With the White Sox running out possibly the worst MLB offense in over 40 years, almost three weeks removed from their last time scoring more than four runs in a nine-inning game, seeing the Rangers plate two runs in the first inning against Garrett Crochet offered temptation to quote the late, great thespian Bill Paxton:
"Game over, man."
The Rangers 2-0 lead only would have held up for the next seven innings, so time proved such a reaction to be overly dramatic.
More than wondering how a team with little power and a .207 batting average with runners in scoring position gets to three runs, every little miracle of a White Sox victory this year has involved some exceptional avoidance of the mistakes that usually dot their nightly performance. And Nicky Lopez getting flummoxed by double steal attempt to the degree of both letting Josh Smith score from third and letting the intentionally-giving-himself-up Adolis García stumble safely into second, did not portend good things.
Sure enough...
Back in a season that I'm pretty sure involved the White Sox making the playoffs, I was out drinking with some people after the game on the road. A member of our group was lamenting that a future opposing pitcher was a nightmare matchup for the offense, to which the Sox employee present retorted: "You mean they're right-handed with a slider?"
So anyway, Rangers starter Jon Gray cruised through 7 2/3 innings of one-run ball on a mere 80 pitches. His removal from the game seem prompted by Bruce Bochy embracing newfangled logic along the lines "let's not have our starter face Luis Robert Jr. a fourth time in a one-run game if we don't have to." And Josh Sborz rewarded Bochy's mad scientist strategy by inducing a routine fly out to wrap up Robert's 0-for-4 night and end the eighth.
The first of the two credible White Sox threats against Gray involved Eloy Jiménez quite possibly hitting a foul ball that was ruled fair down the third base line to set up two runners in scoring position with no one out. The threat that did produce a run centered around García moseying toward a Korey Lee drive to the right-center gap and letting it ride out of his glove as it continued carrying for a leadoff double in the third. Even there, Andrew Vaughn cashed in the opportunity with a two-out RBI single to left only after a pair of useless at-bats in front of him.
Vaughn looked like he'd be the final Sox baserunner of the night until a fellow Andrew, Benintendi golfed a hanging Josh Sborz slider out to right for his eighth homer of the season to lead off the ninth. Instead, Vaughn's third inning single merely made him the second-to-last Sox baserunner of the night.
Since Gavin Sheets was due up third for the final inning, Pedro Grifol had him playing right field in the eighth inning as he marshaled offensive resources for a comeback. Sheets was playing more or less straight up, a little shaded for Smith to pull, giving him little chance at the shanked fly ball toward the foul line that dropped in for a double. But even if Tommy Pham had taken Sheets spot in right after pinch-hitting in the top of the inning, it would have been a sacrifice fly to push across the deciding run, as a wayward Tanner Banks pickoff attempt had already pushed Marcus Semien to third with one out.
Then, Sheets' strikeout against closer Kirby Yates was just one of three quick outs Sox hitters made after Benintendi's solo shot.
Bullet points:
*Crochet was limited to four innings. The Rangers ambushed early count fastballs to push two runs across in the first, then got the best of both worlds when a more intentional Crochet racked up 74 pitches over his outing. It speaks to Crochet that an effective game plan against him plated two runs in four innings while he struck out seven. His average fastball velocity was down a tick, but an early glance at the data suggests a low-90s cutter or two is still incorrectly tagged.
*Brooks Baldwin thought he might start the season in High-A, so it's no knock nor surprise that he's taking some time to acclimate. But he's 2-for-17 with no walks and seven strikeouts.
*Robbie Grossman got his revenge with a first inning single off Crochet that led to a run scored, but relief prospect Anthony Hoopii-Tuionetoa has a 1.57 ERA in Double-A this year. So what really defines winning?
*Gordon Beckham said on the broadcast in the bottom of the eighth that "with the way the White Sox offense is going, it feels like two runs is insurmountable." Yeah man.
