With seven games to go before the playoffs, and a two-game lead over the Twins in the AL Central to protect, now would be a fine time for the White Sox to get some of their lagging bats going.
“Lagging” and “bats” haven’t been connected much when writing the story of the 2020 Sox, who are averaging 5.2 runs a game, second behind the Yankees in the American League. But the average is 3.2 in the last seven games, and now they face the Indians and their stout pitching staff (including MVP candidate Shane Bieber on Tuesday) for four games starting Monday night in Cleveland. The regular season wraps up with three games against the Cubs at home this weekend.
The Sox (34-19) lost two of three to the rolling Reds over the weekend, their first lost series since losing two of three to the Twins Aug. 31–Sept. 2. The Sox’ five-homer explosion in the only win of the series showed the pop in their offense — they rank second to the Yankees in homers. But Tim Anderson, an MVP candidate who hit his ninth and 10th homers in that game, cramped up in his right hamstring in Sunday’s 7-3 loss and might need at least one day off.
Additionally, almost half of the Sox lineup is scuffling:
Luis Robert: After winning AL Rookie of the Month honors for July/August, the ultra-talented center fielder is batting .100/.203/.150 with one homer and 23 strikeouts in 70 plate appearances in September. When Robert does make contact, he’s not hitting it as hard, either, with an exit velocity average dropping about 10 mph this month
Yoan Moncada: Arguably the team’s MVP in 2019, Moncada (.233/.327/.378) hasn’t been right physically most of the season after testing positive for the coronavirus. Moncada has one hit, a triple Saturday, in his last 22 at-bats and is 15-for-80 in his last 22 games and has no homers since Aug. 17, leaving him a game shy of his longest career streak without a home run (25 games). Manager Rick Renteria has given Moncada planned days off, and his last one was Sunday.
Nomar Mazara: He hit 20, 20, 20 and 19 homers in four seasons with the Rangers but finally hit his first as a Sox on Saturday. While the right-handed hitting Adam Engel (.306/.342/.444) is much better defensively and has hit better, Renteria is giving the left-handed hitting Mazara —0 who hit a 505-foot homer against the Sox last season — every opportunity to find his swing. Mazara is slapping singles to left and hitting .216/.289/.289 with a .574 OPS. He’s 4-for-32 in his last 10 games.
Edwin Encarnacion: The 37-year-old DH has slugged 434 homers in his career, including 10 this year. But he has only 12 additional hits (four doubles, 10 singles) over 153 plate appearances. He’s batting .164/.257/.418 with a .674 OPS and showing increased frustration with each pop out or strikeout.
The cherry on top of the Sox’ two-game lead is a lead of three in the loss column. Additionally, the Sox own the tiebreaker with the Twins (33-22) by virtue of a better record against the division. The Sox took three of four from the Twins in their postseason-clinching series at Guaranteed Rate Field last week and were 5-5 against the defending division champs.
Dallas Keuchel referred to the playoffs as “the real games” Saturday, so there’s time to get swings and approaches in the right place in these last seven of the shortened 60-game season.
“One of the best things is Nomar hit his first homer, and Moncada is not swinging it like he’d like to [but] we’re still putting up runs,” Keuchel said after the Sox hit five homers Saturday.
In large part of late thanks to Jose Abreu, Eloy Jimenez, Anderson and Nick Madrigal. Catchers James McCann and Yasmani Grandal have also carried their weight, although Grandal is still trying to find a good rhythm.
“Guys carrying the torch right now, who knows in a week and a half, maybe somebody else will be picking up the slack,” Keuchel said. “With this lineup so deep, at any point in time you’re going to have two or three guys that are going to carry the torch.”
