White Sox come out flat, fall to Pirates for fifth straight loss
Like injuries, the losses are starting to pile up for the White Sox.
On Tuesday night at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, the Sox were flat early, energized after pinch-hitter Yasmani Grandal delivered a 3-run homer to give them the lead and doomed by relief pitcher Garrett Crochet late.
The lowly Pirates, who came in losers of 11 of their last 13, came away with a 6-3 win. The White Sox have lost five in a row.
Grandal said having Monday off after a long stretch of games was probably a bigger factor than another injury, this time to outfielder Adam Engel.
"I think we're used to it by now," said Grandal, who came off the bench in the seventh inning and hit a 409-foot home run to center field off Pittsburgh starter Tyler Anderson. "We had guys go down in spring training, we had guys go down in the beginning of the year, we still have guys going down. We're used to that and don't really think too much into it.
"We're still going to go out there and we're going to play baseball. We're going to play our game and that's what we need to get back to."
After starter Lucas Giolito pitched 6 innings and allowed 2 runs, Crochet came on in the seventh and couldn't hold a 3-2 lead.
The left-hander faced four batters and gave up 4 runs on 4 hits, all singles. Pinch-hitter Erik Gonzalez's 2-run hit snapped a 3-3 tie and decided the outcome.
"The word is cruel, because Yaz lit up the dugout," manager Tony La Russa said. "We'll talk what could have been done better to change the outcome, but probably the one thing that I'm sure Garrett regrets is he got the one breaking ball up to the pinch-hitter."
The Sox have one more game against the Pirates before getting another day off.
"Tough little stretch," Giolito said. "It's just kind of a test right now. Rough series (at Houston), then we dropped this first game. I think maybe it's a little wake-up call we need. We've got to come ready to play from the beginning of the game.
"Feeling pretty good after my outing and that huge home run by Yaz to give us the lead right there. But just unfortunate the rest of the way. I think all we need to do is kind of learn from these last few days and just come out maybe a little more aggressive, a little bit more hair-on-fire tomorrow, get back on track."
Kopech update:
Michael Kopech is showing some improvement as he tries to come off the injured list, where he's been since late May with a strained left hamstring.
After doing some light throwing Tuesday, the right-handed pitcher is scheduled to throw off the mound before the White Sox wrap up a two-game series against the Pirates Wednesday.
If all goes well, Kopech is lined up to face to live hitters in a simulated game Friday when the Sox are back home.
"Hopefully, the throw goes good tomorrow, Friday especially is a positive and then we'll see where we are," manager Tony La Russa said. "He is getting better, getting closer."
Before he does return to the White Sox, Kopech is likely going to need a minor-league rehab assignment given the amount of time he's missed.
"You don't want him to come back and be unfair to him and the club, just cold turkey and not have the proper preparation," La Russa said. "I just think let's see Wednesday, let's see Friday and when we get him back, it's smart to get him back."