After a 3-2 start to the season, the White Sox looked like potential sleeper team to overachieve their preseason predictions, but things took quickly took a turn for the worse.
Losing five of their next six to the Tigers and Ray, two teams projected to be bottom dwellers in the American League this season, the dream of a competitive season for the Sox quickly was doomed.
After getting blanked in Minnesota by a strong Jose Berrios outing, the South Siders would travel to Oakland for a three game series. The struggles would continue on the west side.
Reynaldo Lopez would take the ball in game one, and his trend of strong quality starts on the season continued. Lopez has struggled with his command in portions of games this season, but his ability to get out of trouble is a bright sport for the young pitcher. He’ll go six innings, giving up two runs, walking four, and striking out ten.
Despite the strong outing, the offense and the bullpen proved to be the difference for game. Oakland would tally six combined runs in the final two innings against the Sox bullpen and the only run of the game for the Sox came off a Jose Abreu solo homerun in the ninth when trailing 8-0.
Game two was more of the same, except this time, it was the starting pitching that gave up most of the runs. Miguel Gonzalez would give up eight runs in only three innings of work.
The only bright of the game for the Sox was second basemen Yoan Moncada getting two base hits, a double and a homerun. Moncada’s production was all the Sox would get, falling 10-2.
The final game of the series would be heartbreaker. The pitching would continue struggling, but the bats put the Sox in the position to win this game.
After Yoan Moncada’s first career grand slam, the Sox looked in position to take the final game of the series, but the pitching would come back and bite them.
Starter Carson Fulmer would only last one inning, while the bullpen struggled to get anyone out. The same story that has haunted the White Sox all year.
Fulmer, a former top ten pick, has struggled since coming up to the majors and looks to be the forgotten man when the prized pitching prospects come up.
All tied up in the bottom of the 14th Oakland’s Matt Olson would single in a run to give the A’s the win and the sweep. The game would last nearly six hours.
After getting swept by Oakland, things weren’t looking so bright with the defending champion Houston Astros coming to town and what was expected, is what happened.
The Astros would dominate the entire series from start to finish. Game one saw the Astros win 10-0, game two saw
Sox starter Lucas Giolito struggle to get pitches over the plate, giving the Astros a 10-1 win, and the finale saw the Astros complete the sweep 7-1.
Despite getting dominated at home, nobody was talking about the games this weekend.
On Friday, Sox relief pitcher Danny Farquhar collapsed in the dugout during the ballgame. Farquhar was diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage caused by a ruptured aneurysm.
“He’s a fighter and he’s in the fight of his life right now.” White Sox Vice President Kenny Williams told the USA Today.
Farquhar underwent a medical procedure to relieve swelling in the brain. He’s expected to be hospitalized for the upcoming weeks.
The Sox will be playing with heavy hearts as the Seattle Mariners come to town for a three game series. They’ll be looking to end their seven game losing streak.
Dominic Pellegrini
Sports Reporter
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