Back to Reality

You could tell the White Sox were playing a real team from the score, a 9-0 smackdown by the Orioles in Baltimore. None of the happy talk generated by a split with the A’s applied. Young players finding their groove? Lenyn Sosa and Oscar Colas went a combined 0-for-6 with Colas overthrowing the cutoff man, again. Yoan Moncada turning a corner? Not if 0-for-2 with a walk is any indicator. A reawakened Sox offense? Luis Robert Jr. had two hits, everybody else a total of zero. This is how bad it was. The Orioles brought in a new pitcher for the ninth, and he sported an ERA of 7.60. And by that, I don’t mean six or seven innings pitched; try 67.1 instead. It took him all of seven pitches to retire Tim Anderson, Andrew Benintendi and Trayce Thompson. And then we have starter Michael Kopech, who gave up four runs on seven hits and four walks in all of four innings. Listen to what Kopech told reporters after the game: “Ultimately, I'm not terribly upset with how I pitched. Pretty upset with the results. We are looking to win games, and it's unfortunate when I can't get to the fifth and can't take a little bit of the load off of the bullpen, and can't put us in a better position to win." [story on team website today] Not upset about his effort but upset with the results? Talk about detachment. And it’s “unfortunate” he “can’t” pitch into the fifth? No, better to say there’s a problem whenever he doesn’t get to the fifth, which is way too often. Maybe Manager Mickey Mouse will add this to the list of things he says the team has to “clean up.” Because his team sure is a mess.