White Sox third-base coach Joe McEwing is receiving increasing fan criticism with each runner that gets thrown out at home plate.
But McEwing has a valuable supporter in manager Tony La Russa, who has absorbed his share of abuse from fans and on social media for his lineups and in-game decisions.
“He’s as good as anyone in the league,” La Russa said Friday, one day after a runner was thrown out at home plate for the 13th time this season.
La Russa pointed out the Sox’s struggles at stringing together consecutive hits, forcing McEwing to be more aggressive. In Thursday’s loss to the Orioles, right fielder Austin Hays made a strong one-hop throw to nail Gavin Sheets for the final out of the fourth inning with the Sox trailing 2-0.
La Russa recalled his days coaching third when he managed in the minors as well as in the 1987 All-Star Game, when he blamed himself for not aggressively sending Dave Winfield from second base to home plate on a wild double play to end the ninth inning in the American League’s 2-0 loss to the National League in 13 innings.
“I’m not exaggerating,” La Russa said. “I think he would have scored and we would have won the game.”
Moncada on mend
Third baseman Yoan Moncada’s right hamstring is healing to the point where he could return as soon as Tuesday when he’s eligible to be activated from the 10-day injured list.
The Sox continue to take a deliberate approach with outfielder Eloy Jiménez (right hamstring tear) since his rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte resumed Tuesday.
“He’s not really close (to returning),” La Russa said of Jimenez, who is 3-for-12 since resuming his assignment.
Burger flipping
Third baseman Jake Burger has committed six errors, but a backhand stop that he turned into an inning-ending double play Wednesday against the Blue Jays occurred after extra work with McEwing.
“Definitely there was a stretch there where I was making an error every game, it felt like,” Burger said. “I’m just trying to work as hard as I can to figure it out.”
Burger said McEwing suggested he field the ball in front of him on both sides, as well as keeping his body on the same plane.
“I’ve felt a lot better since we addressed that,” Burger said. “It’s just taking away extra movements. That’s the biggest point.
Montgomery’s promoted
Colson Montgomery put the final touches on his stint at Class-A Kannapolis by hitting .397 with a .988 OPS in June that earned him a promotion to high Class-A Winston-Salem.
Montgomery, the Sox’s first pick in the 2021 draft, batted .324 with four home runs, 26 RBIs and a .424 on-base percentage in 170 at-bats at Kannapolis.
