Hit or miss White Sox fall to Rangers, 5-2

Remember that edge the White Sox used to play with?

The swagger?

Yeah, it's been a while. Pretty easy to forget.

The energy was missing again in Monday night's 5-2 loss to the Rangers at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Returning from a West Coast trip after going 2-4 against the Dodgers in Los Angeles and the Mariners in Seattle, the Sox looked to be playing with some jet lag while losing for the eighth time in 11 games.

Hitting in the clutch has been the biggest problem all season, and the futility was on display again as the White Sox opened a six-game homestand.

The Sox were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and they squandered a big chances in the eighth and ninth innings.

With the bases loaded and one out in the eighth, Yasmani Grandal and Jake Burger struck out swinging to end the rally.

In the ninth, the White Sox had runners on first and second with no outs and failed to score again.

Tim Anderson used to supply much of the edge and swagger, but the shortstop is batting .250/.291/.293 with no home runs and 10 RBI.

Anderson missed his second straight game with a sore right shoulder.

"He's ramping up his activity today," general manager Rick Hahn said. "Pretty thorough examination from our docs this morning. He says he's feeling better, which is good. And he could be back in there this series at some point. It's been a difficult season for him overall.

"The knee injury in Minnesota early set him back some. When he initially came back, he wasn't feeling 100% himself but was able enough to try to contribute. It's been an uncharacteristic season for him."

If Anderson doesn't get back and get going, the Sox's offense is likely to stay in slumber mode.

"You go through a little adversity, you start searching a little bit," manager Pedro Grifol said. "I'm not really concerned about Tim Anderson getting back to who he's been. I just want to see him starting doing it because as he goes, we go as a team."

Andrew Vaughn and Luis Robert Jr. supplied the White Sox's offense with back-to-back solo home runs in the sixth inning.

The Sox's last 9 home runs have all come with no runners on base.

"I think we scored a couple of runs via the basehit in Seattle," Vaughn said. "But it's all been solo home runs. It would be better to just string some hits together and get it rolling."

Tanner Banks came out of the bullpen and started against Texas. The left-hander pitched 3⅔ innings and gave up 3 runs on 5 hits.

Roster moves:

Before Monday night's game against Texas, White Sox infielder Romy Gonzalez landed on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation.

Starting pitcher Lance Lynn was placed on the Bereavement List.

Reliever Nick Padilla was recalled from Class AAA Charlotte and infielder Jose Rodriguez was recalled from AA Birmingham.

Padilla pitched 1⅔ scoreless innings of relief against the Rangers.

The 22-year-old Rodríguez hit .238/.274/.429 with 9 home runs and 25 RBI in 44 games with Birmingham. His stay with the Sox is likely to be short, so Rodriguez will enjoy it while it lasts.

"It means a lot to me," he said through a translator. "It has been the biggest dream that I ever had. To be here is definitely a dream come true."

Montgomery debuts:

Sidelined since spring training with a back injury, No. 1 prospect Colson Montgomery played his first game of the season Monday night.

Montgomery was the designated hitter for the Arizona Complex League White Sox. When he's back in the flow, he'll return to shortstop and likely be promoted to high Class A Winston-Salem.

Montgomery is expected to play with the ACL Sox for two weeks