White Sox Pitchers Face Challenges In Tough Series Against Tigers

CLEVELAND, OH – The Chicago White Sox suffered a tough 4-3 loss against the Detroit Tigers on Sunday at Comerica Park, unable to hold a late-game lead. The defeat completed a disappointing series sweep, dropping the White Sox to 2-7 for the season.

Detroit staged a dramatic comeback, scoring three runs in the ninth inning after the White Sox led 3-1. Spencer Torkelson delivered the game-winning hit, a two-run double down the left-field line. “Credit the Tigers there for continuing to battle,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “But just too many walks out of the bullpen. We expect better out of those guys.”

The White Sox’s bullpen issues were evident, as they issued eight walks throughout the game, with six from relievers after starter Martín Pérez‘s solid 6 1/3 innings. Pérez allowed just one run on four hits while striking out four. “Our bullpen is in the zone, it’s going to be hard to beat us,” said reliever Fraser Ellard. “But I walked two guys and those guys came in and scored.”

Adding to the challenge, designated hitter Andrew Benintendi left the game in the fifth inning with left adductor tightness. “He felt OK today. And then that first at-bat, it started flaring up on him a little bit,” Venable explained.

Despite the loss, there were moments of brilliance for the White Sox. One notable play was a headfirst slide by Matt Thaiss, who scored from first base on a double from Brooks Baldwin. “Once I saw the ball off the bat, (scoring) was kind of all I was thinking about,” Thaiss said.

Mike Tauchman made his Sox debut on Sunday, going 1-for-3 with a run and a walk after being reinstated from the injured list. Tauchman had been recovering from a strained right hamstring. “Fortunate that it was pretty mild and we didn’t miss too much time,” he stated.

In previous outings, White Sox pitcher Shane Smith also faced challenges during his first major league start against the Minnesota Twins last week. The 25-year-old allowed two runs on two hits with three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings but didn’t factor in the decision. He is preparing for his second start against the Cleveland Guardians this week and remains optimistic. “I did some really good things and there’s definitely things to clean up — whether it be mechanically or what I’m trying to do with pitches,” Smith reflected.

Smith expressed enthusiasm about bonding with teammates, referring to the past week as “awesome”. His teammate Mike Vasil, who also experienced the journey of transitioning into the major leagues, praised Smith’s determination. “I see how hard he works every day,” Vasil remarked.

The White Sox will need to regroup quickly as they look to bounce back during their next series. Venable emphasized the necessity of improvement, especially in their bullpen performance. “There’s a lot of different factors. I think for us, as things have kind of unfolded here, we’ve been aggressive in everything that we’ve done. And I think that’s what we’re going to have to do moving forward.”