South Side Redemption: Fixing the White Sox One Move at a Time

[XxVols98xX]

Series Overview – Reds sweep, Sox slide to 14–30

Result: Reds take all three at Great American (6–2, 4–0, 10–5).

Run differential: Outscored 20–7.

Records: Sox fall to 14–30; Reds roll to 30–15.

The story of the set: early crooked numbers against the back of your rotation, too many long balls allowed, and an offense that only really showed up in the finale.

Game 1 – Reds 6, Sox 2 (5/13)

Early punch, not enough counter.

Mike Vasil actually settled in after the 3-run 1st (Elly 2-run shot, Candelario/Lux damage), finishing 5.2 IP, 3 ER, 5 H, 3 BB, 3 K – a “keep you in it” start.

Offense was basically two swings:

Miguel Vargas: long solo homer in the 3rd.

Andrew Benintendi: solo blast in the 6th.

The pen blinked: Jared Shuster got tagged for 3 ER in 2.0 IP, including a big Will Benson homer and more Steer/Lux damage.

Final: 6–2, Reds. You never got a runner past second after Beni’s homer.

Game 2 – Reds 4, Sox 0 (5/14)

Spencer Steer show; bats go quietly.

Germán Márquez ran into the same 1st-inning buzzsaw: Steer leadoff HR, traffic behind him, then another Steer bomb in the 2nd. Line: 4.0 IP, 4 ER, 7 H, 4 BB, 4 K.

Steer: 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R – he basically was their offense.

Andrew Abbott and two relievers handcuffed you: 7 hits, 0 walks, 7 K against the staff, but 0-for-7 with RISP.

You did run some: Robert, Vargas, Rojas, Maton all swiped bags, but there was no big swing to cash anything in.

First shutout loss of the series, 4–0.

Game 3 – Reds 10, Sox 5 (5/15)

Wild one: Greene’s gas, early avalanche, late fight.

Tyler Schweitzer never got comfortable: 1.2 IP, 5 ER, 5 H, including the back-breaking 2nd inning (Banfield RBI single, Steer double, then an Elly 2-run shot).

Jesse Scholtens did eat 4.1 IP, but gave up 3 ER as the Reds kept grinding.

Offensively, this was your best game:

Andrew Benintendi: 3-for-5, 2B, RBI, locked in all series.

Josh Rojas: 3-for-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R and a steal – spark plug.

Nick Maton: 3-for-5, 2 RBI, including an RBI knock in both the 4th and 8th.

Andre Lipcius: first big Sox moment – 2-for-4 with a 2-run homer off Hunter Greene.

You clawed back from 5–0 to 5–3 and later 8–4 and 10–5, but every time you scored, Cincinnati answered with another crooked inning.

Trends & Takeaways
Rotation / Pitching

First-inning problems:

Vasil: 3 in the 1st (Game 1)

Márquez: Steer HR + traffic in the 1st (Game 2)

Schweitzer: 5-run 2nd after a scoreless 1st (Game 3)
Against a lineup like this, playing from behind every night is brutal.

Homers allowed: Elly homered in Games 1 & 3, Steer twice in Game 2 and another big double in Game 1, Benson went deep in Game 1. The staff lived in the nitro zone.

Bullpen split personality:

When the leverage guys were on (Eisert, Gilbert in G2/G3), they looked fine.

Shuster’s two rough outings skewed things badly (HR and multiple extra-base hits allowed).

Lineup

Benintendi heating up: HR in Game 1, big solo shot in Game 2, 3-hit game with a double in Game 3. He’s quietly turning into your most reliable bat at the top.

New faces stepping up:

Andre Lipcius looked comfortable: HR and multiple RBI in the finale, plus good ABs all series.

Nick Maton sprayed line drives and played all over; good OBP and some gap pop.

Core bats scuffling:

Andrew Vaughn had a really rough trip (lots of strikeouts, little impact contact).

Luis Robert Jr. finally squared a ball up in Game 3 (laser double and a walk), but overall the series was light on loud contact from your franchise bat.

Running game is a weapon: Rojas, Robert, Vargas, Maton all stole bags; when you do get on, you’re creating pressure. The problem is simply getting on consistently.

Front-Office Moves (5/16)

Right after the series, you shook up the depth chart:

3B/UTIL Eguy Rosario – waiver claim from SD

Profile: 25-year-old right-handed infielder with above-average contact, sneaky pop, and legit infield defense.

Fit on your roster:

Can handle 2B/3B/SS with plus infield range and arm.

Bat looks like a solid “good role player”: some gap power, decent OBP skills, and enough pop to punish mistakes.

Impact: Gives you another option if Lipcius cools off, and some insurance for the Sosa/Rojas/Maton group. Also lets you mix-and-match lineups without sacrificing defense.

RHP Inohan Paniagua – acquired for Mike Tauchman (trade with STL)

Cost: You move Mike Tauchman – a nice bench OF and OBP piece, but a 34-year-old on an expiring deal – at a time when your corner-outfield depth is strong.

Return:

25-year-old right-handed starter, immediately one of your better pitching prospects.

Strong movement and command, four-pitch mix (fastball/slider/change/curve) and starter’s stamina.

Track record of success in the high minors; you’re sending him to AA Birmingham to keep him starting.

Big picture: Exactly the kind of move a 14–30 club should make – turning short-term role players into controllable upside arms.

[XxVols98xX]

The White Sox dropped two of three at Wrigley but finished the set on a high note, shutting out the Cubs to move to 15–32 while Chicago’s North Siders sit at 26–21.

Game 1 – Cubs 11, Sox 7 (May 16)

Wild opener.

The Cubs ambushed Davis Martin, going back-to-back with Happ and Busch in the 1st, then blew it open with a Pete Crow-Armstrong 3-run homer and Kyle Tucker blast off Mike Clevinger in the 3rd.

Newly-claimed Eguy Rosario nearly stole the show in his White Sox debut: 3-for-5, 2 HR, 3 RBI, plus a double from Chase Meidroth and a triple from Jose Rojas as the Sox clawed back to 8–5 and later 9–7.

The bullpen couldn’t stop the bleeding and the Cubs piled up five homers in total.

Rough injury day: Davis Martin left hurt while pitching, and Kyle Teel was hit on the hand late and fractured a finger, setting up his IL stint after the series.

Game 2 – Cubs 6, Sox 1 (May 17)

The bats went quiet.

Rookie righty Shane Smith actually kept the club in it for five innings, but two swings — a Tucker solo shot and another 3-run Crow-Armstrong homer after two walks in the 6th — decided it.

Offensively the Sox managed just five hits off Ben Brown and the Cubs bullpen.

The only run came on a Luis Robert Jr. manufactured inning: walk, two steals, and a Rosario sac fly. Otherwise it was a lot of weak contact and double plays.

Game 3 – Sox 5, Cubs 0 (May 18)

Best game of the road trip and one of the cleanest wins of the season.

Mike Vasil shoved in his spot start: 6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 5 K, working around some early walks. Penn Murfee and Sean Burke finished off the five-hit shutout.

The offense exploded early in the 2nd:

Andre Lipcius double

Lenyn Sosa RBI single

Andrew Benintendi two-run double

Meidroth RBI double
for a 3-0 lead that felt huge with Vasil dealing.

In the 7th, Rosario drew a walk and scored on a Nick Maton double, and in the 9th Robert singled, Quero singled, and Rosario’s 4-6-3 double play still brought home the fifth run.

Final: 5–0 Sox, snapping the Cubs’ momentum and giving Vasil his third win.

Roster & Injury Notes

Kyle Teel’s fractured finger from Game 1 landed him on the 15-day IL (estimated ~5 weeks out).

With Teel down, the club traded minor-league LF Zach DeLoach to Detroit for C Eliezer Alfonzo, then selected Alfonzo’s contract to back up Edgar Quero.

The bullpen and infield both got shuffled:

Sean Burke optioned to AAA Charlotte.

Top relief prospect Grant Taylor had his contract selected and joins the MLB bullpen.

Andre Lipcius was optioned back to Charlotte after starting at 3B; Bryan Ramos was recalled to take those reps.

In the minors, top prospect Colson Montgomery was promoted to AA Birmingham, and earlier in the week the Sox picked up RHP Inohan Paniagua (for Mike Tauchman) and claimed Eguy Rosario, who’s immediately forced his way into the lineup.

Big Takeaways

Rosario looks like a jolt of life at third base: 1.214 OPS in the series with three extra-base hits and solid defense.

Starting pitching showed both extremes – early blowups from Martin and Smith, but Vasil’s gem hints at some upside if he sticks.

The offense is still streaky: 12 runs in the first two games, only 6 in the last two, and plenty of missed chances with men on.

Losing Teel hurts, but Quero + Alfonzo is a workable catching duo for now, and the promotion of Grant Taylor signals a willingness to lean into the young arms.

Next up: a homestand against Seattle, where the new-look bullpen and the reshuffled infield (Rosario/Ramos/Montgomery in the system) will start to define what this 2025 White Sox club actually is going to be.

[XxVols98xX]

Series Result

White Sox win series, 2–1

New record: 17–33

Mariners: 23–26

You keep playing way better than that season line suggests.

Game 1 – Sox 7, Mariners 2 (5/19)

Story: Clean, businesslike win to open the set.

German Márquez finally looked like the mid-rotation stabilizer you traded for: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 5 K, only real damage in the 6th.

Grant Taylor’s MLB debut week continues: 3 scoreless for a 3-inning save, 0 hits, 3 K over the final nine outs.

Offense was relentless:

Nick Maton launched a 416-ft solo shot.

Bryan Ramos doubled and scored twice.

Benintendi 3-for-5, Eguy Rosario and Edgar Quero with multi-RBI games.

You outran and out-slugged them: 7 runs on 12 hits, constant traffic, and you never trailed.

Vibe: “Okay, this looks like a functional baseball team.”

Game 2 – Mariners 11, Sox 8 (5/20)

Story: Total disaster start, then a furious comeback that fell short.

Tyler Schweitzer got absolutely ambushed:
2.1 IP, 6 H, 10 ER, 5 BB, 2 HR.
Seattle dropped a 7-spot in the 3rd and led 10–1 before you’d really sat down.

Credit to the bullpen: Jesse Scholtens was terrific in mop-up, 6.2 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 5 K, keeping the game from becoming a laugher.

The offense refused to die:

Luis Robert Jr. ripped a 2-run homer in the 9th to get you to 11–8.

Quero had three hits including a double, Vargas kept the line moving, and Maton stayed hot with extra-base damage.

You ended up with 8 runs on 14 hits, but the early hole was just too deep.

Vibe: Encouraging fight, but Schweitzer’s rotation chair is now officially wobbly.

Game 3 – Sox 12, Mariners 0 (5/21)

Story: Utter domination in all phases, punctuated by your new kids.

Davis Martin shoved: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 4 K, pounding the zone and cruising.

Grant Taylor slammed the door again: 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K for his second 3-inning save of the series.
That’s 6 MLB innings: 0 hits, 0 runs. Ridiculous.

The lineup exploded:

Eliezer Alfonzo: first week in the org, first big-league homer (solo in the 2nd) and another walk with an RBI later.

Eguy Rosario crushed a 3-run shot and scored three times.

Andrew Vaughn doubled and homered.

Luis Robert Jr. added a late solo blast.

Benintendi stayed scorching at the top: 4 hits and multiple RBI.

Jankowski caused chaos as usual (steals, pressure, runs), and you out-hit them 12–2.

Vibe: Statement win. That looked like a playoff team beating up on somebody.

Series Storylines
1. Rotation: from shaky to sharp (except Schweitzer)

Márquez + Martin: combined line this series – 12 IP, 6 H, 2 ER.
That’s exactly the “stable veteran innings” you’ve been missing.

Schweitzer is the big concern: 10 earned in 2.1 IP is the type of start that gets guys either to the pen or Charlotte. You at least learned what his current floor looks like.

2. Grant Taylor Rocket Ship

Freshly selected and immediately used as a multi-inning weapon:

Series: 6.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 6 K, 2 saves.

With that performance plus his prospect pedigree, he’s already forcing the “future closer vs multi-inning fireman” conversation.

3. New Catcher, New Energy

With Kyle Teel on the IL, Eliezer Alfonzo walks in from Detroit, gets his contract selected, and:

Homers in his first home series.

Handles both Márquez and Martin/Taylor for strong starts.

That’s a huge immediate return for a minor trade and helps cover the Teel injury without a black hole.

4. Top of the Order Cooking

Benintendi is in full table-setter cheat code mode: piling hits, stealing bags, and scoring constantly.

Rosario is giving you real thump in the 2-hole with the HR and gap power.

Maton, Meidroth, Quero all chipped in extra-base damage and long PAs; the lineup finally feels deep instead of “three guys and a prayer.”

5. Power Core Re-Awakens

Robert Jr. + Vaughn each homered in the blowout, and Robert added that late shot in Game 2.

If those two are driving the ball while Benintendi/Rosario/Quero set the table, the offense starts to look legitimately dangerous.

Roster/Transaction Notes

Before the series:

Grant Taylor and Eliezer Alfonzo were added to the 26-man and immediately paid it off (Taylor’s 2 saves, Alfonzo’s HR).

Sean Burke and Andre Lipcius got optioned; Bryan Ramos recalled; Colson Montgomery moved up to AA.

After the series (May 23):

RP Justin Dunn was optioned to AAA Charlotte, another sign that the bullpen hierarchy is shifting toward guys like Taylor and away from struggling veterans.

Big Picture

You take 2 of 3 from Seattle and put up 26 runs in the process.

The team record (17–33) still shows the early-season crater, but:

The offense is considerably more dangerous.

You may have just unearthed a late-inning monster in Grant Taylor.

Márquez and Martin are giving you real rotation innings.

[XxVols98xX]

Series Overview – Rangers sweep, offense goes missing

Record: You drop from 17–33 to 17–36 after an 0–3 set.

Runs: Texas 14, Chicago 3. You never scored more than two runs and were shut out in the finale.

Hits: Texas 21, Chicago 11. Only one game with more than 3 hits (Game 3’s six-hit effort).

Theme: Starting pitching was uneven but mostly serviceable; the offense completely stalled and stranded traffic when it did appear.

Game 1 – Rocker shoves, late homers not enough

Texas 5, White Sox 2

Shane Smith: 5.1 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 5 BB, 6 K. The big blow was the Semien triple in the 4th that cleared two and basically decided it.

Bullpen: Tyler Gilbert (3.1 scoreless) and Grant Taylor (one scoreless) were good, keeping it from getting ugly.

Offense:

Hitless through six before Josh Rojas finally put you on the board with a solo shot in the 7th.

Chase Meidroth added a solo HR in the 9th off Chris Martin.

Only three total hits: Meidroth HR, Rojas HR, and an early Meidroth single.

Story: You gave Rocker a low-stress night: he faced just one real jam and your only damage was two solo homers long after Texas had a 5–0 cushion.

Game 2 – Dunning controls, Vasil ambushed early

Texas 5, White Sox 1

Mike Vasil: 4.2 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 7 K. Texas did all its scoring in the 2nd–3rd:

Adolis García solo HR.

Back-to-back doubles from Taveras and Jung plus more damage in the 3rd.

Grant Taylor & Justin Anderson: 3.1 combined scoreless to stop the bleeding.

Bats:

You didn’t record a hit until Luis Robert Jr. singled in the 4th.

Only two hits total: Robert single and an Eguy Rosario double in the 6th that set up your lone run (Meidroth RBI groundout).

Dunning: 5.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 7 K – he completely dictated the pace.

Story: A classic “game is over by the third” feel. The Rangers sat on their 5–0 lead and you never seriously threatened.

Game 3 – Mahle outduels Marquez in another quiet loss

Texas 4, White Sox 0

German Marquez: Threw well enough to win: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. Texas nicked him for two in the 1st, then he mostly locked in.

Brandon Eisert: Rough outing again – 1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER – let the game drift from 2–0 to 4–0. Scholtens handled the 9th cleanly.

Missed chances:

You finally put together some offense (6 hits, 6 walks total), but went 0-for-10 with RISP and stranded 10.

Biggest shot was the 6th: bases loaded, two outs, but Bryan Ramos grounded out.

At the plate:

Chase Meidroth and Josh Rojas each had multi-hit days.

Nick Maton reached twice (single, walk).

But no extra-base hits; everything was station-to-station.

Story: Best overall pitching performance of the series wasted by an offense that couldn’t cash in repeated late opportunities.

Player Notes

Trending up (as much as anyone can in a sweep):

Chase Meidroth: 3-for-10, HR, 3 BB, good AB quality all series. He’s starting to look like a legit on-base/OBP piece.

Josh Rojas: 3-for-11 with a homer and a couple of hard liners; still giving you some occasional spark from the left side.

Grant Taylor: 3.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 4 K across the series (plus big work vs Seattle previously). He’s quietly becoming your most reliable bridge reliever.

Struggling:

Luis Robert Jr.: 2-for-11 with 7 K in the set, and several high-leverage strikeouts (4th inning G2, 8th inning G3).

Eguy Rosario: 0-for-10 but with a couple walks; right now he’s not punishing pitchers for challenging him.

Starters Smith & Vasil: Combined 10.0 IP, 10 ER – put you behind the eight ball early in both losses.

Roster Move

May 23: Justin Dunn optioned to AAA Charlotte.

Opens up a revolving-door middle relief spot; combined with Taylor’s emergence and Eisert’s inconsistency, you’ve got some decisions to make about who’s actually trusted in leverage.

Big Picture

The rotation has stabilized a bit with Marquez and Taylor (as RP) pitching well, but the offense is in a brutal funk: too many strikeouts in the heart of the order and almost no damage hits with men on.

[XxVols98xX]

Series Overview – White Sox win 2 of 3 in Queens

You roll into New York at 17–36 and walk out 19–37 with a road series win over a Mets team that started the set at 24–30.

The offense put up 22 runs on 37 hits in three games, with Chase Meidroth setting the tone on top, Luis Robert Jr. supplying star-power homers, and the bullpen locking down both victories.

Game 1 – Sox 7, Mets 3

(5/26 – W: Scholtens, L: Canning)

Miguel Vargas got you on the board early with a solo shot in the 2nd.

The Mets answered with a third-inning rally, but the game flipped in the 5th:

Meidroth’s leadoff walk, Benintendi single, and Edgar Quero’s RBI double tied it 3–3.

In the 7th, patience and chaos won it: walks to Meidroth and Quero, a passed ball, and Josh Rojas’ RBI knock turned a tie into a 6–3 lead.

Luis Robert Jr. put the bow on it with a 9th-inning homer to right.

On the mound, Tyler Schweitzer survived 4 rough innings, but your bullpen was nails:
Scholtens, Clevinger, Shuster, and Gilbert combined for 5 scoreless, allowing just one hit to finish it off.

Headline feel: Bullpen slams the door, top of the order grinds Canning down for a statement road win.

Game 2 – Mets 15, Sox 10

(5/27 – L: D. Martin, W: Megill)

This one was pure chaos.

You jump 3–0 in the 1st on doubles from Meidroth, Vargas, and Quero, then immediately give up 5 runs in the 2nd as Davis Martin can’t hold the lead.

The Mets keep piling on: Lindor solo shot, then Alvarez and McNeil go deep in a three-run 3rd.

By the end of the 3rd it’s 8–3 Mets, and they blow it open with a 7-run 6th highlighted by Jared Young’s big double and another Alvarez bomb.

Offensively you still kept punching:

A three-run 6th (Vargas double, Robert double, Rojas & Rosario knocks) made it 8–6.

Nick Maton’s 3-run homer in the 8th plus a late RBI double in the 9th gave him a huge night and dragged you to double digits.

But the pitching line tells the story:

Davis Martin + Murfee + Anderson + Gilbert: 8.0 IP, 15 R, 15 ER, four homers allowed.

Headline feel: Lineup shows life, but Alvarez and the Mets’ middle of the order absolutely torch the staff in a slugfest loss.

Game 3 – Sox 5, Mets 3

(5/28 – W: Eisert, SV: Shuster)

Rubber game, Senga on the hill, and you still take the series.

You punch back immediately after the Mets’ 3-spot in the 1st.

Nick Maton and Eguy Rosario reach in the 2nd, Alfonzo plates a run, and Meidroth rips a 2-run double to tie it 3–3.

In the 4th, Rosario’s leadoff double and smart baserunning (steal of third, sac fly from Alfonzo) push you ahead 4–3.

From there it’s all pitching and one superstar swing:

Shane Smith weathers a brutal first but hangs in for 3.2 innings;

Eisert + Clevinger: 4.1 shutout with traffic but no damage;

Jared Shuster gets the last four outs, dancing through a 9th-inning minefield with Soto, Lindor and a bases-loaded jam.

Insurance arrives in the 9th when Luis Robert Jr. turns a 3-1 count into a laser HR to left, giving Shuster breathing room to finish it.

Headline feel: Grinding at-bats, aggressive running, and a gutty bullpen effort outduel Senga and close out a tight series win.

Series Standouts

Chase Meidroth – Table-setter from hell. Multiple multi-hit games, extra-base power (three doubles), and a ton of walks. He was on base constantly and scored 6 runs in the set.

Luis Robert Jr. – Legit star impact: homers in Games 1 and 3, plus a big RBI double in the Game 2 comeback attempt. He’s the guy everyone else is orbiting.

Eguy Rosario – Extra-base machine in the finale (two doubles) and some sneaky RBI work in the first two games.

Nick Maton – Quiet first game, then exploded: 3-run HR + big late double in Game 2, plus an RBI and another extra-base hit in Game 3.

Bullpen in the wins –

Game 1: 5 scoreless.

Game 3: 5.1 scoreless.
When you win, it’s because the pen slams the door.

Big Picture

You take a road series from a better-record team, and your run differential for the set is only -1 despite the 15-run Mets blowout.

The offense is trending up: double-digit runs in 2 of the last 4, and the top 5 of the order (Meidroth–Benintendi–Vargas/Robert–Rojas–Rosario/Maton) looks like an actual problem for opponents.

The concern remains the rotation depth: Schweitzer, Martin, and Smith all had shaky outings; you’re leaning heavily on the bullpen to cover 4–5 innings every night.

[XxVols98xX]

Series Overview

Result: Orioles sweep 3–0

Scores: 7–3, 18–5, 8–3

Records after series:

White Sox: 19–40

Orioles: 24–35

Baltimore basically used your staff as a get-right series: 33 runs on 45 hits in three games. You actually scored first in two of the three but couldn’t hold anything.

Game 1 – O’s 7, Sox 3 (5/30)

Story: You finally grabbed a late lead, then the pen gave it right back.

Vasil battled (4.0 IP, 2 ER, 6 BB) but kept it 0–0 through three before a 2-run 4th.

You answered with three runs in the 5th & 6th – Vargas and Rosario came up big, Rosario lacing a go-ahead RBI single in the 6th.

Then it unraveled:

Scholtens: 2.0 IP, 4 ER – Mullins and the middle of their order lit him up.

Anderson: allowed an insurance run in the 8th.

Offensively you managed just 5 hits; Rosario (2 RBI) and Vargas (RBI double) were the only real damage.

Theme: Bullpen can’t protect a rare lead; walk traffic (8 BB) caught up to you.

Game 2 – O’s 18, Sox 5 (5/31)

Story: Total pitching catastrophe.

German Márquez: 2.2 IP, 10 ER, two homers, 7-run first inning.

Bryse Wilson (fresh off the IL) got thrown into a buzzsaw: 3.0 IP, 8 ER.

By the end of four it was 16–2 Baltimore, and you were basically in survival mode.

Sox bats:

Benintendi: 2-for-5 with a 2-run homer.

Vargas, Quero, Rosario each had multi-hit or extra-base knocks, but always chasing a giant deficit.

Theme: Rotation depth exposed; when the starter blows up, there’s no long man who can stop the bleeding.

Game 3 – O’s 8, Sox 3 (6/1)

Story: You jump ahead again, but one bad inning buries you.

Top 1st: Rosario, Benintendi, Rojas, Maton ambush Gibson for 2 quick runs.

Tyler Schweitzer then gets tagged for 5 in the third (six straight batters reach at one point) and 6 total in 2.2 IP.

Grant Taylor actually looks like a find: 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 11 K out of the pen, keeping it respectable until the 8th.

Bright spots:

Josh Rojas: 3-for-4 with a double; he was on everything this game.

Eliezer Alfonzo: crushed a solo homer to right in the 6th.

Rosario & Benintendi each reached multiple times again.

Theme: Bottom of the rotation can’t turn lineups over; Taylor might have earned a look for more leverage / bulk work.

Who’s Hot / Not

Hot-ish:

Andrew Benintendi: consistent contact all series, homer and multiple RBIs.

Josh Rojas: 5 hits over the last two games, plus a double and some good baserunning.

Eguy Rosario: quietly stringing together hits, extra-base power and a HBP; looks like your most dangerous bat right now.

Grant Taylor: 5.1 IP, 11 K, no walks in relief in the finale.

Struggling:

Luis Robert Jr.: 1-for-12 in the series with a pile of strikeouts; chased a ton.

Chase Meidroth: a couple of singles but also punched out often and didn’t impact the ball much.

Back-end starters: Márquez, Schweitzer and the Scholtens/Wilson bridge gave up 24 ER in 10.2 IP. Hard to win any series with that.

Pitching Staff Check-In

Rotation issues:

Vasil is serviceable but inefficient (high walks).

Márquez and Schweitzer both look like “4/5 starter if everything goes right” types; against a hot lineup they got demolished.

Bullpen churn:

Anderson’s rough Mets + O’s outings led straight to his option to AAA.

Wilson was activated from the IL and immediately had to wear a blowout; you still don’t know what he looks like at 100% in a normal outing.

You’re lacking a dependable long man and a true leverage arm behind Murfee/Shuster.

Front Office Moves / Prospect Buzz

RP Justin Dunn released – one less depth arm, but also a sign you’re willing to turn the back-end of the staff over.

Justin Anderson optioned to AAA Charlotte – gives him a reset after some ugly lines.

Bryse Wilson activated – he’s going to have to be more than mop-up if the rotation keeps imploding.

The fun part:

Braden Montgomery (LF) and George Wolkow (RF) both promoted to Low-A Kannapolis.

Montgomery: switch-hitter, athletic corner bat with real power and arm strength; shows above-average patience and some whiff.

Wolkow: massive lefty with plus raw power, extreme-pull profile and sneaky OBP skills; defense is playable in all three OF spots.

They’re nowhere near ready to save the big-league club yet, but this is the first little wave of upside outfield help moving up the ladder.

Big Picture

You leave Baltimore on a 0–3 skid, 1–5 on the road trip and sitting at 19–40. The offense has flashes (Rosario, Benintendi, Rojas, Alfonzo) but every game turned on your inability to control the zone on the mound – walks, deep counts, and no one to stop the avalanche once it starts.

[XxVols98xX]

Big picture

Record: 19–40 (.322), last in the AL Central, 13 GB.

Pythag: 21–38, so still bad but a little unlucky.

By month:

March: 2–2

April: 11–15 (competent, at least)

May: 6–22 (season cratered)

Identity so far: fun offense + chaos on the bases, buried by the rotation.

You’re oddly balanced on paper: 8th in the AL in batting average and 6th in OBP, but 14th in slugging and 12th in runs scored. On the mound you’re dead last in just about everything that matters: team ERA 5.53, starters’ ERA 6.48, runs allowed 333 (15th).

Offense: OBP, kids and wheels

Despite the record, the lineup’s actually a bright spot and has been reshaped a ton since Opening Day.

Table-setters / core bats

Andrew Benintendi: full-on bounce-back. .313/.382/.495 with 5 HR and 20 RBI in 24 games. He’s been your best pure bat and gives the lineup legitimacy.

Chase Meidroth: everyday 2B and on-base monster. .260/.387/.427 with 4 HR, 18 RBI, and the team WAR lead. He’s turned into the offensive heartbeat, constantly on base and playing basically every day.

Josh Rojas: maybe your most valuable all-around player: .258 AVG, .411 OBP, .447 SLG with 7 HR and 19 SB. The OBP + sneaky pop + versatility fits your “grind and run” identity perfectly.

Eguy Rosario: quietly excellent at 3B, .265/.349/.460 with 5 HR and 23 RBI. One of the better bats at his position in the league so far.

Edgar Quero / Eliezer Alfonzo at C: you’ve leaned into the youth at catcher. Quero has real thump (6 HR, .480 SLG), and Alfonzo chipped in clutch power earlier (4 HR, .460 SLG). Catcher was a black hole in a lot of Sox sims; you’ve turned it into a positive.

Luis Robert Jr.: star in a weird season

Robert’s line screams “frustrating star year”:

.209 AVG, 7 HR, 19 RBI

But 30 steals, leading the league and turning him into a terror even when he’s not hitting.

He’s been your chaos engine: highlight-reel defense in CF, elite efficiency (1.019 DEF EFF), and game-breaking speed, but the bat hasn’t locked in yet.

The running game

This is the coolest part of your team:

164 stolen bases – 1st in the AL, with +5.4 baserunning runs (3rd).

Robert (30), Rojas (19), Meidroth, Maton, Vargas, Jankowski, Rosario… basically everyone runs.

For a 19–40 club, you’re miserable to play against because you never stop moving.

Pitching: the anchor tied to your ankle

The story of the season is that the arms just haven’t held up.

Rotation

Mike Vasil is the lone clear positive: 60.0 IP, 4.20 ERA, solid strikeout and walk numbers. Not an ace, but he looks like a legitimate mid-rotation guy.

Shane Smith is your innings sponge: 55 IP, 5.24 ERA with 56 K. He keeps you in some games but also has the blowup starts.

Davis Martin (4.50 ERA in 48 IP) has been “fine,” which on this staff actually makes him one of your better starters.

German Márquez (7.62 ERA) and Tyler Schweitzer (12.88 ERA) are where a lot of the damage comes from. When those two start, you’re basically spotting the opponent a football score.

Starters’ line as a group: 6.48 ERA, 15th in AL. That’s your season in one number.

We’ve already seen specific carnage: Márquez getting obliterated in Baltimore (10 runs, 18–5 loss), Schweitzer buried by the O’s again in the finale, and a steady drumbeat of 3–5 run first innings that force your offense into chase mode.

Bullpen

The pen is more “stretched” than outright bad:

Jared Shuster has actually handled the closer role well (3.06 ERA, 7 saves, 11.1 K/9).

Penn Murfee, Mike Clevinger (in relief), Jesse Scholtens, Brandon Eisert, Bryse Wilson, Grant Taylor, Tyler Gilbert—you’ve used everyone, and the overall bullpen ERA is 4.55.

When the starter hands over a lead, you’re not automatically doomed, but the pen is constantly inheriting traffic because the rotation rarely gets deep.

Defense and style of play

The fielding side has actually been solid, which makes the pitching numbers even more damning.

Nick Maton has a 1.000 fielding percentage in RF and leads the team in games and innings out there.

Josh Rojas has a +1.4 zone rating at SS—above-average range in a tough spot.

Meidroth has turned 35 double plays at 2B, though he leads the team with 7 errors—young infielder learning on the fly.

Luis Robert Jr. grades out as an elite CF again, topping the club in defensive efficiency.

Add in the elite baserunning, and your on-field identity is clear: fast, athletic, more 80-grade chaos than 80-grade power.

Month-by-month arc

March / early April – Hopeful start

You opened 2–2 in March and then played just under .500 ball for much of April (11–15). The offense was finding its shape—Meidroth cementing 2B, Rosario grabbing the 3B job, Rojas bouncing between spots—and Vasil plus Smith gave you a couple of credible outings a turn.

There were some genuinely fun wins mixed in: aggressive baserunning manufacturing runs, Robert or Benintendi changing a game with one swing, Quero/Alfonzo providing surprise pop.

May – The crash

May is where the season fell into the hole: 6–22.

Themes:

Rotational blowups almost every series.

That brutal road swing with the Mets and Orioles:

You did steal a thriller at Citi Field behind a late Luis Robert Jr. bomb off A.J. Minter, but

The Orioles series was a beating—scores like 7–3, 18–5, 8–3 in Camden Yards, featuring Márquez and Schweitzer getting torched and the staff giving up 35 runs in three days.

By the end of May you’d cycled through a lot of pitching looks, the bullpen was overworked, and the record had sunk into “longshot” territory.

June – Reset starting now

You’re 0–1 so far after another loss (3–8) and heading into a set with Detroit, but the calendar flip plus some roster moves make this feel like a new phase.

Notable moves and prospect churn

Recent transactions:

Justin Dunn released.

Justin Anderson optioned to AAA Charlotte.

Bryse Wilson activated from the IL and dropped straight into the long-relief mix.

Prospects Braden Montgomery (LF) and George Wolkow (RF) bumped to Low-A Kannapolis. Both have real juice:

Montgomery: switch-hitting corner bat with 55 power potential and strong OF defense.

Wolkow: huge 6'7" frame, big raw power, but more boom/bust and extreme development risk.

Prospect picture more broadly:

Noah Schultz (#7 OSA) lurking as the big upside arm in AAA.

Hagen Smith, Grant Taylor, Edgar Quero already contributing or on the doorstep. You’ve clearly pushed the organization toward a youth movement rather than patching with random vets.

Where you stand

So through June 2nd:

You’ve built a lineup that can get on base, run wild, and hold its own against most staffs.

You’ve upgraded catcher and infield with legit young talent.

Defense and baserunning are real strengths.

But:

The rotation is the single biggest reason you’re 19–40 instead of hovering around .500.

May’s 6–22 faceplant dug a deep standings hole, especially with Minnesota and Cleveland both playing well.

From March to now, the story of your White Sox is basically:

You’ve found an identity and a core of everyday players; now the season hinges on whether you can grow or import enough pitching to keep that core from being wasted.

[XxVols98xX]

Series overview

You split the four-gamer, going 2–2 vs the Tigers. You’re now 21–42, Detroit 29–35. The common themes: your rotation mostly did its job, the bullpen twice let games get away, and the offense showed just enough life to steal two.

Game 1 – Tigers 7, White Sox 2

Davis Martin gave you a real chance: 6 IP, 1 ER, kept it 1–1 through six.

Everything unraveled late: Brandon Eisert was ambushed in the 7th (Margot double, Ibáñez RBI single, Carpenter RBI double), then the 9th turned into a nightmare with more hits, an error, and four Detroit runs.

Offensively you scratched out only two runs – a sac fly from Luis Robert Jr. and a late RBI from Eguy Rosario – but Skubal dominated (7.1 IP, 1 ER).

Game 2 – White Sox 4, Tigers 1

Shane Smith finally got in the win column and shoved: 7 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 8 K.

First inning: Benintendi walk, Quero 2-run HR set the tone and gave Smith room to work.

Insurance came in the 4th when Miguel Vargas singled, then Robert and Maton cashed in with small-ball and chaos (wild pitches, steals).

Murfee and Shuster slammed the door for the clean, low-stress win.

Game 3 – White Sox 5, Tigers 4 (12)

Mike Vasil was excellent: 6 IP, 0 R, 7 K, out-dueling Jack Flaherty for most of the night.

You broke through in the 7th: Travis Jankowski cracked a 2-run homer off Tyler Holton, but Detroit answered with two off Murfee in the 8th to tie it, then extra-innings chaos ensued.

Tigers twice took the lead in extras (10th, 11th), and you answered both times: Meidroth RBI single in the 10th, then Quero doubled home Benintendi in the 11th.

In the 12th, with Rojas as the ghost runner, a Nick Maton sac fly finally walked it off. Huge grind-it-out win.

Game 4 – Tigers 6, White Sox 5

Offense actually did its part early:

1st: Benintendi single, Rosario 2-run HR.

3rd: Benintendi solo shot.

4th: Ramos RBI double and Alfonzo RBI groundout put you up 4–3, then Alfonzo later added a solo HR in the 7th for a 5–3 cushion.

German Márquez battled but was shaky; Scholtens and Eisert/Gilbert kept the 3–run Detroit middle innings in check.

The bullpen blew it again in the 9th: Clevinger entered up two and surrendered four straight scoring plays (Margot single, Dingler 2-RBI double, later Torres RBI single) to flip it to 6–5 Detroit. Your offense went quietly in the bottom half.

Big-picture takeaways

Rotation arrow up: Smith and Vasil both delivered quality starts; Martin wasn’t bad either. If Márquez stabilizes, the starting five suddenly looks serviceable.

Bullpen remains the Achilles’ heel: Eisert and Clevinger were central to both losses, Murfee blew a lead in Game 3 before the offense bailed him out. Late-inning trust is still a major issue.

Lineup notes:

Benintendi is clearly heating up (HR, multiple hits, good OBP).

Rosario continues to flash impact power/speed.

Maton/Jankowski/Alfonzo all had big swing moments, even if overall lines are still light.

You played Detroit basically even; the frustrating part is you were a couple of outs from a 3–1 or even 4–0 series.

Organizational spotlight – Braden Montgomery show

Down in Low-A Kannapolis, top prospect Braden Montgomery announced himself in a big way on June 5th with a 3-HR game. He’s showing:

Plus raw power already translating in games,

Solid on-base ability and athleticism,

Strong outfield defense with a big arm.

On a big-league club that’s still searching for long-term middle-of-the-order bats, Montgomery’s breakout is one of the brightest signs in the org – exactly the kind of performance that can accelerate his path up the ladder.