April 1 (Game 5): Bullpen and Yolmer Sanchez Team Up for a Crap 8th Inning
White Sox (2-2) @ Indians (1-3)
Ivan Nova v Mike Clevinger
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This experiment must hate Yolmer Sanchez.
Stream it!: https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/2019/04/01
The first change of scenery for the 20MM season starts with Mike Clevinger striking out the White Sox in order, and then seemingly doing it every inning thereafter. Wellington Castillo got the team's first hit in the 5th. When Clevinger finally left the hill after 7 innings, he had struck out 12 and only allowed 1 hit. The Sox got a strong start, too, with Ivan Nova also going 7, but leaving the game on the short end of a 1-0 score.
Then came the 8th. It started great - Yoan Moncada doubled to left to score Jose Rondon, then Ryan Cordell jacked one to give the Sox a 3-1 lead. And then the White Sox bullpen entered the game. Jace Fry walked Leonys Martin, got Jose Ramirez to fly out to center, then gave up a double to Jake Bauers. Rick Renteria makes the interesting decision to bring in Dylan Covey to intentionally walk Carlos Santana (he wanted to turn Santana around so he would not-actually-bat left-handed?), which loads the bases. Next, Hanley Ramirez's soft liner hits off the heel of Yolmer's glove, allowing Martin to score. Max Moroff (who?) singles to left, scoring another run and keeping the bases loaded. In perhaps a well-intentioned bid to take the heat off of Yolmer, Covey and Caleb Frare walk the next two batters to allow 2 more runs. Alas, even when optimizing a season, the Sox still struggle on defense and in the pen.
Final Score: White Sox 3, Indians 5
Then came the 8th. It started great - Yoan Moncada doubled to left to score Jose Rondon, then Ryan Cordell jacked one to give the Sox a 3-1 lead. And then the White Sox bullpen entered the game. Jace Fry walked Leonys Martin, got Jose Ramirez to fly out to center, then gave up a double to Jake Bauers. Rick Renteria makes the interesting decision to bring in Dylan Covey to intentionally walk Carlos Santana (he wanted to turn Santana around so he would not-actually-bat left-handed?), which loads the bases. Next, Hanley Ramirez's soft liner hits off the heel of Yolmer's glove, allowing Martin to score. Max Moroff (who?) singles to left, scoring another run and keeping the bases loaded. In perhaps a well-intentioned bid to take the heat off of Yolmer, Covey and Caleb Frare walk the next two batters to allow 2 more runs. Alas, even when optimizing a season, the Sox still struggle on defense and in the pen.
Final Score: White Sox 3, Indians 5
Game Notes:
- I've been picking on Yolmer, but the man had a lot on his mind at the beginning of the 2019 season. His homeland of Venezuela was falling apart, and fears for the family that he had living there had to be weighing on him. Here's to better times ahead for a guy I always enjoyed watching.
- I seem to have repressed most of my memories of the White Sox defense the past two years. I knew it was bad, just not this bad. For the second time in 5 games, Eloy Jimenez and that day's shortstop (Tim Anderson or Rondon) let catchable balls drop between them. I know Eloy is brand new at this point, but, my god, when will this franchise ever play decent defense?
- I had forgotten about Ryan Cordell. Also, Hanley Ramirez.
- WhiteSox MVP: Cordell. Always fun to see a fringe guy get a big hit.
- Are We Going to Have to Name This for Yolmer? (LVP): Yep...it's Yolmer (4 times now in 5 games). 0-4 again, then the big error in the bottom of the 8th. Sorry, man...I swear it's nothing personal.
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