Playing with Fire

Playing with Fire

 

Did I say something yesterday about White Sox manager Rick Renteria being infatuated with reliever Jimmy Cordero?  Let me expand on that.

 

Going into last night’s game against the Twins, Cordero had made sixteen appearances this season and given up at least one hit in eleven of them; of his five hitless appearances, he yielded a walk in one.  Add it all up, and Cordero had given up sixteen hits and three walks on the season.  If that’s not worrisome enough, the righty has been nicked for at least one hit in nine of his last eleven appearances.  Hence the 4.50 ERA as he made appearance no. 17 in the sixth inning.

 

In consecutive one-out at-bats, Cordero gave up a triple and a double for the tying run; both hits were by left-handed batters, who have a combined .387 batting average against Rick Renteria’s go-to “hold” guy.  For reasons best known to himself, Renteria brought Codero back in the seventh inning, to face DH Nelson Cruz.

 

Maybe Renteria thought the righty-righty match-up would work to Coerdero’s favor.  Nope; he yielded a double on a one-and-two pitch for what turned out to be the eventual game-winning run.  This time, Sox hitters had no late-inning magic in their bats.  For two nights straight, Minnesota reliever Sergio Romo has thrown Kryptonite-coated junk past Sox bats.  If Minnesota converts Romo into a starter, we won’t stand a chance.

During a regular 162-game season, Cordero might be able to work out his problems, only this is the season of the 60-game sprint.  Go with the hot relievers, Rick, or go home.