Lucas Giolito started for the
White Sox yesterday, which right now is pretty much like saying, “The Sox
won.” They did, 2-0, with Giolito, now
9-1 on the season with a 2.28 ERA, going 7.2 innings on 111 pitches, striking
out 11 while yielding two walks and three singles. Eleven of the twelve outs Giolito recorded
from the second through the fifth innings were strikeouts. As for offense, Eloy Jimenez hit a fastball up
and away at the very outside corner of the strike zone for an opposite-field,
two-run homerun.
So, why does the glass feel
half-empty? Well, the Sox managed all of
five hits in eight innings off of KC starter Brad Keller, who came into the
game with a 3-7 record and 4.50 ERA.
Four singles and a homer is not exactly crushing the ball. And I don’t get the moves Sox manager Rick
Renteria makes with his bullpen.
He brings in lefty Aaron Bummer in
the bottom of the eighth to face left-handed hitting Alex Gordon, who grounded
out to second. Keep in mind that the
25-year old Bummer has been a pleasant surprise out of the pen so far this
season with his 0.52 ERA over 15
appearances spanning 17.1 innings. The
switch-hitting shortstop Adalberto Mondesi (Note to Tim Anderson: This is the
guy you want to be better than) led off the ninth. Why not keep Bummer in to force Mondesi to
turn around? Oh, well, no harm no foul.
One last thing: Why does a
game featuring all of eleven baserunners minus a double play take 2:26 to
play? Somebody ask the
commissioner.
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