White Sox required to play Sunday finale per MLB rules – Lineups & Preview 9/8
By James Fegan
“F*** you doin, Andre?” // Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
While you’re all watching the Bears game because they have yet to began actively ruining your mood and mental health, the White Sox will be playing the finale of their four-game set in Baltimore and 10-game road trip in hell. They have scored 25 runs over these nine consecutive losses, which is good for a 2.78 average.
So, if the White Sox hit to their average for this trip every time for nine games, and Chris Sale pitched all of the inning while still maintaining his ERA for all of these games, the White Sox would still go 0-9 because 2.78 runs per game is stupid awful.
Please, please, please try to argue that the baserunning and defense is the bigger problem for the team with the worst offense in the AL (as in worst than the Astros). Please do it. It won’t break anyone’s brain, just go ahead and do it.
Avisail Garcia is out of the lineup Sunday because he needs to have a tooth pulled. An easier to segue to describing what watching the Sox without A. Garcia is like has never existed.
White Sox Lineup:
1. Alejandro De Aza – CF
2. Leury Garcia – 2B
3. Alexei Ramirez – SS
4. Adam Dunn – DH
5. Jeff Keppinger – 1B
6. Conor Gillaspie – 3B
7. Dayan Viciedo – LF
8. Jordan Danks – RF
9. Bryan Anderson – C
Andre Rienzo, SP
Gordon Beckham is in a horrifying slump that is ruining all the nice thoughts that were had about his season. In his last 180 plate appearances (I picked this total because it makes the problem look as bad as possible but it’s also a round number) Beckham is hitting .208/.289/.302. So yeah, a day off is fine.
Paul Konerko starting at first base and batting in the middle of the order against a right-handed starter really wasn’t any better than Jeff Keppinger doing the same, but it felt better!
Andre Rienzo is tasked with breaking the losing streak after allowing 10 earned runs in nine innings with seven walks and strikeouts apiece, but at least he has had a week of rest.
Baltimore Orioles Lineup:
1. Brian Roberts – DH
2. Manny Machado – 3B
3. Adam Jones – CF
4. Chris Davis – 1B
5. Nate McLouth – LF
6. Matt Wieters – C
7. Nick Markakis – RF
8. J.J. Hardy – SS
9. Ryan Flaherty – 2B
Bud Norris, SP
At the very least, the unadulterated crazy of Danny Valencia serving as the designated hitter and slugging at Frank Thomas levels takes a break for a day.
Where to Watch: 12:35 pm CT on CSN Chicago and MASN 2 (Subjugated again)
Follow James Fegan on Twitter @JRFegan