Chasing

You’d think I’d be happy to learn I’d misread the schedule—the White Sox game in Seattle started at 5:40 PM our time, as opposed to three hours later. And I was, not that I could watch all that much. Not with a peripatetic grandson on the loose. I saw enough to know that Lance Lynn isn’t Dallas Keuchel. Seven months older at age 35, Lynn seems to have found his groove after missing a good part of the season with a knee injury. (Dallas, do yourself a world of good and drop a few pounds. Yes?) Over his last seven games, all starts, Lynn has posted a 4-1 record to go with a 2.06 ERA. Yesterday against the Mariners, the portly righthander gave up one unearned run in seven innings of work. Sox win on homeruns by A.J. Pollock and Elvis Andrus, 3-2. We pick up a game on the second-place Twins, remain two back of the Guardians. Not to beat a dead horse (too much), but Keuchel was 2-5 with a 7.88 ERA when the Sox released him. Next, he went to the Diamondbacks, where he could be reunited with his old Astros’ pitching coach, Brent Strom. Judging by the 0-2 record and 9,64 ERA, the reunion wasn’t a success. Then it was off to Texas for another two starts, leading to two more losses and a 12.60 ERA, followed by his release on Sunday. It’s doubtful anyone else will be interested. Keuchel thought he had something left; the numbers showed otherwise. It’s not his fault. Stand him next to Lynn, and Keuchel is the one who looks to be in shape and ready to go seven innings. Such is life in baseball. As for Sox fans, we take the good with the bad, while being thankful the bad got DFA’d back in May.