BOX SCORES:
Game 1: White Sox 9 – Marlins 1
Game 2: White Sox 1 – Marlins 5
Game 3: White Sox 0 – Marlins 2
This series loss, possibly more than any other series loss this entire season really fucking grinds my gears. It’s a prime example why this front office, and to a lesser extent Rick Renteria, are taking what could be a very fun Sox team and grinding it into the dust. On top of that, you’ve got Steve Stone on Twitter telling us we should all just be happy and enjoy the fact that semi-professional baseball is being played on the South Side. We should just be happy that instead of bringing up prospects that could potentially benefit from major league experience we get castoffs like AJ Reed. Instead of signing players in the offseason that could potentially make this product emminently more watchable, we should be happy we get to watch Jon Jay and Yonder Alonso. I understand that Eloy and Tim are hurt, but REAL MLB teams are able to replace guys like that with players that can at least keep the team afloat. Instead we get more of the Reed/Engel/Castillo Triangle Of Death. To quote Lou Brown from Major League, “I’m sick of this nickel and dime shit!”
FUCKING BULLETS
NUMBERS DON’T LIE
-On the plus side, both Ivan Nova and Reynaldo Lopez continue their quest to redefine their seasons. Lopez in particular has gone from “Nickleback Greatest Hits Album” down to about “Mumford And Sons Unreleased Tracks” in terms of quality (Hey, it’s MY sliding scale). Granted, their 2 performances were against one of the more pathetic starting lineups in the league, but that’s what big league pitching is supposed to do. Lopez didn’t benefit as much as Zac Gallen did from HP Umpire Ryan Additon’s expanded strike zone, and did most of his work up in the zone where his fastball can do the most damage. Nova mildly impressed me in going the distance Monday night, but still only threw about 63% of his 112 pitches for strikes.
-Dylan Covey is not a starting pitcher, and trying a fucking 6 man rotation to keep hammering this square-assed peg into the round hole is only going to make his ERA worse. He very clearly could be the beneficiary of an opener, but Renteria and Hahn are being insanely stubborn about this, and I just don’t fucking get it.
-Jose Abreu looks like he’s pressing right now, and if I were him and saw the collection of stiffs my coach packed around me in the lineup I’d be pressing too. Every time I see AJ Reed step in the batters box I just think he’s one bad haircut away from becoming Guy Fieri Redux. Except the real Fieri would have a better chance of taking a slider to Flavortown, if you know what I mean.
-Renteria’s lineup construction is approaching 4D chess levels of confusion. Tuesday night the Marlins started Caleb Smith, who is far and away their best starter and also left handed. I know that McCann needs a break now and again, but instead of giving it to him tonight, against Gallen the righty, he did it against Smith. Who did he start instead of McCann at DH? Guy Fieri Jr, who’s a fucking lefty. Who’s splits against lefties are trash. Who he himself is pretty much trash, since that’s where the Astros put him.
-Yoan Moncada is still batting .300 with an .882 OPS at the end of July. Hell Yeah. (He still shouldn’t be batting cleanup, but whatever)
-I’m not totally sold on Ryan Goins right now, but I’d rather watch him than Jose Rondon. He’s not gonna make me forget that Tim Anderson left on his rehab stint today and should be back in a week. Yay!
-That’s about all I wanna say about this shitty series. It’s 2:30 in the morning and I still wanna punch my computer screen. The Twins are next, and if the lineup looks anything like it did Tuesday and Wednesday, get ready for a long fucking weekend.
