Costly errors lead to White Sox loss to Dodgers
Jun 2, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Chicago White Sox second baseman Gordon Beckham (15) forces out Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Chone Figgins (18) at second base in the first inning at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
In what should have been a 15 or so pitch sixth inning, turned into a two-error, five unearned run mess by the Chicago White Sox, giving the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-2 win Monday in the first game of their three-game set.
How does an inning like that happen by a team ,that hopefully, is expected to play better baseball than that?
Gordon Beckham committed the first of the two errors in the inning, then with two outs, and what should have ended the inning on a routine jog to third base, wasn’t that at all.
Conor Gillaspie fielded the ball at third, but instead of running to the bag for the force out to end the inning, he decided to try and make “Baseball Tonight throw,” and launch the ball over to first base, but the ball bounced and Jose Abreu was unable to field the ball for the out.
It was all over for the White Sox after that.
Those two errors allowed the Dodgers to score the aforementioned five runs, with the Dodgers continuing the inning and the White Sox continued to let them score.
The White Sox finished the game with three errors, as Beckham committed his second error later in the contest.
I don’t blame White Sox pitcher Jose Quintana for being visibly angry following the error by Gillaspie, because it has to be getting really old that his teammates are awful on defense for the most part when he’s on the mound. Sometimes he doesn’t get much run support either.
Quintana finished the game with six innings pitched, allowing five unearned runs on six hits and two walks. He struck out five.
That sixth inning wasn’t fun at all (unless you like the Dodgers) … and it will be one of those innings we shouldn’t forget this season, because it could happen again if the folks in charge of making the decisions decide to continue to sit back and relax on revamping this defense.
This group has over 40-plus errors already this season, and two of those errors Monday cost the White Sox an important game. I come from the belief that all 162 games mean the same, not just ones later in the season.
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That sixth inning (I’m still shaking my head) led to an uninspired remainder of the game for the White Sox. It also led to commentary where we learned about how Hawk once rode a mule at Dodgers Stadium for $25.
Chicago’s loss drops them to 29-30 on the season. The Dodgers move to 31-28.
The season is in June now, innings like what we saw in the sixth where a player doesn’t do the routine things right shouldn’t be happening anymore. Right?
But what do I know, I’m not a major leaguer.
One plus on the night was Jose Abreu hitting a two-run home run in the fourth inning against Clayton Kershaw in his return from the disabled list, giving the White Sox at the time a 2-0 lead.
Abreu finished 1-for-4 in his return.
As for Kershaw, he pitched eighth strong innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits and no walks. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner struck out nine.
The White Sox finished with five hits, while the Dodgers had six hits in the game.
Tuesday’s pitching matchup will be Hector Noesi (0-3, 4.33 ERA) for the White Sox against Dan Haren (5-3, 3.28 ERA) of the Dodgers.