The White Sox are 6-3 in June. They’re 22-17 since bottoming out at 7-21 in late April. They’ve won seven of their last 12 series after failing to win any of the first nine this season. It has to be said: For all their flaws, they managed to pull their bedraggled selves out of a deep, dark hole and become a — how to put it? — not-objectionably-awful team.
That’s why a disastrous weekend series against the Marlins was such a kick in the teeth.
Just when things were starting to go pretty dang well, they had to press pause on Liam Hendriks’ comeback because of swelling in the closer’s elbow, bollixed up back-to-back ninth innings on Saturday and Sunday and — with a daunting West Coast trip up next — sucked the little bit of joy fans finally were starting to experience right out of the equation.
“It’s just baseball,” manager Pedro Grifol said after Sunday’s debacle, in which the Sox gagged on a late 5-1 lead. “That’s just the way it is.”
Unfortunately, it’s just the way we remember the Sox all of last season and the first several weeks of this one.
So, what now?
Will Dodger Stadium and Seattle’s T-Mobile Park be where the Sox bullpen completely falls apart? Will Tim Anderson’s funk ever end? Is Eloy Jimenez one false move from yet another injury shutdown? Is $75 million man Andrew Benintendi incapable of hitting the baseball over an outfielder’s head all the time or merely when wearing a Sox uniform? Is the sky falling? Is all hope lost?
“We’ve just got to keep plugging along,” Grifol said. “We’ve got to keep doing what we’re doing. We’re playing good baseball.”
Correction: They’re playing not-objectionably-awful baseball.
A barrel of fun, it ain’t.
THREE-DOT DASH
Should we tip our caps to the Cubs for going 4-6 and being outscored by 18 runs on their trip to see the Padres, Angels and Giants? It was, after all, the closest they’ve come to a successful road trip since they won five of six at Dodger Stadium and the Oakland Coliseum in mid-April. In fact, they haven’t had a single winning road trip or homestand since then. …
If the Cubs can’t help their own cause, at least they know they have the worst team on the planet looking out for them. How about the A’s sweeping the Brewers in Milwaukee after winning a series in Pittsburgh? They’re a 17-50 winning machine. …
The Nuggets are one win from their first championship.
Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images
The Nuggets, getting ready to win their first NBA Finals ever, are one of 11 teams across the league that have yet to raise a championship banner, a startlingly large number compared with other sports. Then there are the Clippers, Hornets, Timberwolves, Grizzlies and Pelicans, who still haven’t managed to finagle their way into a Finals. Which of them breaks through next? I’m betting on Minnesota and not feeling confident about it whatsoever. …
The bad news is one betting site lists the Bulls’ title odds for next season at 125-to-1. The good news is a whole five NBA teams have even longer odds. So we have that going for us. …
Some sports betting outfit or another hit my inbox with a list of potential destinations for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. The top three, in order: New England (+400), Dallas (+600) and Chicago (+625). We’re not buying into that nonsense, are we? It sure would be fun to take a gander at him in Bears duds, though. …
Illinois has to love that the Big Ten scheduled it to play Ohio State in football in 2024 and 2025, the first two seasons after divisions will have been eliminated. Where should coach Bret Bielema send that thank-you note again?
THIS YOU GOTTA SEE
Heat at Nuggets, Game 5 (7:30 p.m. Monday, Ch. 7): One-of-a-kind Nikola Jokic might not be league MVP, but he’s 48 minutes from one of the most well-earned confetti showers ever and, as mentioned, title No. 1 for the Nuggets.
Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky seed a Las Vegas goal in the back of the net.
Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images
Panthers at Golden Knights, Game 5 (7 p.m. Tuesday, TNT): Teams that have trailed 3-1 in best-of-seven Stanley Cup finals have lost 36 of 37 series. Other than that, Florida has the soaring Knights right where it wants them.
U.S. Open, final round (noon Sunday, Ch. 5, Peacock): No matter the weather at Los Angeles Country Club, a dark cloud — thanks to the PGA Tour’s partnership with Saudi-backed LIV Golf — will be hanging over the proceedings.
ONLY BECAUSE YOU ASKED
From James, via email: “How many players with nine-figure contracts are on the Rays or the Orioles this season? How have the Angels done with Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout? How much money would you personally be willing to lose on a nine-figure contract to ‘guarantee’ a winner like so many other teams have done?”
Wait, was that last question a trick one? Because I could afford to pay merely an eight-figure contract.
It’s up to you if you want to clap back on criticism of the Sox for being one of only three major league organizations — the small-market Royals and ghost-town A’s being the others — never to shell out $100,000,000 or more on a player contract. Perhaps the very idea of a player making that kind of dough to play a game gives you pause, which is understandable, but don’t even try to suggest there’s no correlation between paying big for superstar talent and winning. And this is Chicago, man — mom-and-popping it never should get a pass.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
Anderson: “I just [bleeped] it up,” he said about a back-breaking Saturday error. If he said it about his entire season, that would work, too.
Conor McGregor: Shame on the UFC superstar for sending the guy who plays Heat mascot Burnie to the emergency room with a pair of punches during a halftime skit. On the other hand, coach Erik Spoelstra might want to give the dangerous lefty Kyle Lowry’s minutes before it’s too late.
South Florida: It’s bad enough that the Heat are getting their rear ends handed to them, but Panthers fans are suffering, too, during a lopsided Stanley Cup finals. Yes, all two dozen of them.
“Baby Gronk”: The 10-year-old football player is a viral sensation thanks to his dear old dad, who makes Marv Marinovich look like Ward Cleaver. What could go wrong?
Chris Paul: Everybody’s talking about where he’ll end up. Hopefully somewhere Jake From State Farm can’t find him.