Red-hot Cleveland jumps closer to division title after sweeping the White Sox
Even when the White Sox are officially eliminated from the playoffs, which should be sometime early next week, acting manager Miguel Cairo still isn't likely to give a concession speech.
"This is not over," Cairo said. "They've got to be ready to come and work, they've got to come and perform, they've got to come and play hard."
For the most part, the Sox have checked all of those boxes since Cairo replaced Tony La Russa on Aug. 30.
Playing their best baseball of the season heading into this week's make-or-break series against the first-place Guardians at Guaranteed Rate Field, the White Sox fell just short in Tuesday's opener and were blown out Wednesday.
Thursday night, the Sox lost 4-2 and were swept by red-hot Cleveland. The Guardians have won 15 of 18 and are running away in the AL Central.
"We just fell short to a really good team," Cairo said. "They've been playing good. It was a tough task, and sometimes you win and sometimes you lose."
Johnny Cueto started for the White Sox and allowed 4 runs (3 earned) in 6 innings.
Eloy Jimenez had an RBI single in the first inning, and Gavin Sheets homered in the eighth.
Cleveland starter Shane Bieber held the Sox to 2 runs over 7⅔ innings.
Given the high expectations heading into the season - the White Sox were a near-consensus pick to repeat as division champions - it's no wonder a dismayed fan base can't wait for it to be over.
Yoan Moncada heads a list of underachieving players who have been hearing boos, and they were out in full force Wednesday after he made three defensive miscues on the first inning.
One of them was a seemingly lethargic play coming in on Amed Rosario's slow roller, and Cairo addressed it with Moncada.
"I didn't want to get into the difficult bounce," Moncada said through a translator. "That was my read of the ground ball, just prepare to step back and then try to rush it at the end. That's what I explained to (Cairo)."
Moncada missed the first month of the season with an oblique injury, and the Sox have been unable to stay healthy the entire season. That's been one of the many problems.
"It has been a challenging season for sure," Moncada said. "With all the injuries that we've been dealing, if you see all the things that we have done with the players and the situation, you can't say it has been a bad season. It has been difficult for sure, and I think definitely not the season that we were expecting. But that is what it is."
Out since Aug. 7 with a finger injury, Tim Anderson took live batting practice against Davis Martin on Thursday and is still hoping to rejoin the White Sox before the season ends.