Jays Lose 3-0, White Sox Complete Sweep
· Yahoo Sports
This series has been pretty grim. The pitching hasn’t been awful, one significant meltdown notwithstanding, but the offence largely hasn’t shown up against a pretty bad pitching staff, and now the Jays find themselves on a 1-5 skid and below .500 for the season.
In case the results weren’t enough, Addison Barger had to leave the game in the sixth, a couple of innings after appearing to hurt himself stretching for first trying to beat out a throw. The issue was described on the broadcast as “bilateral ankle discomfort.” We’ll have to wait and see what that actually means, and whether it causes him to miss time. Hopefully not, as the injuries are piling up at a concerning rate early this season.
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Davis Martin. Vladimir Guerrero jr. lined a single in the first, the only Jay to reach through two. In the third, Andres Gimenez worked a lead-off walk. Brandon Valenzuela, in his first MLB at bat, lined a sharp single to right. Two outs later, Vlad walked to load the bases. Addison Barger grounded one over second base, for what looked likely to be a hit, but shortstop Tanner Murray made a great play getting to the ball and throwing him out at first. An Ernie Clement line single was all they managed in the fourth.
The White Sox got on the board against Eric Lauer in the first, although it wasn’t all his fault. His velocity was down, and he was scattering the ball in a way that isn’t like him. It seems like the illness that got his start pushed back from yesterday was sticking with him. Chase Meidroth lead off with a double on a soft grounder hooked into left field. Lauer rallied to get the next two, but then Daulton Varsho misplayed a soft liner by Miguel Vargas, turning a short single that might not have scored the runner into a standup triple. Lauer walked Edgar Quero, but a long Lenyn Sosa fly ball was caught by the track for the third out. It took 28 pitches to get through the inning, and Pete Walker had relivers warming up before the third out was recorded. He gritted his way through the second, working around a single and a walk, then walked Murakami to begin the third. That was the end of his afternoon. The freshly called up Austin Voth took over, allowing the inherited runner to score on a Sosa double but limiting the damage there.
In the bottom of the fourth, Luisangel Acuna lined a single, advanced on a wild pitch, and scored on an Austin Hays single, increasing Chicago’s margin to three.
George Springer lined a single in the top of the fifth, but it was erased by a double play. Voth got two outs in the bottom half and issued a walk before being lifted for Joe Mantiply, the other pitcher called up for today’s game, who struck out his man to end the inning.
Martin set the Jays down in order in the sixth. Mantiply returned the trick in the home half, adding a pair of strikeouts.
The Jays had just a little more luck off reliever Bryan Hudson in the seventh. Varsho and Clement lined singles to bring the tying run up. He got the next two outs, though, before giving way to Jordan Leasure. Leasure struck out Springer to end the inning. Spencer Miles worked a smooth 1-2-3 inning, picking up a strikeout. Leasure returned for a clean eighth. Miles gave up a couple of singles in his second inning of work, but got out of it without allowing any runs.
Down to their final three outs, the Jays faced Crhis Murphy. Kazuma Okamoto walked, but that was all they’d manage.
Jays of the Day: Nobody qualifies.
Less so: Springer (-0.10), Lukes (-0.13), and Barger (-0.12) qualify, but really the whole offence can share the credit.
Mercifully, they’re done with the White Sox. Things will undoubtedly get easier as they go home to face… *checks notes* … the Los Angeles Dodgers. Justin Wrobleski (0-0, 6.75) will start game one for the visitors, while Max Scherzer (1-0, 1.50) represents the home team. First pitch is set for 7:07pm ET tomorrow night.