It was beyond embarrassing. The last place White Sox, 14-29 and 14½ games out of first place, arrived in Cincinnati with one road series win in their last 21 series.
But with two straight wins, the White Sox clinched the three-game series against the Reds, losers in nine of their last 11.
In their last 10 games, the Reds scored more than four runs once — a 13-9 win in Houston when they scored 10 in the first inning.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Runs in the last 10 games: 2, 1, 0, 13, 0, 4, 4, 1, 0, 1.
During their current residence in the doldrums, in most games they are second class, second fiddle, second hand and second banana.
On Wednesday, with thousands of fans wearing Rose’s ’14,’ the Reds displayed a new mode of futility.
In the first three innings, they put their leadoff hitter on base and didn’t score. And they did it again in the sixth.
Until the eighth inning, the Reds were on a streak of 0 for 26 with runners in scoring position.
Gavin Lux, batting leadoff, singled to open the bottom of the first. But Elly De La Cruz hit into a double play.
Austin Hays led the second with a double, but White Sox starter Davis Martin struck out Spencer Steer and Jose Trevino and Will Benson grounded out.
Matt McLain opened the third with a single, but Rece Hinds drove one to the wall that was caught, Lux flied out and Santiago Espinal grounded out.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Lux led the sixth with a double, but Espinal and De La Cruz grounded out and with Lux on third Hays struck out.
“The approach matters,” said manager Tito Francona about how his team responds with runners in scoring position. “There are times when we need it (approaches) and when you have a bunch of opportunities it kinda gets glossed over.”
The Reds these days are as much fun as taking a 3-and-2 fastball right down Main Street.
The White Sox scored a run off Nick Lodolo in the second when Luis Robert Jr. singled, stole second and scored on Andrew Vaughn’s single.
Chicago made it 2-0 in the fifth when Lodolo walked Chase Meidroth and he came around to score on a two-out single by Robert.
The margin expanded to 3-0 in the fifth on a 3-and-2 home run by Lenyn Sosa and a home run in the seventh off relief pitcher Scott Barlow by No. 9 hitter Michael A. Taylor.
About giving up the 3-and-2 home run to Sosa, Lodolo said, “It was a 3-2 count and I didn’t want to walk him, you know? I thought I could beat him in the zone. I didn’t think it was a bad pitch, on the outer half, and he put on a good swing.
“I didn’t want to give up a free base there so I took my shot and he got me,” he added.
Lodolo pitched 5⅓ innings and gave up three runs and seven hits, an effort that dropped his record to 3-and-4 with a 3.42 earned run average.
It was not awful, but it wasn’t good against a team like the White Sox.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
“They did a pretty good job of laying off his fastballs inside,” said Francona. “That ran his pitch count up (98 in 5⅓ innings).
“Saying that, he gave up a home run late,” he added. “He pitched OK and on a lot of nights, we’re patting him on the back. But that’s just not where we’re at right now.”
Spencer Steer decided in the seventh inning that if leadoff hitters getting on base weren’t scoring, he would lead off the seventh by doing something else.
He homered and it was 4-1.
With two outs in the eighth, De La Cruz doubled and Hays ended Cincinnati’s runners in scoring position misery at 0 for 26 with a run-scoring single.
Chicago led, 4-2, entering the ninth and put trust in Mike Vasil, who had zero major league saves and had walked 15 batters in 24 innings this season.
True to form he walked Benson on four pitches with one out in the ninth. And he threw ball one to McLain.
Instead of making certain Vasil might throw six straight balls, McLain swung at the 1-and-0 and flied to right. Rece Hinds grounded to third and it was over.
On the positive side, Will Benson played center field in place of injured TJ Friedl and made three above-and-beyond defensive plays.
“Very good,” said Francona. “The first play (chasing down a line drive) on a ball over his head was a tough play. A really tough play, a good play.”
The Reds will try to make many more good plays and concoct some hits with runners in scoring position Thursday afternoon in the series finale.
NEXT GAME
Who: White Sox at Reds
When: Thursday, May 15, 12:40 p.m.
TV: FanDuel Sports
Radio: 1410-AM
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