CLEVALAND — Left-hander Carlos Rodon’s primal scream echoed the White Sox’ frustration throughout an empty Progressive Field.
It cried out everything you need to know about the Sox’ first spin through their starting rotation in 2020 and the team’s worrisome 1-4 start.
After giving up a three-run homer to Carlos Santana in the first inning of a 5-3 Indians win that completed a doubleheader sweep, Rodon let loose in the visitors dugout with an R-rated yell and a right-handed toss of his glove.
Rodon, making his first start since May 2019 after recovering from Tommy John surgery, would face the minimum eight batters after the homer but he walked three Indians in the fourth and got pulled by manager Rick Renteria after 71 pitches. Rodon was charged with five runs, adding a crooked number to Dylan Cease’s four runs in 2 1⁄3 innings in a 4-3 loss in Game 1, Lucas Giolito’s seven runs in 3 2⁄3 innings against the Twins on opening night and a sore-shouldered Reynaldo Lopez’ four runs in 2⁄3 of an inning Sunday. Only Dallas Keuchel’s 5 1⁄3 innings of two-run ball Saturday was satisfactory in five attempts against the Sox top two rivals in the AL Central. The Indians are 4-1.
Cease gave up four runs on seven hits including home runs by Francisco Lindor in the first inning and Bradley Zimmer in the second and struck out one batter. He threw 34 of 64 pitches for strikes.
“Bad fastball command, bouncing my off-speed, not getting ahead,” Cease said. “Just not a good game.”
Small sample sizes can be unfair to ERAs but here goes for the Sox starters: Giolito 17.18, Keuchel 3.38, Lopez 54.00, Cease 15.43, Rodon 12.27.
Jimenez still out
Left fielder Eloy Jimenez was under league protocol due to initial symptoms from crashing into the wall Sunday and missed both games of the doubleheader, although indications were his return could be near. Jimenez left the Sox’ 14-2 loss to the Twins Sunday with light-headedness. He went through hitting, running and throwing activities.
Taking it low and slow with Robert
Rookie Luis Robert is off to a 7-for-19 start with a walk and home run in his first five games, but that didn’t alter Renteria’s and bench coach Joe McEwing’s stance on keeping him in the lower part of the lineup, at least for now.
“Just to feel like he doesn’t have to do more,” McEwing said Tuesday. “Just go out and be Luis Robert and not put the team on his back and try to put the team on his back and give him some extra pressure.”
Robert (.368 average) batted seventh in Game 1, behind left-handed hitting Nicky Delmonico, who is batting .125. Delmonico played in place of Jimenez.
With Jimenez and Nomar Mazara out and Edwin Encarnacion and Yasmani Grandal sitting out Game 2, Delmonico, who took a career .698 OPS into the game, was an odd sight batting fourth for a team whose strength is supposed to be run production.
Mazara, who went on the 10-day injured list July 21, joined the taxi leaguers in Schaumburg.
This and that
*James McCann hit his second homer in as many starts as the catcher in Game 2. Jose Abreu hit his first homer, double and scored on Delmonico’s single.
*Tim Anderson snapped an 0-for-18 skid with a homer and two doubles in Game 1.
*The Sox had 10 hits in Game 1 but were 4-for-15 with runners in scoring position.
*Lefty Ross Detwiler is one of four Sox pitchers to retire the first 15 batters of the season, joining Gary Glover (16 in 2001), Wilson Alvarez (15 in 1992) and Britt Burns (15 in 1980).
*The Indians had 54 strikeouts through the first four games, trailing only this season’s Reds for the most all time (59) through four.
