Prophecies Revealed

Yesterday morning at Fenway, the White Sox survived another day of Tony La Russa at the helm and another start from Dallas Keuchel. Oh, and Yasmani Grandal stole a base. Truly, End Times. Everybody, get your affairs in order. That Keuchel could survive five shoutout innings should have alerted La Russa not to tempt fate. Alas, it didn’t. Out went Keuchel for the sixth, in came two Boston runs to turn a three-run lead into a one-run nailbiter. Wait, there’s more. La Russa decided to rest both Tim Anderson (kind of understandable) and Liam Hendriks, who had saved all five victories in what was then a five-game winning streak. Definitely understandable. (Though the Sox might want to get Anderson in touch with Luis Aparicio, who, as a 36-year old shortstop in 1970, managed 616 plate appearances for the South Siders. Aparicio also made the AL All-Star team and won a Gold Glove that year, too. At age 39, he totaled 561 plate appearances with a .271 BA.) Kendall Graveman has also been pitching a lot lately, so La Russa chose to rest him as well. And, he may or may not have known about the knee injury that’s rumored to land Aaron Bummer on the IL. Come the bottom of the ninth and up by a score of 3-2, who does La Russa call on for the save? Why, Jose Ruiz, of course. And what does Ruiz proceed to do right off the bat, if you will? Give up a double to J.D. Martinez, that’s what. Only Ruiz managed to retire the next two batters, on a popup and strikeout. Like I said, End Times. Then La Russa did something I actually approved of—he brought in rookie lefthander Bennett Sousa to face lefthanded-hitting Jackie Bradley Jr. Bosox manager Alex Cora countered by pulling Bradley for righthanded-hitting Kevin Plawecki, he of the .138 BA. Plawecki flied out to Luis Robert, and the right Sox won their sixth straight. If not End Times, they do feel trying. Cleveland comes to town for three, followed by the Yankees for four. Yoan Moncada is back, along with Joe Kelly. Armageddon ensues.