The Chicago White Sox entered Friday’s slate of games trailing the Cleveland Guardians for first place in the division by 3.0 games. Unfortunately, they were defeated by the Detroit Tigers in the first game of a three-game series.
It was seen as a series that the White Sox needed to sweep but that is impossible now. Lucas Giolito got the start and he did okay. He went 4.2 innings and gave up just one run on four hits and three walks. He also had five strikeouts.
Not even completing five innings is a problem but with the way this season has been going, giving up just one run in a start is something that he will take.
The White Sox offense mainly was abysmal. They let Matt Manning dominate them with very mediocre stuff. They didn’t have a good approach to the plate and that is why they took advantage of pretty much no opportunities.
The Chicago White Sox made it a terrible loss to the Detroit Tigers on Friday.
The only good offensive inning that they had was a two-run eighth inning once Manning left the game. That got the game tied at two and it held all the way until extra innings.
Liam Hendriks came in the 10th inning where he let the winning run come home on a sacrifice fly. It was the ghost runner on second that won it so it isn’t like he pitched bad but he just didn’t get a strikeout or a groundball when they needed it most.
Seeing the Tigers, who are one of the worst teams in Major League Baseball, celebrate a walk of victory at the expense of the White Sox in a situation like this was painful. Honestly, it has to be one of the lowest points of the White Sox season.
As we have talked about all season long, the White Sox always reel folks back in just when you think its over so don’t count them out yet but this is hard now. They must defeat the Tigers in these final two games are they are toast.
The problem now is that the Cleveland Guardians did in fact beat the Minnesota Twins on Friday night. Now, the White Sox are back to being 4.0 games out of first place. That is going to be even harder to come back from. They will give it their best effort starting with this Saturday game in Detroit.