The White Sox came in as one of the most talked-about teams to start this season. Well, the Twins served up some humble pie and reminded the Sox this is still their division to lose.
The Good:
Yoan Moncada fell a triple shy of having a cycle on opening night for the Sox. This was great to see. White Sox fans were worried about Moncada not playing at the level he was at last year after not getting in enough time to play during Spring training.
Sighs of relief were heard across the South Side as Moncada tagged the Twins best pitcher, Jose Berrios. He hit two of his three outings, including a three-run HR to tie the game at 5-5.
A few more promising highlights include Tim Anderson, Eloy Jiminez, and Luis Robert. They each had two hits apiece.
Codi Heuer looked good for his first major league appearance with 16 pitches, 10 strikes, one struck out, and no hits or walks. Heuer pitched with confidence, serving up his 97-98 fastballs.
The Bad:
Lucas Giolito was a revelation last season. His pitching was strong enough to be in the running for a Cy Young. But tonight, the Giolito of old showed up on the mound. On the first pitch of the White Sox home-opener, Giolito gave up a HR to Max Kepler and it was all downhill from there.
Giolito intermittently gave dull flickers of hope but ultimately was unable to regain his confidence, even after the Sox offense gave him a 5-5 score to work with. Giolito was out of the game before the fourth inning was over. Next up, Aaron Bummer.
The same Aaron Bummer that the White Sox paid this offseason after being a strong bullpen option in 2019. Bummer was amazing last season but the way he pitched in the Sox home-opener makes me wonder if the White Sox have anyone in this pen that can stop the Twins lineup.
The Ugly:
Two of the biggest offseason moves made by the White Sox were for Yasmani Grandal and Edwin Encarnacion. They were brought in to help match the offensive weapons on the Twins’ roster. They were a combined 0-7 with one walk, probably not what the Sox were hoping for when they sought out these Vets. Jose Abreu, who signed an extension to stay with the White Sox, also ended the game without a hit.
Did anybody catch Edwin takeing a quick sniff of his bat during the game? Maybe he thought the smell was what drove the ball away, straight into the catcher’s mitt.
All in all, the White Sox did not set the best tone for this truncated season. One loss can be huge, especially when it is to a team you are chasing in your division and that loss is in your backyard. The Sox have plenty of good to build on, but the bad and the ugly overshadowed any excitement. The Sox have two more games with the Twins coming up this weekend and I say they need to win both.
Giolito needs to regain his confidence and be the ace we saw last year. Bummer, Grandal, Encarnacion, & Abreu all need to shake off those cobwebs and play up to their talent (and their contracts). The Sox have plenty of talent, but they cannot afford to get too high on themselves. Play every day this season like all games matter because they do.