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Sox’ first defeat of 2012 looks a lot like 2011

It is often said that too much emphasis is placed on Opening Day results.

It is only one game, after all, and with 161 left to play, no one player or team should make too big a deal of the first game of the season.

Of course, those who say it are on the losing side, and those who say no one will remember the first game a month from now probably had a bad day.

In this case, that would be Brent Morel.

The White Sox third baseman struck out four times in Texas Friday, and it wasn’t really as good as it sounds.

In the field, he took a couple fierce hops off the body, one for an error and one that wasn’t designated such but ultimately cost the Sox their first game of the season in a 3-2 loss to the two-time, defending American League champs.

Just after the Sox had tied the game at 2-2 in the top of the sixth, Josh Hamilton led off the bottom of the inning by jumping on the first pitch for the third time in 3 at-bats against starter John Danks, and singled to left.

On a 2-0 count, Adrian Beltre hit a smash to Morel, who took a one-hopper off the chest, and instead of a routine double play, Morel had to go to first and the Rangers had the go-ahead run on second.

And when you’re a team with little margin for error, you know what happens next. Michael Young hits a shot to left for a basehit and you’re down a run.

That’s how the Sox lost Friday in Texas, and while it’s only one game, it felt like so many from last year when the Sox simply couldn’t muster much offense.

The box score says the Sox outhit the Rangers 8-6, and the good news is Adam Dunn continued his solid spring with the eighth Opening Day home run of his career, an absolute bomb to right off Rangers starter Colby Lewis.

That cut the Texas lead to 2-1 in the sixth. With two outs Alex Rios managed to get on base for the only time all day when he leaned into a 74-mph curveball, taking a free trip to first base.

Running on an 0-2 count with two outs, Rios had a good view of a soft liner to left-center by Alexei Ramirez, and when David Murphy was slow to the ball, third base coach Joe McEwing waved Rios home with an aggressive decision that paid off in a 2-2 tie.

So there were some positives Friday for the Sox.

Danks was terrific against a brutal Texas lineup, and Addison Reed and Matt Thornton threw scoreless innings, while Dunn hit the ball hard twice and had as many walks (1) as strikeouts.

But Gordon Beckham struck out 3 times and four Rangers pitchers whiffed 13 Sox for a Texas Opening Day record.

Robin Ventura is a positive guy and it’s not likely he will let his players walk away from a single game feeling like the misery of 2011 has returned.

But for any fan watching the game, it had a similar feel.

So many of the questions from last year remain unanswered throughout the lineup, and on Day 1 of 2012 it was easy to wonder again about the offense.

That’s why the Sox will insist it was only one game.

That is what you do with questions when you lose on Opening Day.

And it’s what you say when you’re unsure of the answers.

brozner@dailyherald.com

Ÿ Listen to Barry Rozner from 9 a.m. to noon Sundays on the Score’s “Hit and Run” show at WSCR 670-AM, and follow him @BarryRozner on Twitter.

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