What Marvin Gaye Said

A game like last night’s ten-inning, 5-4 White Sox loss to the Reds makes me want to holler; a less mature version would also throw things. Here’s why. The Sox hit three homeruns—all solo shots—to go with seven innings of one-run ball from starter Sean Burke, everything wasted when Cincinnati scored three runs in the eighth to tie the game at four. Manager Vibes Venable thought he could bring in Bryan Hudson to retire three right-hand hitters, two of them switch hitters. Nope. All three singled. Things might have improved with Grant Taylor replacing Hudson, but they didn’t. Taylor was off, that or in love with his slow, breaking stuff. Runners moved up to second and third on a deep-enough flyball to right field on an 87.6 mph slider out over the lower corner of the plate. Taylor then walked a batter before yielding a two-run single to Tyler Stephenson. Did Stephenson hit Taylor’s best pitch? Not unless an 85.1 mph curveball on the outer half of the plate counts. After that, it was just a matter of time. The Reds’ bullpen has the fifth-worst ERA in baseball. How odd that Cincinnati relievers retired eighteen of nineteen batters faced. After the game, Venable said the three softly-hit balls off of Hudson were “[j]ust baseball” and “just part of the game.” [online story in today’s Tribune] What a crock and dodge of responsibility. Venable put in a reliever who left the ball over the plate to three straight batters. Exit velo has nothing to do with it. Did I mention Colson Montgomery struck out three times in an 0-for-4 night? On the year, Montgomery is hitting .213 with 157 strikeouts over 473 plate appearance. In other words, he’s striking out 33 percent of the time. Tell me how you win a division with numbers like that.

Retirement

Ex-White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson made his retirement official yesterday in a Zoom call with Chicago media. The 33-year old, onetime face of the franchise gave voice to joy; sadness; and, possibly, regret during his video announcement. It made me think of my daughter. Unlike Anderson, Clare knew when her career would end; most female athletes do. Every sport has its season. When the calendar runs out after senior year, the playing and competing end, except for a lucky few who play professionally. Was my then 22-year old any less emotional than Anderson yesterday? Probably not; she just did a better job hiding it, what with graduation and graduate school following in the wake of Senior Day. But I’m sure there were moments when she felt a void. Clare had been hitting a ball since before she was four. Anderson mentioned some business ventures along with the challenge of being a father and husband. If he’s anything like my daughter, he’ll find meaning, and perhaps a little joy, in teaching the game he once played.

Heaven-sent

Things looked bleak for the South Side Nine on a Sunday afternoon, Davis Martin their starting pitcher. The pride of Abilene continued his bad habit of late, for the third straight game letting the other side score right out of the gate. This the visitors from Cleveland did twice, only to let the home team cut the lead in half thanks to a double off the bat of that Man from Japan. Then the heavens opened up, and the rain did pour. Not a pitch was thrown for one hour, then two, plus another 23 minutes or so. When it came time to resume, the vibing Venable pointed to rookie Hagen Smith and said, off, my boy, to the mound you go. White Sox 5 Guardians 3. Smith was what you might call effectively wild, striking out three in the second while walking a batter before walking the bases loaded in the third. One line drive to third baseman Miguel Vargas later, Smith not only escaped the jam of his own making, he set himself up for the win. That’s because the Sox scored four in the bottom of the third, three on a Colson Montgomery laser over the wall in right. Montgomery said later he was taking stock of things, offering that, “Success, it leaves clues.” [story today on team website] Yes, grasshopper, it does. Now, make like Sherlock, and figure them out. For reasons best known to himself, Manager Vibes used reliever Trevor Richards for the third time in four games. The overuse showed in the ninth when Richards gave two walks along with two wild pitches, leading to a run on a sacrifice fly by Jose Ramirez. Rookie righthander Tanner McDougal, brought up along with Smith from Triple-A Charlotte, was warming in the bullpen, just in case. For that, I can’t wait. Honestly.

Better

Well, White Sox manager Vibes Venable managed to keep track of mound visits last night, and his team capitalized on a reservoir of emotion following the retirement of Ozzie Guillen’s number 13 to stop a four-game losing streak. Sox 6 Guardians 3. Before I forget, a tip of the cap to starter Anthony Kay for another solid performance (two earned runs in six innings) and GM Chris Getz for going out and signing the 31-year old lefthander, who had spent the two previous seasons pitching in Japan. At 9-5, Kay has pitched like anything but a journeyman with four career wins going into 2026. Chase Meidroth had two more RBIs, as did Tristan Peters. The former Savannah Banana is showing signs of breaking out of a horrendous month-long slump. If so, it couldn’t happen at a better time.

Speaking of Dunce Caps

White Sox manager Vibes Venable donned the dunce cap in the top of the first inning against the Guardians last night when he left the dugout to visit starter Noah Schultz after a two-run single put the visitors up by two and threatening for more. Somehow, Venable missed that pitching coach Zach Bove had already made a visit after Schultz hit Jo Adell to load the bases. And Venable has a bench coach why, again? Sadly, there’s more in this 8-2 loss. Venable brought in David Sandlin, just called up from Charlottee, and the 25-year old righty did all that you could ask on short notice. Sandlin got out of the first without further damage and then kept Cleveland off the board through the fourth. Ah, but the fifth. That’s a different story requiring an even bigger dunce cap. Sandlin got Steven Kwan to ground out before giving up a single to Chase DeLauter. Did Venable think it was time to take out his pitcher? Nope. Ditto after Sandlin yielded a walk and then a hit-by-pitch. Maybe Venable was still in shock from his first-inning faux pas. Whatever the reason, not only did he stay in the dugout through all that but for Angel Martinez’s grand slam as well and two hits after that. What does this all mean? Heaven help the White Sox if the team takes on the personality of its manager, that’s what.

Enough

You know what I’ve had enough of? White Sox manager Vibes Venable complimenting the other team for beating his team. Venable did it again last night after the Red Sox came back a total of five time to tie the score—three times in extra innings—before pushing across the winning run in the thirteenth. Bad Sox 12 Good Sox 11. This was a game the White Sox needed and Venable managed away. He used everyone out of the bullpen except Sean Newcomb. Guess what? I would’ve used Newcomb and/or a starter to get the win. Chase Meidroth gave the Sox a two-run lead with a homer off Aroldis Chapman in the top of tenth, only for Venable to treat Trevor Richards like he was the second coming of Rollie Fingers. Richards gave back both runs, plus one in the eleventh. Instead of saying how good the Red Sox were, Venable could’ve put on a dunce cap. Same message.

Numbers Game

The Bad Sox had their way with the Good Sox last night, shutting out the visitors 4-0. Live by the long ball, die a whole bunch of other ways. Like the stolen base. Boston had three to our zero, and two of those set up runs. Not only did Drew Romo fail to throw out two would-be base stealers, he let one advance to third on a throwing error. Did I mention Romo went 0-for-2, dropping his average down to .132? Romo left it to his teammates to collect three singles and a lonely double. Ah, batting average. The White Sox rank seventh in all of baseball for homeruns, the Red Sox 24th. But Boston ranks twelfth in BA and fourteenth in OBP to 22nd and seventeenth for the White Sox. Did I mention the Red Sox have the third-best team ERA at 3.49 while the White Sox are thirteenth at 4.08? Let me channel my inner Hawk Harrelson here. (Ignore the shuddering.) The Carmines are on an incredible hot streak right now, going 30-5 since June 25. In baseball, it’s not only who you play but when you play them. Which is what all the numbers are pointing to.