Ugly picture: Sox say E’s
CLEVELAND— White Sox manager Rick Renteria started five players Monday who began the season in the minor leagues.
That explains, in part, why the Sox didn’t look much like a major- league team, especially in the Indians’ five- run fifth inning of a 9- 6 loss in which the Sox arguably gave the home team six or seven outs.
Catcher Alfredo Gonzalez, shortstop Tim Anderson and second baseman Yoan Moncada made errors in the inning, and Renteria used four pitchers in the fifth to try to stop the bleeding.
The inning began with Gonzalez, starting his second major- league game, dropping Yan Gomes’ foul pop near the Sox’ dugout. Renteria said first baseman Matt Skole, in his debut, should have called Gonzalez off. Gomes then reached on a throwing error by shortstop Tim Anderson from the hole that Skole couldn’t scoop.
“Timmy is given a tough error on a ball five feet into the grass,’’ Renteria said.
The Indians loaded the bases on a single and a walk against Dylan Covey, and Renteria went to his bullpen. After Luis Avilan got Jose Ramirez on a pop- up, Chris Volstad got Edwin Encarnacion to lift a short fly to right, but Daniel Palka, making a long run, couldn’t make a sliding catch as Moncada converged. It was scored a three- run double. “The ball just popped out of my glove,’’ Palka said. “That’s pretty much it. I mean, the ball hit my glove, so it should have been caught.’’
The game was tied, and Yonder Alonso doubled against Jace Fry to put the Tribe in front for good. Moncada’s boot on former teammate Melky Cabrera’s ground ball scored another run.
The Sox’ 16- 35 record is the worst in the majors.
Davidson goes on DL
Designated hitter Matt Davidson was put on the 10- day disabled list ( retroactive to May 25) with back spasms, and the Sox purchased Skole’s contract from Class AAA Charlotte. They also designated minor- league right- hander Ricardo Pinto for assignment.
Davidson, tied for the Sox’ home- run lead with 11 and off to the best start of his career, has missed five consecutive games.
“It took a couple of days to kind of get back, and I probably rushed it too soon,’’ Davidson said. “Hopefully, I’ll take that same amount of time and progress and be back in a week.”
This and that
Anderson hit his 11th homer, the most by a Sox shortstop in his first 51 games. His ninth error was his fourth in the last three games.
Luis Robert started in center field and led off in his first extended spring- training game since spraining a ligament in his left thumb. Robert, the No. 25 prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, will begin playing Class A ball— most likely at WinstonSalem— after the last day of extended spring training next Monday.
Lefty Carlos Rodon is scheduled to make his third minor- league rehab start Tuesday, for Charlotte. Renteria was vague on how many more starts Rodon would make before getting called up.
“Depending on how he throws [ Tuesday] and how everyone sees him, we still have him scheduled to throw a few more down there,’’ Renteria said.
Righty Michael Kopech had a strong start Monday at Charlotte, allowing two runs ( both earned), three hits and two walks while striking out seven. He threw 97 pitches, 57 for strikes.