The Chicago White Sox couldn’t get a lot going offensively for eight innings Sunday towards the Los Angeles Angels.
The ninth was a distinct story.
The Sox despatched 11 batters to the plate and scored 5 runs. It nonetheless wasn’t sufficient as they fell 6-5 in entrance of 27,664 at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“I was pleased with them not only just in the ninth, we had a bunch of hits against a guy (Angels starter Michael Lorenzen) who really pitched well,” Sox supervisor Tony La Russa stated. “Give him a lot of credit. It’s just what we did in the ninth inning was very special. Could have been real special. We took our shot.”
Down a run, the Sox loaded the bases with two outs. Ryan Tepera, the third Angels pitcher of the inning, obtained Gavin Sheets to groundout to first to finish the sport and hand the Sox their eleventh loss within the final 13 video games.
“We fought in the ninth,” Sox heart fielder Luis Robert stated by means of an interpreter. “That’s a positive. We were able to come back in that ninth inning. It was good for us. Even though we didn’t win the game, it was a good battle. We know that we’re not passing a very good moment, but a game like today, the battle that we had in the ninth inning was good.”
The Sox discovered themselves in a gap two batters into the sport when Mike Trout homered off Dallas Keuchel. Trout additionally doubled and scored throughout a two-run third.
Keuchel allowed 4 runs on six hits with 5 walks (one intentional) and one strikeout in 5 innings.
“Without those early walks, it’s a totally different ballgame,” Keuchel stated. “That’s a really, very disappointing begin to issues. I’m nonetheless type of forcing issues early as a substitute of simply letting the sport circulate. If I can clear that up as properly, I’d be lots higher off shifting ahead. I like the best way the ball is shifting proper now. I just like the ball on the bottom.
“Outside of the backup cutter to Trout in the first, I really felt like I commanded well. It was just a matter of taking advantage of early takes. I really was just trying to establish what (Vince Velasquez) had started (Saturday). Outside of a few walks I’d like to have back, I really felt like I was getting some really weak contact.”
Keuchel (1-3) has surrendered 10 walks in his final two outings.
“It’s a lot easier to develop bad habits than it is to continue good ones,” he stated. “The second half of final yr, I used to be creating extra dangerous habits than I used to be doing properly. It’s only a matter of being comfy and doing what I’m doing between begins, feeling nice and commanding the ball, simply taking that into the sport persistently as a result of it’s there and if it’s not there, you type of see it with the walks.
“It’s usually a 2-2, 3-2 count. I’m not making that one pitch as easy as it should be. I should be able to command the zone early and get early contact. That’s a lot of what it is.”
Lorenzen (3-1) obtained loads of outs early in counts, aiding the right-hander in going a career-high 8⅓ innings. He allowed three runs on 9 hits with two strikeouts and two walks.
“He had excellent command of three pitches,” La Russa stated. “He stayed strong the whole game. I think our hitters took a lot of at-bats where we had somebody who made some good contact, got some hits. But he made a lot of quality pitches.”
Lorenzen went to the underside of the ninth with a 6-0 lead. First baseman José Abreu and Sheets singled and second baseman Leury García drove them dwelling with a one-out double.
Third baseman Josh Harrison knocked in García with a two-out double towards nearer Raisel Iglesias and scored on a Tim Anderson single, making it 6-4.
After initially being dominated out, Robert reached on an infield hit when the decision was reversed following a overview. Yasmani Grandal walked to load the bases and Iglesias hit Abreu, bringing dwelling Anderson to get the Sox inside a run.
Tepera retired Sheets with the grounder to finish the comeback bid, however the Sox — maybe — have one thing to construct on heading into Monday’s sequence finale.
“Nothing surprises me with what we do as a team,” Keuchel stated of the rally. “As properly as now we have not performed collectively, that was commonplace proper there. We’re battling. And it doesn’t imply if it’s on offense or protection or pitching, we’re in these ballgames.
“It’s nice to see smiles and hits, instead of sadness and slumber waiting for the next day.”
Rehab updates
Third baseman Yoán Moncada (proper indirect pressure) went 2-for-4 with a house run Sunday throughout a rehab task with Triple-A Charlotte towards Jacksonville.
Reliever Joe Kelly (proper biceps nerve damage) struck out one and hit a batter in a scoreless inning for the Knights.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com