Bottom line: White Sox offense continues to struggle, miscues don't help in 3-1 loss
A good, consistent offense can erase so many mistakes.
Looking at you, White Sox.
In Friday night's 3-1 loss to the Red Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field, Tim Anderson made an error in the third inning while playing second base for the first time in his career.
Anderson dropped starting pitcher Lucas Giolito's pickoff throw and Boston cashed in with an unearned run.
In the fourth, shortstop Elvis Andrus booted a ground ball for an error and Red Sox star Rafael Devers followed with a 2-run homer.
That was it for Boston's offense, but it was more than enough to send the White Sox to their eighth loss in 11 games.
"Defense today wasn't good," manager Pedro Grifol said. "But at the end of the day, we've got to hit. We've got to step on home plate. We've got to string base hits together, base hits and walks together, and we've got to hit homers with men on base. That's it. The bottom line."
It's been a depressing topic for three months, and the Sox's offense continues to struggle.
The White Sox outhit the Red Sox 8-4 and Giolito and relievers Gregory Santos, Reynaldo Lopez and Keynan Middleton combined to strike out 17 Boston hitters.
Giolito pitched 6 innings and allowed an earned run on 3 hits and a walk to go with 10 strikeouts.
"I feel like I'm ramping up a little bit now as we get into the hotter temperatures," Giolito said. "I've always preferred throwing in 70 (degrees)-plus. Looking forward to continue to build off today. I'd like to go out with that kind of stuff consistently, because if I do, and I'm able to make those quick adjustments when I need to, then I feel very confident I'll keep pitching well."
Grifol knows Giolito pitched well enough to win.
"He had a great slider today," the White Sox's manager said. "He was throwing it for strikes, he was throwing it for chases. He pitched up in the zone. He mixed. Obviously his changeup is always going to be there. It's a great pitch for him. He just mixed it up really well and commanded the baseball and never really backed down."
The White Sox have been pressing with runners in scoring position and that was the case again in the series opener.
After going 0-for-7, the White Sox are 7-for-64 (.109) with RISP over their last eight games.
Earlier this week, general manager Rick Hahn discussed the Sox's lackluster showing hitting in the clutch.
"When those opportunities arise and the team isn't playing well, the guys try to hit a 5-run home run," Hahn said. "'I'm going to get us back in it and here's my opportunity' instead of just letting the talent take over and the game come to them. That's when you see the pressing the most."
Anderson has been sidelined with a sore right shoulder and wasn't originally in the starting lineup because he's having trouble throwing.
He was a late add at second base, which is a shorter distance to first base.
On dropping Giolito's pickoff throw, Anderson said: "I just didn't see it."
As for when he can return to shortstop, Anderson said he "hopes" it's soon.