White Sox already digging in against another awful start

The last thing White Sox manager Pedro Grifol needs is to have his team get buried this soon.

After their 9-0 loss to the Braves on Monday at Guaranteed Rate Field dropped them to 0-4, Grifol’s disappointment was apparent. They have already been shut out twice.

“I really don’t have much for you guys,” he said. “These are ones, you’ve just got to flush them and get ready to play tomorrow.”

The Sox wore out the plumbing funneling games into the sewer system last season. Three one-run losses to the Tigers, one of their division counterparts, got a new season with low expectations — from the outside, not Grifol — were not flush-worthy, but 0-3 doesn’t lie. And then on Monday, the Sox — picked to finish last in the division — got walloped by one of baseball’s elite teams.

There was rain, chilly air, wind, two rain delays and a delay for first base coach Jason Burgeious, who was late getting to his post after a 44-minute break for the rain. It wasn’t a good look.

Braves broadcasters said it looked like “something that usually happens at a Little League game.”

Grifol on Tuesday said Bourgeois was in the clubhouse with his headphones on reviewing the team’s outfield positioning.

“He was knee deep into positioning,” Grifol said. “The game started and he got caught. I’m OK with it because I know what he was doing. It’s unfortunate because it becomes a story, but this guy is a really good coach and he really cares for this team and his job. So I’m good with it.”

In any case, the Sox find themselves trying to get off the schneid Tuesday night. There is snow in the forecast for the series finale Wednesday afternoon.

Getting the assignment to stop the bleeding is left-hander Garrett Crochet, the Opening Day starter who surprised everyone by not only getting the nod for what was his first start ever but pitching six innings, to boot. He was a tough-luck 1-0 loser to Tarik Skubal, and all eyes will be on him to see how he bounces back for his second start.

The Sox skipped the fifth-starter slot assignment in favor of Crochet, presumably waiting till Wednesday to add Nick Nastrini to the 26-man roster for his major league debut. Snow could put Nastrini’s debut off.

The Sox then pack for their first road trip, an AL Central tour of four games against the Royals and three against the Guardians. The hope is to avoid the 7-21 start in Grifol’s first season a year ago that set the stage for a 61-101 finish.

Zero and four is no fun place to be. Is discouragement setting in this early?

“No, not really,” veteran catcher Martin Maldonado said. “We’re all sad that we’re not winning ballgames but other than that, we have to go out and try to win every game.

“We played really good games the first three games and yesterday we were a hit away from scoring first. Yesterday was a bad game, but we’ve been playing really good baseball. Stay positive and believe in what we’re trying to accomplish. Keep playing the game the right way.”

A quiet Sox clubhouse after Monday’s loss and Grifol’s demeanor — not that anyone would expect upbeat — said it all.

“Yeah, the first three, dropping them by one run in very competitive games … “ said Monday’s starting pitcher Chris Flexen, who allowed four runs and couldn’t complete five innings. “This one kind of got away from us a little bit today. That mentality has to be the same: compete every single day and focus on winning ballgames.”

A task that, if the first four ballgames are any indication, will be fraught with challenges.