White Sox’ Renteria riding out another storm as losing streak reaches seven

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The White Sox have sunk into a dark and worrisome place, but it’s not uncharted territory for manager Rick Renteria.

Losers of seven consecutive games after a 6-5 loss that completed a four-game sweep by the 36-62 Royals on a sweltering hot Thursday afternoon at Kauffman Stadium, the Sox have traveled down this rough road before under their third-year skipper.

They lost 100 games in Year 2 of the rebuild last season after losing 95 in Year 1. But this season — until the All-Star break, that is — was different. Renteria’s team was two games under .500, within shouting distance of the wild-card picture, albeit probably playing above their level with a minus-104 run differential and a bad starting rotation.

Now, seven games into the second half of the season, there is no shot of that happening, especially with shortstop Tim Anderson and Eloy Jimenez on the injured list. It’s beginning to feel like old, frustrating times again.

“We need them. We miss them,” Jose Abreu said through a translator. “But we need to deal with what we have here. Until the organization gives us a chance to bring the people up that can help us here.”

Was that a cry for prospect extraordinaire Luis Robert, who belted two more home runs for Class AAA Charlotte on Thursday night? The Sox could have used some of his dingers in Kansas City.

“There is no magic,” said Renteria, who was ejected for the fifth time this season — for arguing balls and strikes with plate umpire Adam Hamari — in the second inning.

“But there is no better solution than winning a ballgame to put you back on track.”

The Sox (42-51) have to play the 56-41 Rays three times this weekend to finish off a 10-game trip that has swiftly changed the tenor of what had been a nice stepping-stone season in the rebuild.

The Sox need a jolt, but Renteria’s job isn’t in jeopardy. The front office believes he’s not only the right man at the helm for the rebuild but beyond. They believe he’s the right guy for times such as these, too.

“As we said at the start of this process, we believed Ricky was the right man not only for the early stages of it but also for when the time arrived that we were ready to contend for championships,’’ general manager Rick Hahn said.

“Over the past few years, his strengths as a teacher, as a communicator, as someone who helps forge a new culture, have been called upon repeatedly, and he’s executed those important --elements of the rebuild extremely well.’’

If and when the time comes to win, “those skills will remain important,” Hahn said. “But his ability to put the players in the best position to succeed and to maximize the win potential of our -rosters will be moved more -towards the forefront.”

The roster Renteria has to work with, arguably with too many Class AAA-caliber players, invites bad runs like this. Soft-tossing left-hander Ross Detwiler (1-1, 7.02 ERA), a 33-year-old journeyman, failed to last three innings in his third start. Renteria knows what he’s working with, and knowing what’s coming in the farm system keeps him -motivated, confident better days are ahead.

“I’m not down on my guys,” he said after the latest loss.

Renteria can be a pat-on-the-back or kick-in-the-butt kind of manager in times like these, but the kicks are rarely given in -public.

“I’ve also had meetings in the dugout, which thankfully none of you guys get to see,” he said. “Everything that needs to be addressed is always addressed. Whether it’s lack of effort or lack of focus, we do a good job trying to cover it.”

“I’m not an excuse guy. Play better. It’s like the guy who comes in and says why aren’t you using me as much? Play better. So we as a team have to play better and do the things we’ve done since the beginning of the season and turn it around.”