The Chicago White Sox did just about everything right in the ninth inning of the April 9 game against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field.
And they still came away with a loss.
Miguel Vargas singled to left for what looked like a sure game-tying two-run hit against elite closer Emmanuel Clase. One run scored, but Mike Tauchman — who was just coming back from a hamstring injury — suffered another while making his way home. He began hobbling between third base and the plate and was tagged out to end the game as the Sox came up a run short.
It was a symbol of a month filled with injuries and close losses.
The Sox wrapped up April on Wednesday with another tight game, tied with the Milwaukee Brewers into the eighth. The visitors scored three in the inning and held on to defeat the Sox 6-4 in front of 10,253 at Rate Field.
Miguel Vargas had three hits, including an RBI single in the eighth, in the loss.
The Sox committed three errors.
A run scored on a fielding error by third baseman Gage Workman in the first inning. Joey Ortiz singled and advanced to second on a fielding error by Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi in the fourth. Ortiz later scored on a sacrifice fly. And second baseman Lenyn Sosa made a throwing error during the three-run eighth.
“We just didn’t make the plays we needed to, really, as simple as that, to be honest,” manager Will Venable said.
The Sox concluded April with a 7-23 record. They have just one more victory than last year’s dreadful 6-24 start on the way to setting the modern MLB record for losses in a season with 121. They are in last place again in the American League Central, trailing the division-leading Detroit Tigers by 11½ games.
“We know that a lot of things have to happen in our favor in terms of execution for us to win ballgames,” general manager Chris Getz said before Tuesday’s 7-2 loss in the series opener. “You look at some of the players that are coming back from a health standpoint, we know that we’re going to get a boost from them. And we feel like more wins are in our future.
“From watching the games, whether it be up close or from afar, we’re in these ballgames, we’ve got chances to win almost every night. It’s just a matter of executing at the right time. There’s a lot of season left and we know that these guys are capable of going out there and winning more ballgames. And we also know reinforcements are on the way.”
The Sox anticipate reinstating infielder Chase Meidroth from the injured list this week. And infielder Josh Rojas, who hasn’t played a regular-season major-league game yet because of a fracture in his right big toe, is on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte and could be back next week.
The timelines for outfielders Tauchman (right hamstring strain) and Austin Slater (right knee meniscus tear) are more in the “two-to-three (week) range,” Getz said.
Before heading on the IL with right thumb inflammation, Meidroth provided a spark by going 7-for-26 with four runs and five walks in nine games. Tauchman is 4-for-10 with two walks in three games.
The offense could use a boost. The Sox are 5-1 when they scored five or more runs and 2-22 when they scored four or fewer.
“We’ve got a pretty good feel for the strike zone on the offensive side,” Getz said. “Our chase rates are down. Our two-strike chase is in a good spot. However, the in-zone contact can be improved. You look across the diamond, I do feel like guys are going to be more productive as the weather warms up. Individually you look at the adjustments some of our players are making. Miguel Vargas is a prime example of that. A guy that a little over a week ago we didn’t know which direction this was going to go, but he’s really squared up a lot of baseballs. He’s getting to fastballs, driving it to all parts of the field.
“That’s certainly an indication of good things happening. Having (Benintendi) back in the lineup (after missing time with a left adductor strain) putting together quality at-bats for us. Luis Robert has been streaky. There are times when you feel like he’s about to take off. So he hasn’t quite put it together on a regular basis but you look at his walk rate, you look at what he’s doing on the bases and defensively, there are plenty of positives there.”
Catcher Edgar Quero has been a positive, hitting .306 in the 13 games since arriving from Charlotte.
Getz said offensively as a whole, “We’ve got some work to do. We do. There’s no question about that. We’ve got a plan in place for each guy. There’s an attack plan to win a game each night. We just need to go out there and start doing it.”
Despite a similar record to last season, the Sox have improved numbers such as starting pitching ERA (from 5.57 to 4.00 coming into Wednesday). One of those starters, Rule 5 draft pick Shane Smith, has been a bright spot. He has a 2.23 ERA in six outings after allowing one earned run in five innings Wednesday against the Brewers.
“For a guy that hasn’t really pitched above Double-A, he had some innings in Triple-A, but to come here and pitch the way that he does, it just speaks to his ability and his confidence and also speaks to the group of players and staff here to support him,” Getz said. “Shane is doing really well and we expect him to have a really productive, healthy season for us.”
The rotation did take a hit last week, transferring Martín Pérez to the 60-day IL with a left flexor strain on April 21.
As the Sox look ahead to May, Venable pointed to areas “where there are some of these things that we’re doing really well and a lot of them that we’re not.”
“And that’s going to be the focus for us and really honing in on these different things that we know lead to wins, and attack those areas,” Venable said. “That’s on both sides of the ball, and we’re just going to go to work on those things.”
Getz is also keeping in mind the big picture and the development of players throughout the farm system.
“We don’t want to rush any players, we want to make sure they’re in the best position possible to come up to Chicago and perform,” Getz said. “We have to be patient, we do. And it is frustrating when we don’t win ballgames, but we’ve got greater hopes of bringing this together and we know it’s going to take time, but we’re all confident it’s going to happen.”
