Mostly Positive

Clare couldn’t help herself last night. She needed someone to talk to, so she called to ask if I was watching the White Sox game. To which I said, No, I was watching the Jeopardy! Masters tournament. But good father that I am, I let her tell me the news—Gavin Sheets hit a three-run homerun and Jake Burger followed with a two-run shot. What she didn’t say was how this all started with two out in the bottom of the fifth with Cleveland catcher Mike Zunino called for catcher’s interference on Luis Robert Jr. After that, six straight hits, all against Shane Bieber, no less. Sox win, 8-3. Homers by Sheets and Burger, and another by Robert. Lance Lynn pitches into the eighth inning. What’s not to like? Well, the fact that Lynn was pitching in the eighth, for one. Lynn came into the game with a 7.51 ERA and had never made it through seven innings in any of his previous eight starts. Trot him out there in the eighth, and you’re asking for trouble. Which leads us to how the White Sox will win most of their games this year, hitting (see above) and pitching (ditto). The defense, though better than last season, isn’t going to lead to any talk of Gold Gloves, except maybe Robert in center field. Did I mention Tim Anderson? Myles Straw led off the eighth with a groundball to Anderson, who threw way high to first. E-6. Note: This is when a manager on top of his game changes pitchers, but not Pedro Grifol. He let Lynn face Steven Kwan, who doubled home Straw. That, finally, was enough for Grifol, and in comes Keynan Middleton. Groundball to short, where Anderson doesn’t charge, but does get the call at first, only to have it challenged and overruled. The ensuing double play didn’t score a run, but the single after that did. A good manager doesn’t wait too long to change pitchers, and the top of the eighth would’ve been the perfect spot for Garrett Crochet to make his first appearance of the season. Grifol was lucky. He needs to be good.