The White Sox are still sitting atop their division with 19 games left, but the stretch run has been anything but smooth. August was a grind: the club gave up 140 runs, started losing the battle in the rotation, and had to survive a few nights where the offense didn’t do its part, either by coming up empty with runners in scoring position or going hitless in games that should have been tight.
That has put a lot more weight on the bullpen, and the relievers have carried it better than anyone could have reasonably expected. What was once viewed as a possible weak point has turned into one of the few steady things on the roster, even after the White Sox tried to patch it at the trade deadline. The biggest move was Huascar Brazoban, but he hasn’t delivered since arriving.
The bigger story is the group already in place. White Sox relievers own a 3.67 ERA, good for sixth in MLB, and they’ve done it while throwing more innings than any other bullpen in the league. That matters because the rotation has been getting short starts all year, averaging just 4.3 innings per outing, well below the MLB average of 5.3.
Lately, though, the bullpen hasn’t just been holding on - it’s been steering games. Grant Taylor, Jordan Hicks, Sean Newcomb, and Bryan Hudson have become the core of the group, and it’s hard to imagine the Sox being anywhere close to .500 in August without them.
On August 15, Hicks came in with a 4-3 lead after Anthony Kay was lifted in the sixth, having allowed six hits, including two doubles. Hicks then retired five straight hitters and struck out three. The offense didn’t add any more runs, but Hicks, Taylor, and Hudson shut the door the rest of the way to protect the win.
The next day brought another test. Sean Burke, usually the club’s top starter, gave up four runs in 4.1 innings before leaving the game.
Hagen Smith got five outs, and Brazoban helped keep things from spiraling, but Newcomb was the real difference-maker, throwing 2.1 scoreless innings and allowing just one baserunner on a walk. He was back at it on August 29, when Erick Fedde was pulled after the fifth inning, and Newcomb delivered three more scoreless frames.
His 80 innings lead all White Sox relievers, and he’s become exactly the kind of long man a staff in flux needs - somebody who can save the rest of the bullpen, but still be trusted when the game is close.
Taylor has done his share of heavy lifting, too. On August 28, he worked 2.2 innings after Luis Castillo, who was acquired before the deadline to steady the rotation, gave up four runs in four innings on eight hits and a walk.
With more than half the game still left for the bullpen, Taylor’s extended outing kept the rest of the relievers from getting overused. He owns a 2.16 ERA and a 1.04 WHIP, and he has piled up 2.7 WAR in just 75.0 innings, according to Baseball Reference.
Taylor is usually the closer, but Hudson has been just as important in the ninth inning. He has finished 13 games and picked up seven saves, and he followed Taylor’s 2.2-inning outing on August 28 with a scoreless ninth.
He also did the same after Newcomb’s three-inning performance the day before. Hudson’s steadiness gives the Sox more flexibility, letting Taylor work earlier and stretch out when needed.
The contrast with the rotation is stark. In August, White Sox starters posted a season-worst 6.21 ERA and covered only 104.1 innings. The bullpen, meanwhile, logged 146.2 innings with a 3.44 ERA.
Seranthony Dominguez was supposed to be the veteran anchor at the back end, but he managed only 38.1 innings with a 3.99 ERA before being traded. Hicks, Taylor, Newcomb, and Hudson weren’t the headline names, but they’ve been the ones keeping this pitching staff afloat. And right now, that’s the difference between surviving and collapsing.
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