The 12,031 fans show showed up to a cold, windy Guaranteed Rate Field had the displeasure of witnessing a convenient summary of the White Sox's 0-6 road trip through Cleveland and Minneapolis.
This one had:
Terrible defense ...: The White Sox committed two more errors, with José Abreu dropping a good Tim Anderson throw, then Anderson committing his own error by booting a double play ball.
... behind a less-than-composed Dallas Keuchel: Last week, I mentioned that the White Sox defense has to keep it together through Keuchel's first 50 pitches before he unravels. Sure enough, Abreu's error came on the 50th pitch starting off the fourth and opened a two unearned-run inning. (The first of those runs didn't have to score, either but Jake Burger rushed a potential out at the plate on Bobby Witt Jr.'s weak chopper and didn't look it into his glove. It was called a single.)
Keuchel issued five walks over four innings and missed the zone on more than half his pitches (46 balls, 42 strikes). He only allowed two hits and induced eight groundouts to three flyouts, including a weak 3-0 swing by Michael Taylor with the bases loaded that helped Keuchel escape a third-inning jam. He basically split the difference between his first two starts, but that merely lowered his ERA on the season to 9.00 in an unconvincing fashion.
What else?
The offense had nothing: Daniel Lynch and two Royals relievers limited the Sox to a double, four singles, two walks and an HBP while striking out 10.
The baseball spoiled a rare highlight: Jake Burger crushed a Lynch pitch 106 mph with a 34-degree launch angle to left field. Statcast said it traveled 403 feet. Lynch was resigned to a game newly tied at 2. It died on the warning track.
The bullpen ran up the score: The Royals hadn't walked 11 times in a game since 2011, but Keuchel and four White Sox relievers made it possible. Kyle Crick was especially ragged, letting both of Reynaldo López's inherited runners score while walking half of his six batters and throwing just 13 of 29 pitches for strikes.
A loss: The White Sox have lost eight straight for the first time since 2018, when they lost 100 games.
Bullet points:
*Andrew Vaughn picked up an outfield assist with a force at third, but only because he failed to catch a fly ball that fell in front of him with the bases loaded.
*Burger had two hits around the BS flyout, and Yasmani Grandal doubled and walked.
*AJ Pollock went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, and it seems like he really could've used a rehab stint coming off his stay on the injured list.
*Anderson started a slick 6-4-3 double play with a diving stab and flip, although the game was 6-0 at the time.
