Find Head. Scratch

It’s like White Sox manager Vibes Venable is going out of his way to lose games, with an assist from GM Chris Getz. The two contributed mightily to last night’s 6-1 loss in Seattle. Start with Venable’s decision to start Drew Romo behind the plate. Excuse me, but Edgar Quero hit a walk-off homerun the game before, and he sits? That’s almost as head-scratching a move as playing Luisangel Acuna in center. Another game, another 0-fer for Acuna, now hitting .174 in 86 at-bats. Unfortunately, there’s more. It was a 3-1 game going into the bottom of the eighth, the Sox scoring on a homer by Tristan Peters, another homerun-hitting hero from the game before who managed to escape the Quero treatment. Starter Noah Schultz went 5.1 decent innings (three runs, five hits, zero walks), after which Venable decided to play Russian Roulette with his bullpen. First, he brought in Brandon Eisert and dodged a bullet. Next, he tried Jordan Hicks and lucked out again. But the third reliever proved an unlucky charm, when Trevor Richards gave up a two-out, three-run shot to rookie third baseman Colt Emerson. It was the 20-year old’s first career hit, by the way. Yes, Venable can only use the players he’s given, and, for all I know, he’s pleaded with Getz to move on from Acuna; Eisert; Hicks; and Richards. If that’s the case, he has to plead harder. And only use Acuna to pinch-run or come in for late-inning defense.

More Good Than Bad

First, the good news—the White Sox overcame poor starting pitching yesterday to beat their archrivals, with Edgar Quero (!) delivering a two-run, walk-off homerun in the bottom of the tenth. Sox 9 Cubs 8. I’m starting to wonder if Tristan Peters isn’t a lefthand-hitting Adam Engel, a ballhawk with less power but more ability to make contact. Which isn’t to take anything away from Peters hitting his first career homer yesterday in the bottom of the eighth, a three-run shot that should’ve won the game in regulation if Seranthony Dominguez was doing his job. Peters offered heartfelt sentiments after the game, with a heavy dose of Manitoba nice throughout. Quero provided more passion, and I especially liked it when he said he wanted to hit a homerun to win the seventh game of a World Series. Keep visualizing, Edgar. Now, for the bad news—the Sox had to overcome bad starting pitching, which is usually the case with Erick Fedde on the mound. Fedde had his team in a 2-0 hole two batters into the game after Michael Busch took him deep to right. Sox get a run back in the third, Fedde gives it back in the fourth. The 33-year old righthander went three-plus innings giving up four runs on six hits and four walks. Which leads to this question for GM Chris Getz: Do you want to compete for the postseason? If so, bring up outfielder Braden Montgomery and starter Hagen Smith; starter Tanner McDougal, too, if he’s healthy. All three could break into the lineup/rotation at their own pace. Fedde and at least two relievers on the roster are patch jobs. (Yes, I’m also pining for the return of Jordan Leasure. Truly, End Times.) Now’s the time to get real. Or am I missing something?

They Did Do

Well, most of the do-be White Sox I singled out yesterday did in fact do what I hoped they’d do I an 8-3 Sox win over the Cubs at a packed Rate Field last night. Colson Montgomery and Miguel Vargas homered. Jarred Kelenic didn’t, but Andrew Benintendi did, and Munetaka Murakami, too, twice to be precise. Which brings us to Davis Martin. The 29-year old righthander was nothing short of superb, pitching six innings of one-run ball, with seven strikeouts and zero—I repeat, zero—walks. In 56 innings this season, Martin has walked ten batters while holding the opposition to a .223 BA. How do you say a “record of 6-1 with a .98 WHIP”? I think I just did. And let’s not forget Sam Antonacci at the top of the order—two hits, two runs scored. It’s best not to depend on the longball; in my experience, it’s never there when you need it the most. But small ball is something you can almost call on at will. Antonacci does, along with Chase Meidroth. Punch-and-Judy mixed in with pop. Now, that’s a formula for success.

Do's and Don'ts

Don’t labor through 4.1 innings of a start, give up four runs on eight hits, and then tell reporters, “I kind of liked how my stuff was,” Sean Burke. [today’s online Trib] Cubs’ hitters liked your stuff, too. Don’t come in to relieve, Jordan Hicks, if you’re going to walk four batters, all of whom will score in an eventual 10-5 Cubs’ win over the White Sox. And, trust me, a run-scoring wild pitch will only leave a bad taste. Do homer again, Colson Montgomery; Miguel Vargas; and Jarred Kelenic. If nothing else, fireworks rev up the crowd. And do take tonight’s start as an opportunity to make a statement, Davis Martin. Your team turns its lonely eyes to you.

Two Sides of Crow

A preference for young teams is baked into my baseball DNA, thanks to two-time White Sox owner Bill Veeck, who had a knack for trading away tomorrow for today. After winning a pennant in 1959, Veeck shipped off a nucleus that would’ve driven the Yankees to distraction—Battey; Callison; Cash; Romano. Gene Freese, Minnie Minoso and Roy Sievers in return did not constitute fair trade(s). Then, when he was running the Sox on a shoestring budget in the second half of the 1970s, Veeck traded off the likes of Bucky Dent Brian Downing; Terry Forster; and Goose Gossage, though GM Roland Hemond got a better return. All of which is to say I was less than excited when Chris Getz acquired 34-year old Randal Gruchuk and 31-year Anthony Kay. So far, Getz looks a lot smarter than I do. In eight games since he was let go by the Yankees, Grichuk has gone 5-for-16 with his new team, including three homeruns and seven RBIs. Last night, he homered and drove in four runs in a 6-2 win over the Royals, Naturally, Kay got the win, which provided a three-game sweep of a team that usually sweeps us. Girchuk, at least, has had a solid major-league career, with 215 homers 638 RBIs. Kay? He’s 3-1 so far this year, 7-3 over the course of five-plus seasons. The Royals looked befuddled with the lefty’s assortment of breaking pitches. Pitchers are supposed to throw hard in this age of velo and launch angle. To quote Devo, how long can this go one? I don’t know. Maybe long enough for the talent in the minors to be ready. That would work for me.

Kids Growing Up

Maybe Colson Montgomery peaked ever so quickly at his batting average after last night’s 6-5 White Sox win over the Royals. I would, if I’d just gotten three hits, including the difference-making homerun. Allow me to point out to young Mr. Montgomery how hits turn into runs (he had two for the game) and RBIs. But I don’t want to sound like a cranky, old fan longing for the old days, when youngsters dreamed of winning batting titles and triple crowns. Check that. I do long for those days. And the day when Noah Schultz figures out how to throw strikes on a consistent basis. The rookie lefthander had a 3-0 lead going into the fourth inning and promptly loaded the bases on walks; Schultz had five walks on the evening, three or which scored. Exactly half of the 76 pitches he threw were strikes. This will not do. Especially if the Sox want to get beyond .500, where they find themselves for the first times since starting last season at 2-2. You can’t win without pitching, and the Sox won’t win without Schultz. Waiting on you, my man.

If Just For One Day

It seems like the White Sox have a thousand outfielders, which is to say they don’t have three solid regulars. Sam Antonacci has come out of nowhere—or the infield—to stake his claim to left, where he’s made himself at home while batting .280 with thirteen runs scored and a .382 OBP. After Antonacci, though, it’s dicey. Austin Hays was signed to play left, but Antonacci’s out there because Hays can’t stay healthy. Luisangel Acuna played himself out of center field because he can’t hit, and Tristan Peters, his replacement, can’t hit for power. Right field belonged to Everson Pereira, but he can’t stay healthy, either. That led to a chance for Jarred Kelenic, who pretty much hits like a dead man walking. At some point in the season, Braden Montgomery will get called up from Charlotte, and somebody not named Antonacci will have to go. It could even be Derek Hill, who pinch-hit a homerun in the bottom of the eighth last night to put the White Sox ahead and proved to be the deciding run in a 6-5 Sox win over the Royals. Wait, there’s more. Hill went in to play right field for Kelenic in the ninth inning and proceeded to rob Bobby Witt Jr. of extra bases with a diving-to-the-line catch for the first out. Then, in a postgame interview, Hill came off as humble and articulate, as well as the consummate teammate; if praise were money, Hill was making everyone in a Sox uniform rich. The 30-year old journeyman, now on his sixth team, was a hero, if just for one day. And, who knows, maybe a little longer.