It’s no fun when you’re getting your butt kicked on a daily basis.
It’s even worse when it’s cold, wet and windy outside, with maybe a couple hundred hearty souls braving the elements to watch till the very end at your home park.
And, after sitting through a one hour, 39-minute weather delay, watch more bad White Sox baseball is what they did. With right-hander Reynaldo Lopez getting lit for eight runs on 10 hits including three home runs in 4 1/3 innings — the third bad start in as many outings for the Sox best pitcher in 2018 who is viewed as an important part of their rebuild — and with Rays righty Tyler Glasnow dominating with a career high 11 strikeouts of six scoreless innings of two-hit ball, the Sox completed a 1-5 homestand with a 9-1 loss to the Rays.
The Rays (10-3) outscored the 3-8 Sox 24-7 in a three-game sweep. It may be year three of the Sox rebuild, but another 100-loss season, which wasn’t part of the plan, doesn’t look to be out of the question. Not at this rate, anyway.
“We’re as frustrated as anyone else,” manager Rick Renteria said. “We’re looking for solutions.
“I told the guys we’re going to be all right. It’s something we have to weather.”
Lopez struggles again
Most troublesome for the Sox was Lopez, whose ERA climbed from 10.00 to 12.15. On a day when the Sox needed him to go deeper because of their taxed bullpen, he recorded the team’s sixth straight poor start, four of those by the Carlos Rodon, Lucas Giolito, Lopez portion of the rotation that is supposed to be the team’s future.
Renteria said there are no excuses for Lopez. It’s simply a matter of poor command.
“Some of his misses are significant, when they are a foot or two at time,” he said.
Lopez said his mechanics are off.
“The thing frustrating me the most is I know that those guys are trying to do their best and I haven’t been able to help them,” Lopez said.
“Three bad outings. There is no other way to say it.”
Tommy Pham, the second batter in the first inning, hit a two-run homer on Lopez’ first pitch and it was all downhill from there.
They’re in the money
According to figures researched by Forbes, the White Sox are worth $1.5 billion, which ranks 14th in the major leagues and represents an increase of 11 percent increase over last year when they were valued at $1.35 billion.
The Sox’ financial picture looks even better from a profitability standpoint. According to Forbes, they rank sixth with a $76 million operating income behind the Dodgers ($95 million), Phillies ($94M), Cubs ($87M), Giants and Red Sox ($84M each).
The Sox don’t make their financial information public, but a team spokesman challenged the veracity of Forbes’ annual estimates and said it’s unclear to them where the numbers come from in Forbes’ estimates.
Frare optioned to Charlotte
Lefty Caleb Frare, after making his first Opening Day roster, was optioned to Class AAA Charlotte after the game. A corresponding move will be made Friday to replace Frare who allowed two earned runs over 2 2/3 innings in four relief appearances.This and that
Eloy Jimenez, batting .279, doubled in the ninth inning for his first extra base hit.
*Reliever Kelvin Herrera extended his scoreless innings streak to four.
