Down and out: White Sox now 6 games back after another loss to Guardians
The White Sox put up quite a fight, but they lost to the Guardians Tuesday night and basically were eliminated from the playoffs.
In desperate need of a win that would have cut Cleveland's lead in the AL Central to 3 games with 14 to play, the Sox fell 10-7 in 11 innings.
"Hey, they played hard," said Miguel Cairo, the White Sox's acting manager. "They played their butt off. They went out there and competed and they did their job."
Cairo blamed himself for the loss, although he declined to mention specific gaffes.
"It's my job to put them in the best position to succeed and I didn't do that," he said. "So it was my loss. When they win, they win because they're the ones that are playing. They battled yesterday, they fight, we just came up short."
Looking like a team that knew they let a season full of promise completely slip away, the Sox came out against the Guardians Wednesday night at Guaranteed Rate Field and went through the motions in the first three innings.
That was more than enough of a head-start for a gritty Cleveland team that is the youngest in MLB and loaded with speed and pitching.
Taking advantage of some early lackadaisical defensive play from third baseman Yoan Moncada, the Guardians raced out to a 5-0 lead and cruised to an 8-2 win.
Cleveland (82-67) now holds a commanding 6-game lead over the second-place White Sox with 13 to play.
"We didn't play good," Cairo said. "They played better than us. They came to play today and we didn't play good."
Moncada couldn't convert any of his three defensive chances in the first inning and one of them was a costly throwing error.
He also trotted to first base after grounding out in the bottom of the first.
"I said something (to Moncada) but that's staying in the dugout and staying in the clubhouse," Cairo said. "That'll stay between me and him."
Another error by left fielder Andrew Vaughn in the third inning put the Sox in a bad spot, but starting pitcher Lance Lynn blamed himself.
"I have to be better," Lynn said after giving up 6 runs (3 earned) on 9 hits and a walk over 6 innings. "Gave up runs early and put us in a hole. Right now, it's a punch in the gut. Come back and try to win tomorrow and see if we can salvage the rest of the year."
Cairo wasn't conceding anything heading into Wednesday's game, but losing the series opener to the Guardians deflated the Sox's clubhouse.
"We know where we're at," outfielder AJ Pollock said. "We know the situation. The goal was to win the first game. I've been in situations where the math doesn't seem right."
•The White Sox are still deciding when shortstop Tim Anderson is going to be activated off the injured list.
The all-star shortstop has been out six weeks after having surgery on his middle left finger, but Cairo said Anderson will be back with the Sox before the season ends.
•Luis Robert was held out of the starting lineup Wednesday for the 18th time in the last 24 games with left wrist and hand soreness. The center fielder is in a 1-for-28 slump.