Are we enjoying the ride Sox fans? This season has been like no other, and after a promising start to August, the Sox eventually ended the month with a 13-16 record.
The beginning of August was solid for the ballclub, as through sixteen games, the Sox were 10-6. Things then started to go downhill once again. We’ll get into what happened in August,, the big plays, a breakdown of the big key games from this past month, the chances for playoffs, and rank the top ten plays/moments from the month of August!
August Standouts
First and foremost, the biggest standout in the month of August was Gavin Sheets. Gavin really got it going when he was called upon to pinch hit in the series against Houston. He hit a double off Justin Verlander in a game that Verlander had been dominating up to that point. In August, Sheets slashed .359/.377/.641, and his eighteen RBIs led the team in August.
Right behind Sheets for RBIs was slugger Eloy Jimenez. It is not so much a question of if Eloy can hit, because we all know he can hit. It is the question of wheter or not he can stay healthy for a full 162 game season. So far, early in his career, he has not shown that he can. But August is an indication that when he is going good at the plate, he is a tough man to get out. He slashed .371/.461/.505 with three homers and fourteen RBIs in the month.
Yoan Moncada has played some exceptional defense over at third base this year; he has saved games and a lot of runs. Moncada added thirteen RBIs last month and had some clutch moments against the Astros. Additionally, August Abreu came to play once again, as in the month, Abreu hit .333 with a .795 OPS, two homers, and twelve RBIs to go along with a .405 SLG.
Now to the pitching side of things. Dylan Cease continued his strong season this month, but he was not as dominant. He did throw eight innings of two-run ball against the Diamondbacks late in the month, which is the longest start of his young career. Cease tallied 29 strikeouts in August, pushing his total to 190 on the season. Additionally, Johnny Cueto has been a saving grace for this ball club. His best start of the year by far came against the Guardians in Cleveland on August 20th. In this game, he tossed 8.2 shutout innings in a 2-0 win. Cueto owned an ERA of 3.28 in the month of August with seventeen strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.18. He has been outstanding for this ball club all year.
Before an injury in Kansas City, Michael Kopech was throwing the ball well. He took a no-no bid into the seventh against the Detroit Tigers, and he ended August with twenty punchouts and a WHIP of 1.21. Finally, Lance Lynn had the best record out of all the White Sox pitchers in August, going 3-1. He punched out 42 batters in 36.2 innings of work. He was really solid, and on August 31st, he dominated the Royals’ bats for seven innings of one-run baseball.
Notable Games In August
On August 12th, it was a start of a five-game winning streak for the ball club. The Friday night win saw Michael Kopech take a no-no bid late in that game. He exited the game after six innings of work with eleven punch outs. The Sox won 2-0 to start off the aforementioned winning streak. The Sox then went on to steal two games from the Astros. In the first game in the Houston series, the Sox showed signs of life and came back from behind to score four runs in the eighth inning to claim a victory, in part due to a huge RBI knock from Yoan Moncada. The second game in that series was more of the same, as the Sox came back against Justin Verlander and once again took the late lead with an RBI single from Moncada. At this point, most fans were hoping the series could be a turning point for the team. However, after losing the next two to Houston, the Sox would go on to split in Cleveland, really not making up any ground further from where they were.
After the series in Cleveland, the Sox made a quick one-game pit stop in Kansas City for a make-up game. That game did not go as planned for the Sox. It appeared that Michael Kopech was hurt before he even finished his warm-up tosses, but manager Tony La Russa let him start the game. His first pitch of the ball game was a 88mph fastball, and that in itself should have been a huge red flag to the White Sox coaching staff. Kopech exited the game after not recording an out in the first inning. His final line was one hit, four runs, and two walks. The Sox battled back in that game however despite the questionable move to leave Michael Kopech, but then in the bottom of the eighth, Joe Kelly came on to pitch. His outing was far from stellar, and at the end of the day, the White Sox dropped a 6-3 game that most fans felt they could’ve won.
Things didn’t get any better in Baltimore, as the club only won one game and gave away a second. With the team one out away from a victory, Adam Engel dropped a pop-up in foul territory, and later in the at-bat, Liam Hendriks gave up a game-tying homer. The Sox would go on to lose that ballgame. From there, the team was swept at home by the rebuilding Diamondbacks, giving most fans the sense that the season was over.
Coming off a series win against Kansas City, this team needs to go-go-go, and the time is now.
Playoffs?
After the dreadful series sweep to Arizona, there were ‘SELL THE TEAM’ banners all over the ballpark. The team was getting booed off the field, and it showed that fans were not happy with the play on the field or with manager Tony La Russa.
Before the series against the Royals, the White Sox announced that manager Tony La Russa would be taking a leave of absence from the team. According to reports, he flew back to Arizona to undergo further tests on his heart. This leaves bench coach Miguel Cairo in charge for the foreseeable future – and maybe he is the one who can help this club take care of business down the stretch.
As of Friday, September 2nd, the Sox sit at four games out of first place. The Twins are on a decline, and the Guardians just lost a series to the Orioles. So now it all goes down to the month of September to decide the division. The Sox need to go on a run; if they don’t, there will not be any October baseball. The one thing for sure is that no one cares about how you start – it is all about how you finish.
Top 10 Plays/Moments from August
10. Lenyn Splashes Down in KC
9. Lead-off Vaughn
8. Sheets Doubles Home a Pair
7. Cueto Goes Eight Strong
6. Late Game-Vaughn
5. Yo Sabe Embrague Pt. 1
4. Yo Knows Clutch Pt. 2
3. Yo-Yo With A Game Saver
2. Michael Kopech No-No Bid
1. Johnny Cueto 8.2 Innings of Shut-out Ball
Did we miss any? Let us know! It’s now or never time for the boys on the South Side!
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Featured Image: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports