After a good weekend of early scoring, the White Sox bats had their wings clipped on Monday versus the Orioles in a 2-1 loss.
The pitching staff fought well versus a struggling Baltimore lineup, keeping them in check for only two runs during the game. Reliever Grant Taylor made his third opening appearance in four days, allowing his first hit as an opener. He maintained his clean sheet, however, escaping and paving the way for Erick Fedde.
It was Fedde’s longest career relief appearance, where he went six full innings, tacking on four strikeouts. It would have been a quality start, had there not been an opener. The spring signing had two allowed runs that came only in the fourth and fifth.
Apart from that, no earned runs on either side came from anyone but Fedde and Baltimore closer Ryan Helsley, who fought off a White Sox surge in the ninth. Lenyn Sosa was able to bring Munetaka Murakami home on a groundout after he reached via a walk. It was up to the birthday boy, Edgar Quero, to save the Sox, but the South Side was sent home as Helsley struck him out.
Baltimore pitching allowed only three hits before the ninth, with starter Brandon Young going five scoreless. He was followed by two Oriole relievers, Tyler Wells and Rico Garcia, before Helsley stood tall against Chicago’s last stand.
The offense felt silent for the White Sox, with their three hits before the ninth coming from Austin Hays, Chase Meidroth, and Andrew Benintendi‘s swinging-bunt single. Other than those three, walks drawn by Murakami and Miguel Vargas made up the remainder of the output.
Hays, unfortunately, left the game after he came up limping while attempting to chase after a Tyler O’Neil fly ball. Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman was able to score as Hays’ limping prevented him from reaching the sure-fire fly out. In the fifth, Baltimore’s superstar Gunnar Henderson went deep to right.
For Hays, the team said he left the game with a hamstring strain and will be evaluated further. He was placed on the injured list and will be replaced on the roster by Dustin Harris.
With Fedde’s great pitching yesterday, it is clear that the bottom of the rotation has proven slightly more reliable than the top. We will see Shane Smith attempt to redeem his All-Star form of last season today, as the White Sox get another shot against the O’s. It has yet to be said if Grant “The Opener” Taylor will be trying to guide Smith through Baltimore’s lineup, or if someone else will try to blaze a trail as an opener.
After Baltimore snapped a cold streak of its own and snapped Chicago’s three-game winning streak, they will trot out Trevor Rogers, who has been excellent in his first two starts. Rogers went seven scoreless against the Twins and gave up two runs in six innings to the Rangers. It gets no easier for the White Sox, and hitting will have to improve if they want to wrest a series win from the Orioles.
As a reminder, due to expected cold temperatures, today’s game was moved up to 2:10 PM after a previously scheduled 6:10 PM start.
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Featured Image: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Worst. Team. In. Baseball. Again.