Momentum

This is how the White Sox do momentum—follow up a doubleheader sweep at Yankee Stadium with a 16-3 loss to the Red Sox at home. I love this team, or not. All of a sudden Dylan Cease thinks he may be tipping pitches, given how he gave up a homerun on the first pitch of the game on the way to yielding seven runs, all earned, in a mere three innings. If he is tipping, wouldn’t that be as obvious from the press box as the dugout? But what do I know? If nothing else, a little more than Tony La Russa, who thought following Cease with Jose Ruiz would be a good idea. Nope. Ruiz jacked up his ERA to 5.17 in just .2 innings of “work,” as in four hits and three runs. Say this about La Russa: he’s either blind to reality or full of unquestioning faith. I’ll go with option A. And what would a White Sox game be without the manager ignoring reality to bat Yoan Moncada second and Andrew Vaughn eighth? Vaughan did what he does, collecting two hits, while Moncada did what he does, going 0-for-4 on the night. That puts his BA at .164, with seventeen strikeouts in fifty-five at-bats. That’s a strikeout rate of thirty percent, in case you’re wondering. They say baseball is a team game, and it’s true; La Russa couldn’t screw up so badly all on his own. GM Rick Hahn has done more than his share to put the team where it is. Leury Garcia went 0-for-4, putting his BA at .188, which is still better than Josh Harrision’s .176 average. There’s your classic “poke in the eye jab in the gut” choice at second base. And let’s not forget Yasmani Grandal behind the plate. Last year, Grandal couldn’t hit most of the season, though he did walk a lot. This season, Grandal is batting .174 with an on-base percentage of .272. Can’t hit, can’t catch, can’t throw baserunners out—hey, let’s sign the guy to a four-year contract. Mission accomplished. Should I mention Dallas Keuchel, he of the 6.60 ERA? Rumor has it he’ll pitch on Thursday. Whoopee, and heads up you guys in the stands. A stopped clock gets the time right twice a day, or so they say. Somehow, Hahn has managed to collect a number of intriguing catchers and middle infielders at Double- and Triple-A. I’d sure be looking to make some changes from within the organization right about now, but what do I know? I never would’ve hired La Russa in the first place, or gone to work for Jerry Reinsdorf, for that matter. With luck, rain enough to postpone the circus for at least a night.