The White Sox are better than this, but after a miserable three games over two days in Cleveland, they shouldn't expect such benefit of the doubt.
The Guardians completed the sweep of the Sox with another game the Sox never led. In fact, the Sox were never even able to tie any of the three games after Cleveland staked early leads. Dylan Cease misplaced a few too many breaking balls to carry the load himself, and nobody looked capable of picking him up.
The offense? It scored three runs, but both innings involved sub-professional performances to get it done.
The defense? It only committed one error, including the fourth on Tim Anderson's tab, but another misplay by Anderson and line drive through José Abreu's five-hole put two "earned" runs on Kendall Graveman's tab in the seventh.
The managing? Well, even if you hold the players accountable for the defense, Leury García batted third again, and while he drew a walk, he nullified it with terrible baserunning. There was also that ALDS thing going on where a bunch of grounders went where the White Sox weren't standing.
Oh, and Luis Robert broke out of a slump with a couple hits, only to pull up gingerly after running down the first-base line grounding out in his final at-bat.
All in all, the White Sox's line for the series shows more errors (six) than runs (five), which just about sums up the quality-control issues.
Bullet points:
*Cease gave up eight hits over 5⅓ innings, including five on his slider. A contact-oriented Guardians lineup kept him honest, and he elevated a few too many of them for real success.
*Joe McEwing had another runner cut down at home plate for a second consecutive game, but he had to send Robert to his death because García was right behind him coming into third. Robert had tagged up on José Abreu's deep drive to right while García was 20 feet from the bag. Both were correct to that point, because the ball glanced off Franmil Reyes' glove, so Robert was correct to think it was catchable. The problem is that García didn't give Robert room to check up, so another first out had to be made at home plate.
*The White Sox scored their other two runs in the seventh because Trevor Stephan threw wildly to first on what should've been Adam Haseley's inning-ending chopper, which scored Gavin Sheets. Then Ernie Clement threw wildly home in an attempt to get Sheets, and Jake Burger scored behind him. The two errors were the only way the White Sox could mount a crooked number this weekend.
*The White Sox had six of the seven hardest-hit balls of the game, but Robert's 112-mph drive off the left-field wall was the only one that went for extra bases.
