Two tough calls for Grifol in another first for Sox skipper
HOUSTON — It’s two days right into a 162-game Major League Baseball season.
That’s a mantra White Sox followers ought to repeat following a 6-3 loss to the Astros on Friday at Minute Maid Park on an evening when the 2022 World Series winners acquired their championship rings. Houston scored six unanswered runs to erase a three-run deficit heading into the underside of the sixth.
“We’re 1-1. That’s it. It’s two games in,” stated White Sox starter Lance Lynn, who yielded two runs over 5 2/3 innings with six strikeouts and 4 walks. “Everybody is playing hard and that’s all you ask.”
“This is a very talented team. A very good group,” stated third baseman Yoán Moncada, by way of interpreter Billy Russo. “We have people with experience here. We have what we need in order to have a good season and to keep playing good baseball.”
Game 2 of an extended season was not too early for White Sox gamers to place blame upon themselves in defeat.
Lynn battled by way of an evening the place he was simply lacking with a few of his pitches, which isn’t unusual for a primary regular-season begin, however he nonetheless made the large pitches to carry Houston scoreless into the sixth. With two outs, José Abreu singled and Kyle Tucker launched a no-doubter to middle area slicing the result in 3-2.
“I have to get through that inning,” Lynn stated. “If I get by way of that inning, we’ve acquired an opportunity to win. Put the bullpen in a nasty spot. They needed to come get me out of the inning, and it didn’t go our method after that. If I get by way of the sixth, it positively offers us a greater likelihood.
“When you don’t go six innings, you didn’t do your job as a starter. So, I didn’t do my job tonight and it cost us the game.”
The recreation turned utterly within the seventh when Kendall Graveman walked No. 9 hitter Martín Maldonado with two outs and no one on base. Graveman was changed by southpaw Jake Diekman with the bases loaded and two outs, with Diekman introduced in to face Yordan Alvarez. After falling behind at 1-0 within the rely, Alvarez linked on a sinker that didn’t sink for a bases-clearing, three-run double.
Two robust requires Grifol — bringing in Graveman on back-to-back nights to open the season after which going lefty/lefty for Diekman vs. Alvarez. Two calls Grifol felt good about postgame.
“We talk to these guys before the game. He was ready to do that,” Grifol stated of Graveman. “He threw 11 pitches yesterday. He felt good.
“Alvarez is just a good hitter,” added Grifol of the Diekman matchup. “He left a fastball out over the plate a little bit, and [Alvarez] made a good swing on it. I liked the matchup, for sure.”
Grifol has to love what he’s seen from Tim Anderson — the All-Star shortstop has two multihit video games and has been on base six occasions. Grifol has to love Eloy Jiménez delivering two run-scoring doubles on Friday, after Yasmani Grandal launched a game-tying residence run in Thursday’s opener.
And Moncada appears to be like just like the Moncada of previous. He had three hits and an RBI within the loss, constructing off his all-tournament choice within the World Baseball Classic. Moncada’s success is crucial for the White Sox to bounce again in 2023.
“He’s seeing the ball really well,” Grifol stated. “Moncada is playing really good baseball with a lot of energy.”
“I’ve been able to carry that momentum to the season,” Moncada stated. “I’ve been working the same way.”
The White Sox would have most popular to take a 2-0 mark into the ultimate two video games of this opening sequence. But it’s two video games, and the White Sox are feeling good about how they’re taking part in.
“Obviously you never want that to happen,” Graveman stated of the late loss. “But you have to proceed to work and get higher. Somebody’s going to choose us up tomorrow and let’s go attempt to win a sequence and win a recreation. We’ve nonetheless acquired two forward of us.”
