The South Siders fall, 9-5, in a poorly-pitched opener

A few big lessons learned for a young squad tonight:

1. You can’t win a game in the first inning

2. Sloppy baseball = frustrating loss

3. Don’t aggressively wave a guy home who missed Sunday’s game due to a leg injury when it’s not necessary

4. Using half your bullpen in the opener of a four-game series isn’t a great idea

Let’s get into an ugly, 9-5 White Sox loss against the Yankees.

After a dominant first half of the frame from Noah Schultz with three strikeouts, Colson Montgomery put the White Sox on the board early on after a 3-2 count: Max Fried put two on base, and Colson knocked former Yankee Randal Grichuk in and sent Munetaka Murakami to third. A sac fly RBI from Chase Meidroth made it 2-0, and Braden Montgomery added another run with a triple to run the lead to 3-0.

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Despite putting two runners on base in the bottom of the second, one being a two-out walk to Murakami, the Good Guys left the bases loaded but bumped the pitch count up to 54 for Fried, and it was looking like the southpaw might get run from the game much earlier than anticipated.

But the game turned from that point.

Schultz gave up back-to-back walks to Ben Rice and Paul Goldschmidt, and loaded the bases with no outs via Jasson Domínguez’s single. With the Sox bullpen stirring, Anthony Volpe’s RBI ground out would make it 3-1. Chris Murphy stepped in to relieve Schultz, but a two-run double from Jazz Chisholm Jr. tied the game, and Chisholm stole third base as a freebie, when no one was paying attention. José Caballero drew a walk to put runners in the corner with only one out. Spencer Jones sent another run home, reminding the White Sox that paying attention could’ve kept the game tied. Alas, the first half of the inning ended, 4-3, after starting with a 3-0 lead.

Miguel Vargas legged out a double in the bottom of the fifth and hustled a bit more to tie the ballgame after Colson Montgomery’s single. Meidroth hit into a force out and Braden Montgomery picked up a walk with two outs, but Tristan Peters (pinch-hitting for Everson Pereira) grounded out to leave runners stranded.

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Edgar Quero started the seventh by burning the last White Sox challenge, then made a throwing error on a pickkoff attempt that landed Amed Rosario at third. A single from Rice sent Rosario home, giving the Yankees a 5-4 lead.

After the seventh-inning stretch, Colson Montgomery singled to provide comeback hope. And when Meidroth doubled to center, it would seem ducks would be on the pond for Braden Montgomery. Colson was held at third, right? Because, you know, leg injury and all? Nope! Third base coach Justin Jirschele decided to send him home, and he was out by a mile despite two dribbling relay throws by Yankees. Thus ended the seventh.

The Yankees would get three singles in a row to start the eighth, and with a throwing error, another run would come in to pad the lead at 6-4. Ali Sánchez busted the inning open with a three-run homer, the first of his career, on a full-count meatball from Sean Newcomb. Down 9-4, the White Sox rolled over in the bottom half, going down in order.

With two runners on via an error and a walk in the bottom of the ninth, Volpe embarrassed his bloodline by not making a routine catch to end the game. Colson Montgomery made it to first base while Sam Antonacci dashed home to make it 9-5. The Yankees, much to Aaron Boone’s dismay, had to go to the bullpen for the final out. It worked for Boone, as David Bednar got Meidroth to go down swinging.

Time for a vote for this stinker of a game!

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MVP
Munetaka Murakami: 1 H, 2 BB, 1 R
Colson Montgomery: 3 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 RBI
Trevor Richards: 2 IP, 4 K, 0 H
Braden Montgomery: 1 H, 1 RBI, 1 BB

Cold Cat
Noah Schultz: 3 1/3 IP, 3 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Sean Newcomb: 1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER
Miguel Vargas: 1-for-5, 1 K
Edgar Quero: 1-for-4, E