Holland rips ump as ‘unprofessional’ after Sox’ loss

White Sox left-hander Derek Holland has kept a calm demeanor despite a slump that has lingered for more than two months.

After the 9-3 loss Friday to the Indians, Holland’s frustrations bubbled over. He ripped plate umpire Bill Welke for allegedly showing him up after a called ball in the fourth inning.

“The thing that really stands out, that I think is disappointing is the way that I got shown up by the umpire,” Holland said. “I didn’t say anything. I kept my voice as calm as possible. I thought it was unprofessional [for him] to basically walk out and tell me he was going to show me up.”

The sequence began when Welke slightly flinched before keeping his arms at his side and calling a ball. Holland responded by flinching his shoulders from the mound as he looked in at Welke.

In response, Welke removed his mask and walked toward the mound while jawing at Holland. That action prompted manager Rick Renteria to come out of the dugout to argue with Welke. Pitching coach Don Cooper later had words with Welke.

“The only thing I said was, ‘Don’t flinch like that. You can’t do that. It’s showing me that’s a strike,’ ” Holland said. “The way he handled it was very unprofessional, coming out.

“It stands out as those guys aren’t accountable for some of those things. We get charged for the wins and losses, the strikeouts, the walks, everything, and we have to face that. Something like [what] just happened today, I felt, was very disrespectful.”

Holland (5-10) acknowledged his performance played a role in his frustration. He allowed six runs and nine hits in 4„ innings. He walked five, including one with the bases loaded, and struck out none.

In his last 10 starts, Holland is 1-6 with a 9.46 ERA. His ERA has climbed from 2.37 to 5.42 in that span.

“I’m going to end it here,” Holland said before cutting off the interview. “My execution is what killed me. That’s what takes me out of the game.

“I’m frustrated with the way I’m pitching. I have to do better. This is killing our bullpen. If I’m going to point fingers, I’d rather point them at me. I’ve killed that bullpen the last few starts, and I have to step my [expletive] up. This is unacceptable. Sorry for cursing.”

This and that

Yoan Moncada batted cleanup for the first time in his career and went 1-for-3 with an RBI double.

† Matt Davidson hit his team-leading 20th home run, a two-run blast in the seventh. He became the eighth Sox rookie to hit at least 20 homers and the first since Jose Abreu in 2014.

† Melky Cabrera isn’t worried about his future with the trade deadline looming.

“I come here every day focusing on the game and the things I can control,” Cabrera said.

† The Sox have lost eight consecutive home games, matching their longest home skid since 1989.

Follow me on Twitter @tcmusick.

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