Levine: White Sox Hit Low-Water Mark Of Season

By Bruce Levine--

CHICAGO (CBS) -- A new season-low in the standings is all the White Sox could take away from a 10-5 drubbing at the hands of the Nationals on Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field. Chicago fell a season-low .500 mark at 29-29 and continues to trend the wrong way, having lost 19 of its past 25 games.

Once 23-10 with a six-game lead on the AL Central, the White Sox have fallen to fourth in the division, 3.5 games behind the first-place Indians.

White Sox right-hander Mat Latos certainly didn't hold up his end of the bargain Tuesday. Staked to cushions of 3-0 and 5-2 in the first two innings, Latos coughed up the lead and couldn't get out of the fifth inning.

Latos went 4 1/3 innings, allowing six runs, all earned, on five hits and four walks.

"Looking at tonight, the free passes were (not good)," frustrated manager Robin Ventura said. "You give up the lead. You know you start out, and their guy is struggling. You get some runs and give it back. That is the part that takes the wind out of you. The free passes are going to come back and haunt you."

Latos was of no help, and he knew it.

"It was just a (very poor) performance, period," Latos said. "I don't know. I was just fighting against myself, mechanics wise or whatever. I walked three or four, I don't know, just walked a (crap) load of people. It was a (****) poor effort on my behalf."

The White Sox still showed good energy despite the poor outcome and some plays that weren't made by the defense. Right fielder Adam Eaton was one of the players who helped the team get off to the fast start in April.

"We just have to keep battling," Eaton said. "That is the name of the game. None of us are having fun right now, and baseball can be brutal at times. It is always brutal to be honest with you. If you fail seven out of 10 times, you're a Hall of Fame player. We have taken our lumps, but hopefully we can learn from it. We are definitely in a valley right now. We have to get out of it."

The losing has taken its toll on everybody. Ventura has been a strong leader through these tough times, but he knows fingers always get pointed at the manager when teams free fall.

"It is tough," Ventura said. "If you can't hold them down, you are going to have a tough time.We have had (struggles) on both sides during this stretch. We have had it on offensive stuff and defense. We just have to rally together and figure out a way to blend both of those together. We need to win games like we were earlier."

The fading White Sox have lost four straight and 11 of 13. Chicago is in dire need of a big effort from newly acquired right-hander James Shields, who will take the hill Wednesday night.

"There are some intangibles that come with him," Ventura said of Shields. "It's going to be good to have him in the rotation. Not just the stuff that he brings with him that day, but watching him from the other side, you admire what he brings to the table. That includes the persona and work ethic. That has always been a part of him."

Bruce Levine covers the Cubs and White Sox for 670 The Score and CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @MLBBruceLevine.