OK, I Guess

How can a team look so bad hitting and still win? The White Sox put on a clinic in Cleveland last night showing how. Start with five strikeouts from Jake Burger plus two apiece from Tim Anderson and Andrew Vaughn. Still, the Sox topped the Guardians, 4-2. Dylan Cease looked like a major-league pitcher through six innings, giving up two runs on five hits and two walks. Right now, Cease is more Tommy John than Randy Johnson, as evidenced by three strikeouts vs. ten groundouts. For a starter, though, it’s less how you record the outs than recording the outs in the first place. The Sox were down 2-1 heading into the seventh inning, when they put runners on second and third with nobody out, Yasmani Grandal up. Grandal hit a grounder to third baseman Jose Ramirez that was so perfect Ramirez couldn’t make up his mind whether to throw home or take the sure out at first, Grandal carrying that piano on his back. The usually sure-handed Sox killer split the difference by dropping the ball. A run scored, and we’re tied. After a walk to Clint Frazier, Romy Gonzalez (!) doubled in two. And this is where I thought they’d blow the game open, three runs in, two runners in scoring position and nobody out. So, what happened? Anderson, Burger and Luis Robert Jr. all struck out. Thank heavens for the likes of Keynan Middleton, Joe Kelly and Kendall Graveman, who put in three innings of scoreless relief. I have absolutely no idea what to expect today. I guess that’s why they have to play the game.