More red flags as White Sox get swept by Blue Jays
Given the marathon length of the major-league season, it is always wise to not put too much emphasis on the first two months of the season - good or bad.
There are so many twists and turns through the early schedule, and ups and downs are inevitable for even the best teams.
That being said, it's June.
And while there are still 113 games left on the schedule, the White Sox are starting to look like a team that's going nowhere fast.
Some days, it's sloppy defense. On others, it's Little League grade baserunning. On most, it's an offense that's MIA.
Add in a never-ending string of key injuries, and you have a pretty good idea of who the Sox are at this stage. After an 8-3 loss to the Blue Jays Thursday afternoon at Rogers Centre, they're in bad shape.
Looking to avoid a three-game sweep in Toronto, the White Sox's offense was held in check by Alek Manoah, a mammoth 6-foot-6, 285-pound righty who has been one of the best starting pitchers in baseball so far.
Trailing 4-0 in the eighth inning, the Sox's bats came to life and were back in the game after Luis Robert delivered a 2-run double and Yoan Moncada followed with an RBI single.
Kendall Graveman would have likely come on in relief in the bottom of the eighth but the right-hander, along with starting pitcher Dylan Cease, were placed on the restricted list before the White Sox arrived in Toronto Monday.
The Canadian government requires all visitors must have received a second vaccine dose - or one dose of Johnson & Johnson - at least 14 days prior to entering the country.
Players on the COVID-19 restricted list do not get paid and do not accrue major-league service time, per a March agreement between MLB and the players' association.
With Graveman unavailable, Reynaldo Lopez got the ball in the eighth and was tagged for 4 runs on 2 hits and a walk without recording a walk.
Johnny Cueto started for the Sox and gave up 4 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits over 6 innings.
The White Sox are now 23-26 and have dropped to third place in the AL Central behind Minnesota and Cleveland. They also have a -55 run differential, one of the worst in the game.
If the Sox weren't in such a soft division, they'd be in a hole that would be difficult to escape.
Still, something needs to change and it's not going to get any easier with their next six games coming against the Rays in Tampa and the Dodgers at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Manager Tony La Russa, who is taking the brunt of the blame for the Sox's woes, offered a solution after Thursday's loss.
"What you do is you get angry," La Russa told reporters in Toronto. "You don't get frustrated, you don't get discouraged. You don't pout. You just get angry, do something about it and get ready to play Friday."