Tuesday, September 1, 2020

Clownin' Around


Well, the White Sox keep playing clown ball, and they keep winning.  Personally, I’ll take the one but not the other.

 

Sunday against the Royals, manager Rick Renteria lifted starter Dane Dunning after Dunning 79 pitches.  Never mind Dunning was throwing a no-hitter.  Under the big top, pitch counts are pitch counts, and Dunning had to go.  Then Renteria went all Bozo by bringing in Steve Cishek and his 6.39 ERA.  Bye-bye, lead.  Thank you, Louis Robert, for saving the day with a walk-off three-run homerun.

 

Next, the circus travelled from 35th and Shields to Target Field for Monday’s game against the Twins.  Clowns juggling balls in the center ring may be funny; fielders juggling balls on the field in a game, not so much.  Only the Sox made three second-inning errors and spotted the Twins to an eventual four-run lead.  Lo and behold, the game was tied at four going into the bottom of the sixth.  This is where I’ll refrain from a crack about sending in the next clown.

 

That’s because reliever Codi Heuer could be a real keeper; the guy throws heat.  But that’s the problem.  Heat’s the only thing he can throw for strikes, and that not all the time and not always in the spots he needs to hit.  Bye-bye, tie.  At least Renteria didn’t put Jimmy Cordero in, again.  That’s an infatuation that needs to be watched.  And where’s that greatest of all clowns, Emmett Kelly, aka pitching coach Don Cooper?  Codi Heuer (and Steve Cishek and Zach Burdi) could sure use some sound advice. 

 

Thank you, Louis Robert, for tying the game in the seventh with a mammoth shot to dead center, and thank you again for the go-ahead double in the top of the ninth.  Heck, even a thanks to closer Alex Colome for giving up just one baserunner before recording his seventh save; Colome pitches like it doesn’t count until he’s put two runners on.  But that’s life under the big top.

 

At least the little guy Nick Madrigal collected another two hits.  I’m warming to the next Nellie Fox, despite his throwing a ball into left field.

 

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