Davis Martin entered today's game with more defeats than victories (2-4 record; White Sox were 3-5 in his starts), but his season had far more wins than losses. He was an off-the-radar prospect in April, and by September he was a credible fifth starter in an MLB rotation.
But because he pitched for the 2022 White Sox, he could not escape the season unscathed.
Martin got shelled for six runs in the first inning, and he couldn't close out the second inning before leaving the field with the trainer due to right bicep soreness. His ERA rose from 3.65 to 4.83, and that combination of news and results make his standing next spring a little less trustworthy.
The White Sox were shut down by two unremarkable righties, and, in what might be his final game wearing a White Sox uniform, José Abreu wore a hoodie over it and stayed in the dugout the entire game, so fans really got nothing out of showing up.
Vince Velasquez helped calm the game down with his long-relief adequacy, and Carlos Pérez's RBI double with one out in the ninth prevented the White Sox from getting shut out, but they couldn't knock Cole Sands out of the game. He took over for Louie Varland after five innings and carried the season across the finish line for the four-inning save.
Bullet points:
*The White Sox topped 2 million fans in a season for the first time since 2011. The White Sox rewarded those fans with a 37-44 record at home.
*Romy González had a nice game at short, including a great diving stop and throw from one knee.
*Andrew Vaughn went 0-for-4 with a strikeout to finish the season with a .750 OPS.
*Six years after Rick Hahn declared the White Sox were mired in mediocrity, they've once again found it impossible escape.
