The White Sox keep running into the same wall: enough traffic, not enough finish.
Chicago had chances in bunches Wednesday night, but the big swing never arrived. The Sox went 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position, stranded key runners in back-to-back innings and fell to the Pirates, 4-2. Pittsburgh took the series, though the Guardians helped keep the AL Central deficit at two by losing to Baltimore.
Davis Martin did his part to keep things from getting away early. His first inning was a grind - 16 pitches, two walks, and a mound visit from pitching coach Zach Bove after the second free pass. Martin steadied himself from there, getting Bryan Reynolds on a fly ball and then coaxing an inning-ending double play from Nick Gonzales.
Chicago had an early opening to strike first when Benintendi ripped a one-out double in the bottom of the first, but he stayed parked at second. That theme showed up over and over again.
Martin got a break in the second when Oneil Cruz singled, then Esmerlyn Valdez smoked a ball with a .960 xBA right at Sam Antonacci at second. Antonacci turned it into a double play, wiping out the threat in a flash.
The Sox created another two-out chance in their half of the second. Braden Montgomery drew a walk and Tristan Peters stayed hot with a curveball lined into right, but former White Sox pitcher Brandon Eisert struck out Teel and left both runners where they were.
From there, Martin settled in. He worked a clean third on just nine pitches, then stranded Brandon Lowe after a leadoff single in the fourth.
But the Pirates broke through in the fifth when Valdez opened the inning with a solo homer. Jacob Gonzalez added a two-out single, yet Martin finished the frame and completed five innings.
His line - one run on four hits and two walks with one strikeout - was good enough to win with. Chicago’s offense just didn’t do its part.
Sean Newcomb took over in the sixth and escaped with help from another double play. He gave up a leadoff single and another one-out hit before getting Cruz to roll into a twin killing.
The Sox had a chance to answer in the bottom half after Munetaka Murakami was hit by a pitch and Randal Grichuk singled, ending Murakami’s stretch of eight straight strikeouts. Colson Montgomery then struck out to end that threat too.
The game slipped in the seventh. Newcomb walked Valdez, then saw a swinging bunt and another single set up Pittsburgh’s second run. After a stolen base, Konnor Griffin delivered the bigger blow, driving in two more with a single to push the Pirates ahead 4-0.
Chris Murphy came in and stopped the bleeding by striking out Lowe and getting Reynolds on a grounder, but the damage was already done.
Chicago finally cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh. Braden Montgomery walked, Chase Meidroth battled through a 10-pitch at-bat and singled, and Teel walked on six pitches to load the bases with one out.
Then Antonacci put the ball in play hard - a 103 mph grounder to first baseman Spencer Horwitz. Camilo Doval didn’t cover first, Antonacci reached, and Braden Montgomery scored. The Sox were still alive, but Miguel Vargas immediately hit into an inning-ending double play.
Tempers briefly flared between innings when Antonacci appeared to stick out an elbow while sliding into second. Lowe took exception, benches and bullpens came out, and that was that. Antonacci had at least tried to inject some life into a lineup that badly needed it.
Chicago got one more jolt in the eighth when Murakami led off with a solo homer to trim the lead to 4-2. Grichuk singled, Braden Montgomery doubled after Colson Montgomery struck out, and Peters was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Meidroth. He lined a 100.2 mph ball with a .800 xBA, but it went straight to the third baseman, who stepped on the bag for an unassisted double play.
Trevor Richards kept the Sox within reach with two scoreless innings, but Chicago went quietly in the ninth.
Martin gave them a chance. The bullpen mostly held.
Even some of the contact deserved better. None of it mattered because the offense never found the hit that could flip the night.
The White Sox get one more shot to salvage a game from Pittsburgh tomorrow night. Same time, same place - and, they’d sure like, a few more clutch hits.
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