The Sox lost the first of four against the Baltimore Orioles tonight, getting shut out at home for the first time against the Orioles in over five seasons. The highlight of tonight’s game was the major league debut of Lenyn Sosa, who wasn’t supposed to make an appearance but was called into action to replace an injured Josh Harrison.
Johnny Cueto took the hill for the South Siders and pitched well enough to keep the Sox in the game, as he gave the club 5.1 innings of three-run baseball – all you can really ask for from a fifth starter. Following Cueto were Reynaldo Lopez, Jose Ruiz, and Jimmy Lambert, who all pitched well enough on a pretty quiet night overall.
On the offense, obviously, the White Sox bats were not there today. They went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base in the process. On top of that, any time the White Sox squared up a baseball, one of the Orioles’ trio of outfielders was there to somehow catch it. Seby Zavala, Gavin Sheets, and Jake Burger double in the loss, while Lenyn Sosa reached base for the first time in his career via a walk in the ninth. Other than that, it was a pretty lifeless night on offense.
With the loss, the Sox fall two games under .500 at 33-35. This is a big series for the Sox who need wins to catch Minnesota and Cleveland. The Sox are now 4.5 games out of first place in the AL Central.
W: Dean Kremer (2-1) | L: Johnny Cueto (1-4) | S: Jorge Lopez (12)
StatCast Breakdown
Box Score
Offensive Recap
Pitching Recap
Notable Performances
Johnny Cueto: 5.1 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
As a fifth starter, Johnny Cueto gave the Sox all you can ask for. He limited the damage to three runs but was given no run support to help. For the first time in a White Sox uniform, he did not complete six innings. Cueto threw 104 pitches, and 66 of them were strikes.
Next Matchup
The Sox will take on these same Orioles tomorrow at 7:10 over on NBC Sports Chicago. Michael Kopech will take the mound, and he will face off against Kyle Bradish.
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Featured Image: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
