Denial

The White Sox are in denial, and I don’t mean the river. Take last night, please. A 5-1 loss to the Rays puts the Sox record at an atrocious 8-28. Not that you would know it from listening to losing pitcher Mike Soroka or manager Mickey Mouse. “I think we’ve all gotten to a point where we want to be the group that turns this around,” Soroka was quoted on the team website today. “We want to be the guys who say, you know, ‘Enough’s enough.’ We just have to start putting together full games.’’ Did I mention Soroka is 0-4 in eight starts with a 6.34 ERA? Or that Mickey Mouse is Mickey Mouse, someone incapable of uttering a single critical word about a player? I don’t care Soroka “ended up strong” by retiring eight of the last nine batters he faced. He gave up four runs (three earned) in five innings. And before anyone tells me only one of the four walks Soroka issued scored, know that it took him 102 pitches to struggle to fifteen outs. And I really, really don’t care that Rays’ starter Zach Elfin “made the perfect pitch” on Gavin Sheets in the fifth inning. Bases loaded, two out, 3-0 count. They call that a “hitter’s count” because the hitter doesn’t have to swing. Sheets did and hit a sad little flyball to right field. Blah-blah-blah “Sheets has been clutch for us all year long” blah. Sheets swung at a pitcher’s pitch, and it cost the team. Part of managing, I would think, involves admitting to the obvious. But not when it comes to the White Sox.