Tough stretch continues for Abreu, White Sox in 2-1 loss to Royals
Jose Abreu typically makes himself available to reporters, whether times are good or bad.
After Saturday afternoon's 2-1 loss to the Kansas City Royals at U.S. Cellular Field, the Chicago White Sox's most important hitter declined an interview request.
Quite possibly, Abreu is just as much lost for words as he is lost at the plate.
“There's something about the season, you go through tough stretches and this is probably his toughest stretch,” manager Robin Ventura said.
In his first two years with the Sox, Abreu had his fair share of slumps. But like most premier hitters, he emerged from them quickly and joined Albert Pujols as the only players in major-league history to have 30 or more homers and 100 or more RBI in each of their first two seasons.
Abreu can reach those plateaus again this year, but he is currently stuck in a downward spiral, as is the rest of the White Sox's offense.
Typically lethal with runners in scoring position, Abreu came to the plate against Kansas City Saturday with the bases loaded and no outs. The White Sox, who were trailing 2-0, needed him to come through, but Abreu looked uncomfortable at the plate while grounding into a double play that scored Dioner Navarro from third base.
“You could see it, as far as getting in those situations, trying to probably hit a 7-run homer,” Ventura said. “You can't get out of it that way. You've got to be able to relax and get through it.”
Now 1-for-11 over his last three games — in which the Sox have scored 4 total runs — Abreu has hit second in the lineup the past two games, and he was the designated hitter Saturday.
By batting him second, Ventura is trying to get Abreu to stop trying to pull every pitch. When he's going good, Abreu will go deep to left field, but he'll also hit the ball hard the other way.
Ventura might give Abreu a day off Sunday, but there is little or no concern he'll eventually get it going with the bat.
“We are not worried at all,” said Todd Frazier, who hits behind Abreu and is also slumping. “He'll be fine. You know, I think he knows what he needs to do. I talked to him a little bit today. We've all be through it. I'm 0-for-8 in the series, so I'm struggling, too, if you want the truth.
“We all have to come together as a unit, as hitters, and understand that we are good and when we get opportunities, we have to capitalize whether it's a sac fly or groundout and do our job. That's what we haven't been doing as hitters.”
Abreu is also swinging in the indoor cage behind the Sox's dugout, so Ventura might want to consider telling him not to pick up a bat at all for a day or two and hit the reset button.
“You've got to ride through it,” Ventura said. “You've got to find a way to get through it. The tough part of baseball is they don't just give you a week off where there aren't going to be any games. I don't know if he gets a day off or not, but we'll be there for him.”