Chicago White Sox return home, fall to Orioles
Adam Eaton was on the move Friday.
No, the Chicago White Sox's standout right fielder — who is back in center after trade acquisition Charlie Tilson tore his left hamstring in a Tuesday game at Detroit — didn't get traded in a waiver deal.
Eaton simply packed up his locker and moved down the wall next to Justin Morneau.
“Morneau, he's like, ‘Why are you by two righties (Todd Frazier, injured Brett Lawrie)?' ” said Eaton, a left-handed hitter. “And I'm like, ‘I don't know.' He's like, ‘Why don't you come down here next to the two lefties,' with (Alex) Avila and Morneau, so we're going to talk a little more.
“As petty as it is, and you guys don't care, but it gets cold in that (old) seat and, seriously, my body hurts from sitting in that seat and so it's good for the body and for the mind. I'm excited for my relocation.”
When Monday afternoon's nonwaiver trade deadline passed, veteran relief pitcher Zach Duke was the lone Sox player to be relocated to another team. Duke was sent to the St. Louis Cardinals for Tilson, who didn't even make it through his first major-league game before being lost for the season with the hamstring injury.
Maybe general manager Rick Hahn trades a player or two in August, but this latest disappointing White Sox team (52-57) is going to stay together until an expected off-season overhaul.
Returning home Friday night following a 2-6 road swing to Wrigley Field, Minnesota and Detroit, the Sox fell to the Orioles 7-5 at U.S. Cellular Field.
Facing his former team, White Sox starter Miguel Gonzalez took the loss after allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 10 hits in 6 innings. Gonzalez (2-6) pitched for Baltimore from 2012-15 and was released in spring training.
“It really meant a lot to me,” Gonzalez said. “There was definitely some adrenaline going. I felt good overall, but we came up short. I knew what they're capable of doing. They have a great lineup, but you can't give in.”
Offensively for the Sox, Jose Abreu homered in the fourth inning, just his 13th on the season but second in as many games.
It would take a miracle for the White Sox to get things turned around and make the playoffs for the first time in eight years, but that's about all they have to play for.
“You really never want to pick up and move, in any case or scenario,” Eaton said. “It's kind of a touchy subject because our job is to come win baseball games and the thought of getting rid of guys is kind of not fun.
“Whether it's a relief or not, your job is to win baseball games and come here ready to play. I think that's what most guys focus on, and we kind of have to or you'll think yourself into a tizzy.”