Pratfalls

It’s reached the point where our Keystone Sox can’t even stay on their fee. Yesterday in Minnesota, Eloy Jimenez stumbled trying to run out a groundball in what turned out to be the South Siders’ sixth straight loss, this one by a score of 9-2. Jimenez is expected to miss up to eight weeks with a right-hamstring pull. The injury occurred seventy-two hours after Luis Robert suffered a groin injury running to first. Maybe manager Tony LaRussa should tell his players to hustle less and loaf more? That, or he might want to address the pitching. I’m convinced injuries like these happen when players try to compensate for bad pitching (see Charlie Tilson and James Shields). Four of the six losses have come by scores of 9-3; 11-1; 6-3; and 9-2. After a while, hitters want to do what pitchers can’t. Vince Velasquez started for the third time and picked up his second loss. Velasquez has a 6.75 ERA, which leaves me wondering what Sox GM Rick Hahn saw and I missed. Injuries are opportunities for an organization, or can be. Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn go down, and the White Sox answer with Velasquez and Jimmy Lambert. Enough said. Get well soon, Eloy.