Losing Ugly

For the second straight game, White Sox manager Mickey Mouse called on reliever Michael Kopech in the eighth inning, and for the second straight time, Kopech blew it, giving up not one but two homeruns. Sox lose to the Orioles, 5-3. I’d fire Mouse not because he went with Kopech but for his refusal to say anything critical; saying “I’m sure that’s not where Michael wanted to throw it” to Anthony Santander on Santander’s two-run homer doesn’t exactly qualify. [quote from story on team website today] Then again, very little of what Mouse says or does qualifies as major league. And, if Mouse goes, pitching coach Ethan Katz has to follow him out the door. Yesterday, Erick Fedde pitched 6.1 innings of shutout ball against the Orioles, less a reflection on Katz than GM Chris Getz, who went shopping in the bargain basement and got himself a real steal in Fedde. The 31-year old righthander is 4-1 with a 2.80 ERA in eleven starts this season. In five seasons with the Nationals, Fedde never had an ERA under 4.29. Rookie Jordan Leasure, a Rick Hahn find from last year, is also doing pretty good, but not yesterday. Leasure paved the way for Kopech by giving up a two-run homer of his own in the eighth. Personally, I’m sick of Sox righthanders pitching lefthand hitters down in the zone. Those pitches have a tendency to go far, far away. Somebody tell Katz. And catcher Martin Maldonado, for that matter. Maldonado went 0-for-2, dropping his average to .086 (7-for-81) with 33 strikeouts. For perspective, let’s look at another 15-38 team. Yup, the ’62 Mets. The benchmark for MLB utility went through seven catchers, only one of whom put up worse stats than what Maldonado is now. And Joe Ginsburg batted a mere five times. In other words, Chris Cannizzaro (.241 BA, nine RBIs); Sammy Taylor (.222, twenty); Choo-Choo Coleman (.250, seventeen); Joe Pignatano (.232, two); Hobie Landrith (.289, seven); and Harry Chiti (.195, zero) were better options than Maldonado is now. That’s on Getz. The one silver lining here involves Eloy Jimenez’s latest injury, a left hamstring strain that is expected to sideline Jimenez four to six weeks. Now, Mouse has little choice but to play Gavin Sheets all the time. The lefthand-hitting Sheets responded yesterday with a bases-loaded triple, against a lefty, no less. So, there’s that if little else.