After miscues, White Sox Moncada, Anderson get chance to 'catch their breath'

On most fronts, the Chicago White Sox played one of their best games of the season Wednesday night.

Dylan Covey delivered another quality start, the bullpen extended its scoreless streak to 23⅔ innings and the Sox beat the first-place Cleveland Indians 3-2 despite being outhit 14-4.

But there was a blip or two in the win.

Second baseman Yoan Moncada bobbled two groundballs at second base and Tim Anderson failed to glove another one at shortstop.

White Sox manager Rick Renteria held both middle infielders out of Thursday afternoon's starting lineup.

"Let them take a step back, catch their breath," Renteria said. "Both of them are trying a little bit too hard. Putting them both together on the bench, being able to maybe talk to them during the ballgame might be a good thing."

Anderson is hitless in his last 14 at-bats and Moncada is 1-for-12 om the Sox's homestand.

Players struggling at the plate are often guilty of having defensive lapses.

"I want to make sure that our young men, not only young men but our veteran players, understand they don't take at-bats to the field," Renteria said. "You have to be able to compartmentalize and separate. Just baseball thinking is, if you are not swinging it, you are catching it."

Anderson is 24 years old and in his second full season with the White Sox. Moncada is 23 and in his first full season.

Renteria understands both of his young players are going to have rough stretches.

"This game humbles you," Renteria said. "If you are not ready for every pitch defensively, it can also get you just like if you are not ready in the box or on the bases. You have to be ready for every pitch.

"They are continuing to learn those things. This is a grind. This is a man's game. This is a game in which focus and concentration is really required of you. You are playing against the best in the game."

Moncada pinch-hit in the eighth inning and flied out. Anderson also pinch-hit in the eighth and struck out.

"They are two kids that are pretty special in my eyes, in terms of who we are as an organization," Renteria said. "It's another phase of their growth. We spoke to them a little bit during the ballgame, more to some of the observations they were making on some of the plays that were made or not made, how guys were reacting, what they saw.

"They had some good responses, which was good. They're going to continue to get better. Our expectations are they will and they're going to be a part of something good here."

Feel the burn:

Nate Jones went on the 10-day disabled list Wednesday with a sore right forearm.

The White Sox reliever said he's been experiencing discomfort for "2-3 weeks," but he finally spoke up after pitching Tuesday night.

"There was one particular pitch that it kind of started burning a little bit on me," Jones said. "Obviously, I knew I was hurting the team rather than helping so I had to say something, get something done, and that's where we're at now."

Jones has had three elbow surgeries since 2014, but an MRI Wednesday indicated no further structural damage.

"It's a relief, absolutely," Jones said. "They compared my Tommy John ligament from last year to this year and nothing's changed."

In 6 June relief appearances, Jones allowed 4 runs on 4 hits and 4 walks over 4.1 innings.

"It was something I was feeling," he said. "I think not being able to finish pitches kind of hurt my location."