The Chicago White Sox in 2021 are a mess playing after nine innings.
This afternoon’s loss to the Cincinnati Reds adds more fuel to Tony La Russa’s skeptics as not fully understanding the rules and a poor judgment call cost the White Sox to take the lead in the tenth inning. Only to watch Liam Hendriks give up two hits and the Reds bench celebrating Jesse Winker’s walk-off hit.
In the ninth inning, Michael Kopech started it off with two strikeouts before allowing a single to Alex Blandino. Leury Garcia had a poor route to the ball and made a questionable decision to make a barehand snab that resulted in an error allowing Blandino to reach second base. Kopech would intentionally walk Tyler Naquin to face Jonathan India and lost that battle to walk the bases loaded.
La Russa called for a double switch. For the White Sox coaching staff, here is when the confusion began. Liam Hendriks would replace Michael Kopech, and Jake Lamb replaced Andrew Vaughn. That last part is vital because Vaughn made the final out in the ninth inning, but La Russa had Hendriks in Vaughn’s spot in the lineup, and Lamb takes the pitcher’s spot batting ninth. After Hendriks got Tucker Barnhart to ground out to Yoan Moncada at third base, then it got a bit crazy.
Running at second base was Hendriks. The $54 million closer was asked to run the bases just days after Luis Robert’s injury announcement served as a gut punch to the 26-man roster. That thought alone deserves to be heavily questioned to make such a risky decision in Game 29 of a 162-game marathon. What if Hendriks pulled a leg muscle while running? Or twisted his ankle if he had to slide? Why put the key offseason acquisition at such a high risk?
All those questions are moot if anyone within the White Sox coaching staff, including the Bench Coach Miguel Cairo, advised La Russa what the rule states about pitchers having to run in extra innings.
Because Hendriks spot was the runner on second base, the White Sox could have the preceding runner do the task. That would have been Jose Abreu. In the post-game presser, La Russa admitted that he didn’t know about that part of the rule with pitchers running.
Yasmani Grandal walked for the third time to start the 10th inning giving the White Sox a situation with runners on first and second and no outs. With Leury Garcia batting, perhaps he tries to lay down a bunt to move Abreu and Grandal up 90-feet. But with Hendriks running, the Sox opted to have Garcia swing away. All he could muster was a jam shot to third base in which Mike Moustakas tried to start the double play, but Garcia beat the throw to first base.
Hendriks moved to third on the play, and now with one out, it was Billy Hamilton batting with runners on the corners. Again, if Abreu is running instead of Hendriks, maybe the White Sox try a safety squeeze to plate at least one run.
Instead, La Russa wanted to be aggressive and called for Garcia to try stealing second base. Barnhart didn’t even look to third base on his throw to second because it’s a pitcher running and easily nailed Garcia for the second out. This aggressive decision took away any chance of a grounder hit by Hamilton to force the Reds infield to make a tough decision of trying to throw out Hendriks at home or turn two against the speedy Hamilton. That decision backfired, forcing Hamilton to make something happen with two outs.
Instead, he struck out. Hendriks gave up singles to Nick Senzel and Winker. White Sox lose.
After scoring nine runs the previous night, it appeared the White Sox offense took the day off as they only managed two hits. That didn’t seem to phase Dallas Keuchel, who mustered enough magic to keep up with Reds starting pitcher Sonny Gray in a duel. Keuchel pitched seven scoreless innings allowing two hits and three walks.
When Cincinnati would threaten, Keuchel’s defense backed him up with two double plays. One of those double plays happened in the first inning as Jose Abreu first appeared to double off Joey Votto on a grounder and throw out Winker at home. Reds challenged the call, and it was reversed as Abreu never touched first base before making his throw. It didn’t matter as Eugenio Suarez grounded into the double play on the very next pitch.
Kopech pitched in relief and had wild results as the top of the strike zone started to shrink on him. On 43 pitches, Kopech just threw 21 strikes as he had four strikeouts and four walks in 1.2 innings.
Tim Anderson and Nick Madrigal were the only batters to record a hit off Sonny Gray, who dazzled for seven scoreless innings allowing the two hits, two walks, and striking out eight.
Game Notes:
- Yasmani Grandal went 0-for-1 with three walks. He has a season .363 OBP with a .121 AVG
- Dallas Keuchel’s season ERA is now 3.79.
- The other curious decision was not pinch-hitting for Billy Hamilton, who now has a season .345 OPS. It wouldn’t have been ideal, but with Danny Mendick on the bench, La Russa had another option to play in the outfield. He could have pinched hit Zack Collins in Hamilton’s place, moved Garcia from right to center field, and had Mendick play in right field.
- The White Sox are 0-3 in Extra Innings this season.
