The Chicago White Sox had escaped hassle a number of instances all through Saturday afternoon.
Until the ninth, when the Miami Marlins scored 5 within the inning to beat the Sox 5-1 in entrance of 25,793 at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The Sox have been three outs from their seventh victory in eight video games.
But then got here a ninth to neglect, that includes two singles, a double, a pair of walks and a fielding error as a one-run lead grew to become a four-run deficit.
“It wasn’t a good day for us in the ninth inning today as a team,” supervisor Pedro Grifol mentioned.
With the loss and the Minnesota Twins’ 9-4 win at Toronto, the Sox (29-37) are 4½ video games out of first within the American League Central.
They had an opportunity at retaining tempo, entered the ninth main 1-0 due to a homer by Andrew Vaughn within the fourth.
Reliever Joe Kelly surrendered back-to-back singles to start the ninth. He walked Jorge Soler, loading the bases. Bryan De La Cruz hit a grounder to shortstop Tim Anderson, who charged however couldn’t subject it cleanly. The tying run scored on the error.
“I think I just tried to rush the throw (to the plate),” Anderson mentioned. “I knew they had a fast runner at third (in pinch runner Jonathan Davis). I just really tried to rush it. I just (messed) it up. That’s really what it was.”
Grifol mentioned in that state of affairs the Sox have been within the “X play,” which supplies the crew the choice on a hard-hit ball of turning a double play or on a slower hit ball going to the plate.
“He might have been in between there,” Grifol mentioned. “But he made a terrific play final night time (fielding a hard-hit ball within the sixth and throwing dwelling to chop down a runner on the plate) to save lots of a ballgame. Today he couldn’t make that one.
“Timmy has been doing this a long time. He is good at what he does. He works. It’s the way the game is. Get back after it tomorrow.”
Anderson added: “Just continue to keep working, keep trying to get better.”
With the bases nonetheless loaded, Kelly walked Jesús Sánchez on a nine-pitch at-bat. Luis Arraez scored, giving the Marlins the lead.
The Marlins scored three extra within the inning — two approaching a double by Jean Segura in opposition to reliever Garrett Crochet.
Kelly, one of many simpler relievers for the crew, allowed 5 runs (two earned) on two hits with two walks in one-third of an inning.
“They were good at-bats,” Kelly mentioned. “The pinch hitter, Garrett (Cooper), received him 0-2, (he) received a very good hit (to start out the inning). (Luis) Arraez is Arraez, received a success away (to left subject) and the opposite guys began battling.
“They weren’t swinging at anything out of the zone. But they put together some really good at-bats.”
The Sox bullpen as a complete had been sharp just lately, coming into Saturday with a 2.21 ERA of their earlier 25 video games. Kendall Graveman, who pitched the earlier two days, and Liam Hendriks, who picked up the save Tuesday and a win Friday, have been amongst these unavailable Saturday.
Before the sport, Grifol famous that he’d wish to keep away from utilizing relievers three days in a row.
“This is a long season, and the most important thing in this season is health,” Grifol mentioned earlier than the sport. “I’m not going to risk these guys’ health and compromise our potential to have a good season just based on throwing three days in a row or two games in a doubleheader.”
The Marlins broke via Saturday after Sox starter Michael Kopech navigated via a ton of site visitors early.
Kopech allowed 5 hits whereas placing out six and strolling one in 5 scoreless innings. He exited after throwing 100 pitches.
The Marlins had a runner in scoring place in every of his 5 innings, however Kopech labored out of the jams.
“Today was more of a grind day,” Kopech mentioned. “It was going on the market and gritting my method via it. Didn’t have my greatest stuff. Struggled a little bit bit with command. Overall, it was form of falling behind guys and having to work via a little bit little bit of site visitors.
“Grateful to put up some zeros and kind of keep us in the game.”
Marlins starter Sandy Alcantara — the 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner — had a robust outing, permitting one run on three hits with 4 strikeouts and two walks in seven innings.
“Alcantara is Alcantara,” Grifol mentioned. “He was fairly good at this time. He was hovering round 95, 96 (mph) and when he received in hassle, he’d go 98, 99. He pitched rather well.
“We took a one-run lead into the ninth and had the right guy on the mound. Just one of those days.”
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Source: www.bostonherald.com