There have been more failed attempts by the White Sox to gain just a little traction, win a needed game to keep their fleeting good moments going, and make a statement of some sort so the rest of the weak American League Central knows they still exist.
Add Wednesday’s 12-5 loss to Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout and the Los Angeles Angels to the disheartening cases in point.
With right-hander Lance Lynn, the team’s highest-paid starting pitcher and leader in the clubhouse taking the mound, a lineup at full strength behind him and Liam Hendriks available in the bullpen, the Sox were seemingly in good hands going into an important rubber game of a series.
Apparently not.
Ohtani hit two tape-measure homers and Trout went deep, too, providing the guts of an eight-run onslaught against Lynn, who lasted four innings while allowing eight hits and two walks and hitting two batters.
“It’s going to be June,” said Lynn, who fell to 4-6 with a 6.55 ERA. “You don’t win games just because of talent so we’ve got to figure out how to be better day in and day out. I know it starts with pitching and right now after this series we have to right the ship as starters. We didn’t do our job this series.”
Taylor Ward also homered against Jesse Scholtens and Chad Wallach homered against Garrett Crochet, giving the Angels five long balls for the day.
On a beautiful afternoon for baseball, there were oohs and ahs for the great Ohtani’s majestic homers, his 14th and 15th of the season, from the 17,015 fans. And there were boos for the bad Sox pitching. Lynn’s 15 runs allowed in the first inning is second in the majors.
Ohtani’s homers against Lynn traveled 459 and 425 feet. Trout’s traveled 461 feet in the first.
“You give up six runs on three swings,” Lynn said. “That just can’t happen. Especially the two guys that did it. Those are guys you can’t let beat you. And today I let the offense in too big of a hole. I’ve got to be better. I’ve got to be more efficient. I’ve got to make better pitches and get some outs there.”
The deflating, emphatic result dropped the Sox to 23-35 with their second series loss in a row. They go into a weekend series against a Tigers team that took three of four from them in Detroit last weekend.
“We’ve got to be better,” Lynn said.
Before the Detroit series last week, the Sox had won 9-of-12. The Sox’ loss Wednesday was their fourth in five games.
They need to win series but they’re back to losing them with two in a row after winning two against Cleveland and one against Kansas City.
“It doesn’t happen [with losses like this],” Grifol manager Pedro Grifol said. “It’s simple. We did it yesterday a little bit, we got to be consistent with it.
“As a matter of fact if you don’t regroup and come back with some energy day [Friday] this thing can linger on so it’s our responsibility to make sure we nip this in the bud and get back to work and bring some energy against Detroit and hopefully win a series. We’re not going to let it linger on. I’m not going to let it.”
The night before, the Sox won 7-3 in one of their more complete games of the season. But their starting pitchers gave up seven homers in the series.
“I just don’t think we’ve clicked as a team yet. I don’t think we’ve come close to clicking as a team,” Grifol said. “Why that is, I’m not sure.”
The Sox finished 15-14 in May after going 8-21 in March and April. Even short stretches of good have been hard to come by for a team that hasn’t won more than three games in a row.
Two months in, and they’re still searching for answers.
clicked as a team yet. I don’t think we’ve come close to clicking as a team,” Grifol said. “Why that is, I’m not sure.”
The Sox finished 15-14 in May after a going 8-21 in March and April. Even short stretches of good have been hard to come by for a team that hasn’t won more than three games in a row.
Two months in, and they’re still searching for answers.
