Chris Sale Days used to be a source of joy and fulfillment – Lineups 6/19
By James Fegan
Surely everyone is looking for more proof that the month of June has drawn out like a rusty, poison and feces-tipped blade for the 2013 White Sox. (What’s grosser? That line or a 5-11 record?)
Well here’s some–Chris Sale has made three starts this month, thrown 21.1 innings, posted a 2.11 ERA, struck out 25, walked only four and allowed one poorly-timed opposite-field U.S. Cellular Style home run to Josh Donaldson. The White Sox have lost every last one of these games, scoring four runs in the process.
Chris Sale has been starting, Chris Sale has been being all that Chris Sale is billed as and the White Sox offense has dragged it into the mud and defiled it. Sale’s even been credited with the loss all three times. Who can explain to Michael Wilbon that Chris Sale has not been terrible this month?
No one can, and he is inconsolable as a result.
Today’s Lineup:
1. Alejandro De Aza – CF
2. Alexei Ramirez – SS
3. Alex Rios – RF
4. Adam Dunn – DH
5. Paul Konerko – 1B
6. Conor Gillaspie – 3B
7. Dayan Viciedo – LF
8. Gordon Beckham – 2B
9. Tyler Flowers– C
Chris Sale, SP
Last night brought about a run explosion against the worst starter in all of baseball. The White Sox pounded out four whole runs on 10 hits over six Mike Pelfrey innings and Conor Gillaspie rose from the doldrums to golf a monstrous home run into right field stratosphere. To see the Sox rallying from an early 4-0 deficit against even a pitching staff as shamefully moribund as the Twins was arguably more encouraging than Dylan Axelrod‘s regression and struggles were inevitable.
Like someone who just managed to stack three plates on top of a vase on top of a basketball, Robin Ventura has opted not to shift a single thing about the lineup save for swapping out Tyler Flowers for Hector Gimenez. That’s probably prudent.
Twins lineup:
1. Brian Dozier – 2B
2. Joe Mauer – C
3. Ryan Doumit – RF
4. Josh Willingham – DH
5. Justin Morneau – 1B
6. Trevor Plouffe – 1B
7. Oswaldo Arcia – LF
8. Clete Thomas – CF
9. Pedro Florimon – SS
Kevin Correia, SP
The last time the White Sox saw Kevin Correia, he tossed back-to-back booming home runs to Adam Dunn and Dayan Viciedo and tricked us all into believing in an offensive resurgence. He still cannot strike out a soul and has been pounded for 14 home runs in 83.1 innings. This is a Twins pitcher, this is a vulnerable pitcher. It’s up to the White Sox to put the numerous opportunities they will get into action.
Where to Watch: WCIU. All apologies.
Follow James Fegan on Twitter @JRFegan