CLEVELAND — One.
And.
Nine.
And four.
If you haven’t turned away and are still paying attention to the White Sox, that is what their atrocious start has turned into, a 4-0 loss to the Guardians the latest clump of dirt piled on to a team getting buried alive beneath a listless lineup that shows no ability to compete with its foes in a said-to-be winnable AL Central.
The loss to the 8-2 Guardians in Cleveland’s home opener at a jam-packed Progressive Field, still abuzz after watching an extremely rare solar eclipse that completely darkened the place two hours earlier, dropped the Sox to 0-8 in their division.
The Sox are 1-9 and have been shut out four times, their most in 10 games in franchise history.
They had four hits Monday and were 0-for-7 with runners in scoring positing, making them 5-for-55 this season, worst in the majors.
And they are last with 16 runs.
The Sox are clinging to the idea that they’re not this bad, that they’re only 10 games in, that a bad start magnifies everything.
“You can get away with these kind of skids in June and July when the sample size is bigger,” said second baseman Nicky Lopez, who was 0-for-3 with a walk, his average dropping to .167.
Just as good hitting is contagious, so is bad.
“Sometimes it’s tough not to press,” Lopez said. “There’s a giant scoreboard up there, you try not to look at it. But it’s easier said than done.”
“The record’s not good, you can’t hide from the record,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “But how are you not going to stay in a good place mentally when you’ve got 152 games left. If you’re not in a good place mentally, you’re going to have a long season.
“If we let the record beat us down, it’s going to be a long year. Nobody’s crying about it. Feeling sorry for ourselves, that’s not how we’re going to get out of it.”
Without Luis Robert for a long time and Eloy Jimenez for at least through this series which concludes Wednesday, an already run-challenged offense has looked non threatening on a daily basis. Guardians right-hander Triston McKenzie, bounced back from a rough initial start to his season against the Mariners by holding the Sox to three hits over 5 2/3 innings.
Jose Ramirez’ two-run homer against former Clevelander Bryan Shaw was more than enough.
Though most of their losses, the Sox had played fine defense — as was promised this offseason — but their last two defeats have not been clean. In this one, there were errors on ground balls by shortstop Braden Shewmake and Yoan Moncada and a throwing error by Moncada, too. To boot, Moncada and catcher Korey Lee didn’t communicate on a catchable foul ball that dropped near the dugout.
“A little sloppy defensively today,” Grifol said.
By the time Robert gets back, which the Sox are expecting to be in six to eight weeks, it might not matter all that much. A report over the weekend that Robert could be out three-to-four months was questioned from higher-ups above Grifol, and the manager himself before the game.
“I know there’s some rumors out there and people putting dates on his return,” Grifol said. “That’s nonsense in my opinion. I said it yesterday and I won’t talk about it again: he’s a premium athlete who prepares really well and his body heals really well because of the predation in the offseason. To put a date on his complete recovery is not in our best interest and certainly not in anybody’s best interest.”
In any case, the Sox’ slumbering offense carries on without their All-Star.
Jimenez said Monday he is feeling better and is hopeful for a return this weekend.
“I know, talking about results, things aren’t going well right now,” Jimenez said Monday. “But I know it’s going to be better. We’re working. I know it’s going to be better.”
It can’t get any worse.
