Stink in Action

Dylan Cease gave up two hits in eight innings against the Diamnodbacks yesterday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Whatever. Did he get a win? Of course not. But, hey, these days with these stinkin’ White Sox, a no-decision is the next best thing. Anyway, it’s all Cease’s fault. He had a 2-1 lead going into the eighth; that should’ve been enough. Only hit #2 was like hit #1 for Arizona, a homerun. After a scoreless eighth for the flop-Sox, “manger” Tony La Russa applied the stink in the form of reliever Kendall Graveman. The pride of Rick Hahn’s offseason activity, Graveman walked two of the first three batters he faced. For a little drama, he got the next batter before giving up a run-scoring double to Jake McCarthy. But the stink wasn’t over. In the bottom of the ninth, the Sox had runners on first and second, one out, when up came another of Rick Hahn’s offseason moves, the re-signed Leury Garcia. He gone, as the Hawk used to say. And Romy Gonzalez, too. So much for getting back to even. La Russa skipped his usual postgame affirmation-in-the-face-of-defeat. Instead, La Russa offered that losing didn’t make him frustrated or disappointed. Why? Because “That’s loser’s crap,” he informed reporters. “It just seeps energy out of your body. I just get angry and want to do something about it.” Like holding players and coaches accountable? I didn’t think so.