Down by one run in the ninth inning, Luis Robert Jr. hit a liner to left field that was easily a double off the bat. But in the White Sox tumultuous start to 2024, Robert visibly limped as he rounded first base. The worst possible thing that could happen to a struggling White Sox offense who placed Eloy Jiménez on the Injured List earlier on Friday. Adding insult to Robert's injury, Andrew Vaughn rendered that extra-base hit useless by grounding into the game-ending double play as the White Sox lost, 2-1.
After scoring just 12 runs in their first six games, a record low for the franchise since the mound was lowered in 1969, the White Sox desperately needed offensive help. The only hot hitter entering tonight was Gavin Sheets, who had reached base in seven straight plate appearances. Perhaps a spark could be ignited facing Kansas City Royals starter Brady Singer. Last year, the White Sox scored 13 runs in 16 1/3 innings facing Singer.
Naturally, the game started as another pitcher's duel like the night before. The Royals were able to strike first off Erick Fedde when Salvador Perez hit a deep fly that hit off the top of the center field wall in the first. But Perez's double still scored Vinnie Pasquantino from first base and the Royals had an early 1-0 lead.
That Royals' early advantage was short-lived. Leading off the second inning, Sheets extended his on-base streak to eight straight plate appearances as he smashed a solo home run off Singer for his first home run of the season. Sheets' hot bat tied the game, 1-1.
But the White Sox offense, again, fell asleep. Despite throwing in the low 90s MPH, Singer did enough to keep hitters off balance and retired 15-straight after the home run allowed to Sheets.
Meanwhile, Fedde did an excellent job of matching Singer with scoreless innings and reached the sixth inning before running out of gas. Both Perez and MJ Melendez reached base to lead off the frame, and with no outs, Grifol swapped out Fedde for John Brebbia. On 91 pitches total, Fedde allowed six hits, walked two while striking out four, but was still responsible for the runners. The first batter Brebbia faced was Nelson Velazquez, and he hit a deep fly to left field, pushing Andrew Benintendi to the warning track.
While Benintendi made the catch and even got into a good throwing position, Perez tested his arm by tagging up. Despite not being fleet of foot, Perez successfully moved up 90 feet, with Melendez following him to second, and the Royals were in a good place to take the lead.
Next was Adam Frazier, who got sawed off by an inside fastball that mustered enough for a dribbler in front of the mound. Brebbia was quick to field the slow roller and make a toss to home plate, where Martin Maldonado successfully tagged Perez out. That defensive play saved a run, but Brebbia looked uncomfortable afterward. After tossing a couple of pitches to test his lower half, Brebbia left the game due to a recurrence of the right calf injury that sidelined him in spring, and Steven Wilson was summoned out of the bullpen.
Coming in cold, Wilson got a couple of strikes against Hunter Renfroe using his sweeper and then blew a high fastball by him for the inning-ending strikeout. Unlike Thursday night's disastrous seventh, the White Sox middle relievers navigated out of the jam.
The White Sox offense tried to get something going by switching to the running game. In the seventh inning, Robert Jr. picked up his first stolen base of the season but was left stranded there. Nicky Lopez reached on a walk in the next frame, and Grifol pinch-hit Maldonado for Dominic Fletcher.
In what Lopez confirmed postgame was a hit-and-run play, Fletcher whiffed on the pitch Lopez was running on. Perez made a throw short of second base picked by Bobby Witt Jr. Initially, the call was Lopez successfully stealing second. However, the Royals challenged, and the MLB League Office saw enough glove laces on Lopez's knee in instant replay to reverse the call. Fletcher would loop a single, but Benintendi weakly grounded out to first base to end the threat.
Michael Kopech is Grifol's early high-leverage reliever of choice and had eighth-inning duties with the Royals' middle-of-the-order hitting. After striking out Pasquantino on a 98 MPH fastball, Kopech got into a 2-2 count against Perez. Having already reached base three times, Perez wouldn't chase Kopech's sliders out of the zone and drew a walk. Pinch runner Dairon Blanco replaced Perez and stole second base on a play made close by a nice throw from Korey Lee.
Melendez was next and got into a 2-2 count against Kopech. On a fastball tailing away outside of the zone, Melendez went with the pitch, hitting a line drive to left field. Benintendi didn't have the arm strength to throw out Blanco, and Melendez went down as the hero with the game-winning go-ahead RBI single. Kopech would strike out the side, but it took 31 pitches as he walked two in the inning.
Now, the White Sox and everyone involved with the team wait to hear the extent of Robert's injury. Pedro Grifol said postgame that Robert will undergo X-rays on Saturday morning. A source informed our James Fegan that Lenyn Sosa has once more been tapped to fly out and meet the team in Kansas City.
ROBERT UPDATE
Game Notes
- In seven games, the White Sox have only scored 13 runs
- White Sox are now 0-5 vs. AL Central
