The White Sox just traded their best starter and a decent reliever with no replacements waiting in the wings, Dylan Cease got roughed up, and yet the bigger problem is still the offense.
Jake Burger accounted for all three runs with a pair of homers, and he also drew a walk. The rest of the White Sox couldn't advance beyond a base at a time against Tanner Bibee. They had just two at-bats with a runner in scoring position, and one of those at-bats was their last chance of the game after a pair of two-out singles with two outs in the ninth.
The Guardians, on the other hand, had 19 at-bats with runners in scoring position, and they converted enough of them for a relatively easy victory. The White Sox have now lost six straight.
Cease trailed after two batters, as Cleveland greeted him with a triple and a double. Cease limited the damage, and he stranded a leadoff double in the second, but he couldn't stem the tide in the third. The Guardians put two on with a single and a bunt single, and while José Ramírez popped out, Josh Naylor made up for it with a double that cashed in both runners.
(Burger, a few games into his career as a second baseman, didn't know where to go with the ball after cutting off Oscar Colás' throw. Yasmani Grandal, who is moonlighting as a first baseman, didn't appear to tell him.)
Will Brennan then shot a single to right to score Naylor, and the Guardians had all the runs they needed, even though a pair of Burger bombs cut that 4-0 lead to 4-3.
Cleveland did score a couple of insurance runs off the bullpen. Aaron Bummer plunked Andres Giménez, after which Giménez stole second and advanced to third when Zavala's throw skipped past Burger, after which he scored on one of the most grotesque instances of BummerLuck you'll see.
Gregory Santos then gave up a run in the eighth when Gabriel Arias sliced a double inside the right-field line and took third when Oscar Colás bobbled the ball picking it up. This time, the other Naylor (Bo) drove him home with a hot shot past Grandal.
Bullet points:
*Colás actually committed two errors, because he was charged with giving up a base when his throw home on Brennan's single escaped Seby Zavala, who could've caught it were he not trying to apply a snap tag.
*Zavala was also charged with an error, but an experienced second baseman might've kept it in the infield.
*White Sox pitchers didn't let José Ramírez beat them, as he went 0-for-5. Everybody else beat them.
