases loaded and one out for the rally's only run -- the evening slowly rolled into the ditch.
An inventory of the unfortunate events:
Third inning: Ross Detwiler had MIguel Sanó struck out on a half swing, but first base umpire Shane Livensparger somehow didn't see Sanó's wrists flex, nor the bat head travel across the entirety of the plate. Sanó then hit a solo homer.
Fourth inning: With Detwiler on the verge of fulfilling the first half of the White Sox's pitching obligations, Yoán Moncada fielded a grounder by Jorge Polanco, crow-hopped and bounced a throw that Abreu couldn't scoop. Detwiler then gave up a single to Cruz before Eddie Rosario popped out to end the inning with no runs scored.
Fifth inning: Sanó led off with a double, but got hung out to dry when Abreu trapped Luis Arraez's smashed grounder. Abreu did the right thing by running at Sanó, but had he known the kind of effort Moncada would make running him back to second, Abreu might have just tried to tag Sanó himself. Moncada played hot potato with the base behind Sanó, forcing Tim Anderson to rush a throw to third that was behind Abreu. Sanó scored, Arraez took second, and Arraez came home on a Cave single.
Sixth inning: Jimmy Cordero entered to pitch for the 18th time in 17 games and started with a walk and a homer on a mediocre changeup. Arraez then hit a drive to left field that Eloy Jiménez botched by breaking back, then collapsing on his attempt to break back in. It did not result in a run.
All in all, the White Sox committed four errors while only tallying four hits. That usually doesn't get it done.
Bullet points:
*The Indians took control of first place with a win tonight, but the Sox are still in second by a half-game.
*Jiménez was mystified by Berríos at the plate, striking out swinging in all three of his at-bats.
*Abreu was the only Sox to reach twice, going 1-for-3 with a single and a painful HBP on the elbow. He also made the lone standout play defensively with a sliding, over-the-shoulder catch in foul territory.
*Codi Heuer, who hopefully will take more of Cordero's appearances in the future, retired all four batters he faced with two strikeouts.
