(670 The Score) Amid his club's 9-21 start, White Sox manager Pedro Grifol has been frustrated by the team’s poor fundamental play.
The White Sox rallied in the ninth inning to beat the Rays and end a 10-game losing streak Sunday before a victory against the Twins on Monday gave them their first back-to-back wins of the season. To Grifol, those were signs that the White Sox have continued to put the work in, but he knows their execution in many facets must improve for them to have a turnaround.
“We have lost games every imaginable way during that losing streak – pitching and hitting, runners in scoring position,” Grifol said recently. “Every day, there was something that was missing. We were not able to put everything together on any particular day. The fight of the team never stopped. The energy never stopped. The work ethic never stopped. That part was really impressive to me. It's hard to go through that and not find a letdown at that end.
“The fundamental side of our play, I am not happy with. I don't think anyone is happy here about that to a man. Controlling the running game? I am not happy about it. Cut-offs and relays? I am not happy about it. With runners in scoring position? I am not happy about it. Controlling the strike zone? We are not doing it. Those are things we must clean up if we want to win consistently."
The White Sox on Tuesday took the rare step of making 11 roster moves in a single day, a sign of their need to spark the team in their abysmal start. The moves included the demotions of outfielder Oscar Colas and infielder/outfielder Romy Gonzalez to Triple-A Charlotte and designating lefty reliever Jake Diekman for assignment.
Amid the flurry of transactions, the White Sox also called up veteran outfielder Billy Hamilton, who wants to help his teammates keep the right mindset amid struggles.
"I have had been known as having good communication around the clubhouse,” Hamilton said. "My job is to keep guys from getting down. I can help, and I am looking forward to the next 15 games. This team will not give up. We have a lot of older guys who are not quitters. Forget what has been in the past and look to the future.”
A big part of the White Sox’s struggles stem from their poor pitching. Their starting rotation has a 5.22 ERA, which ranks 24th in MLB. The bullpen is even worse with a 6.68 ERA, which ranks 29th.
“April was not a good month for us,” Grifol said. “It was a taxing month for the bullpen. We believe they will fix things and do a good job moving forward.”
Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.
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