Chicago White Sox: Bullpen woes hurt them in extras

The Chicago White Sox are off to a slower start than some people would have expected. A lot of it still has to do with that first series with the Los Angeles Angels but there are some concerns with this team early on. It is a long season and very early but there is plenty of time to get it corrected but the bullpen isn’t what it needs to be right now. It isn’t all their fault so far this season as the defense hasn’t been stellar but it could be better.

The Chicago White Sox bullpen needs to be better as they progress through the season.

The White Sox lost their game to the Kansas City Royals on Sunday by a final score of 4-3. It was a game that they lost in extra innings so it isn’t like they were horrible but they had the game won. Dylan Cease has a really nice five-inning outing before Michael Kopech came in and dominated for a few innings. That was nice to see before things fell apart in the 8th inning.

Aaron Bummer allowed a run to score which gave the Royals a 2-1 lead. Later, Adam Eaton would give the White Sox a 3-2 lead heaving into the 9th inning. It was close to being over but Liam Hendriks uncharacteristically gave up a solo shot which tied the game.

In extra innings, that rule where a runner starts on second is still in effect. Garrett Crochet had a good inning but some solid bunting by the Royals allowed them to take a 4-3 lead. The White Sox were unable to score in the bottom of the tenth and lost the game. It was a tough game to lose because they should have had it in the bag.

Bullpen woes early in the season are better than bullpen woes later in the season. There is a lot to like about how Kopech and Codi Heuer were playing in this game but there is a lot to fix. You don’t have to worry about Liam Hendriks because he is one of the best in the world but it needs to get corrected quickly. The fact that the offense didn’t look like themselves in this game didn’t help things but they aren’t going to hit five home runs every game.

Now, they have a nice challenge ahead of them in the Cleveland Indians. They are a good pitching squad so the offense will need its best in order to score. The White Sox pitching will be facing an Indians lineup that will have its up and downs this season. It would be nice to see them take full advantage of it. The bullpen needs a great series really badly because it would really help with their confidence going forward.