CLEVELAND — There’s a slow start.
And then there’s the collective slump the Chicago White Sox found themselves in offensively through the first 10 games of 2024.
The Sox entered Tuesday with just 16 runs, the fewest in the majors and the fewest for the franchise through the first 10 games since 1968 (11 runs).
The Sox were blanked in Monday’s series opener against the Cleveland Guardians, 4-0, the fourth time they’ve been shut out. That’s a franchise record and tied for the most in American League history through 10 games.
Tuesday was a much better beginning at the plate for the Sox, who scored five runs in the first inning against Guardians starter Logan Allen. They fought off a Guardians’ rally to win 7-5. The Sox snapped a five-game losing streak and improved to 2-9.
Before the game at Progressive Field, general manager Chris Getz discussed some of the early season offensive issues.
“The quality at-bats haven’t been there,” Getz said. “You look at the lineup going into the year, to lose (center fielder Luis Robert Jr.) and (designated hitter) Eloy (Jiménez) early on (to injuries), is a serious blow to the offense. We knew it was an offense that really had to put together consistent at-bats and be focused on a regular basis, there wasn’t a lot of room for error. Unfortunately, it’s shown some weaknesses here.
“That doesn’t mean we can’t do better than what we’ve done. I know our guys, they’re not going to stop working. And they understand the importance of putting together the quality at-bats and the benefit and how that pays off. It just hasn’t shown anything so far.”
Chicago White Sox shortstop Paul DeJong strikes out with the bases loaded during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves on Monday, April 1, 2024, at Guaranteed Rate Field. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Some lineup tweaks paid off early Tuesday, as recently recalled Lenyn Sosa — hitting in the third spot — drove in a run in the first inning with a double. First baseman Andrew Vaughn and designated hitter Korey Lee followed with RBI singles. The first five batters of the game reached and scored. The inning also included a two-run double by Kevin Pillar.
The Guardians battled back, and by the end of four innings the game was tied at 5. Dominic Fletcher gave the Sox the lead for good with a two-run double in the eighth. The seven runs are a season high.
The starting pitching had been a boost, with a 2.84 ERA in the last six games coming into Tuesday. But the timely hitting hadn’t been there.
“When you’re going through times like this, too, you don’t want to just focus on one area that’s not performing,” Getz said. “There are pieces of this team that have performed well, and beyond, perhaps, expectation. I think our starting pitching has done that so far.
“As we know, you’ve got to score points to win ball games, you don’t want to put too much pressure on the pitching and defense to be perfect on a regular basis throughout a season. We’ve got to pick it up, but I anticipate a better offense as the year progresses.”
How long the offense will be without Robert (Grade 2 right hip flexor strain) isn’t clear.
“Every athlete’s different in how they respond to treatment and how their body heals,” Getz said. “We do know that it’s going to be some time. It’s not going to just be a couple weeks. Perhaps it’ll be longer than that. He’ll let us know.
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“We have doctors and trainers and (Robert) that are dialed in to get him better on a daily basis and we’ll go from there.”
Jiménez (left adductor strain) last played March 31. Robert last played Friday. And another injury occurred Tuesday, as third baseman Yoán Moncada exited with a left adductor strain. He fell while running to first base in the second inning and left due to the injury. He’ll be reevaluated Wednesday, the Sox said.
“In situations like this whether it be injuries or underperformance, guys want to be the hero and carry the offense,” Getz said, speaking a couple of hours before Moncada’s setback. “The truth is that when it comes to hitting you need to stay within yourself. Everyone in this lineup is capable of helping a team win, but you’ve got to understand what your skill set is and be disciplined with it.”
The sluggish start at the plate has been a big factor in the team’s 1-9 start, which was the second-worst in franchise history behind the 1968 team that began 0-10.
As for what he’s seen so far from the coaching staff, Getz said, “When you go through struggles it’s a character reveal for players and staff. You’ve got to dig deep sometimes and stay positive, and this staff is professionals and have been in this game a while whether it be on the player or coaching front.
“It’s a test of leadership at times but they’re a resilient group. They’ll continue to work and continue to create a positive environment for our players to want to show up and get better.”
