Emma: White Sox Keep Failing To Capitalize
By Chris Emma--
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Far too often, a loud groan could be heard throughout U.S. Cellular Field on Tuesday night.
Sadly, it's a familiar sound this season around the 25-year-old ballpark. That's the noise of another missed opportunity for the White Sox.
Tuesday's 4-0 loss to the the Twins felt like so many games for the White Sox. Sitting at an even .500 entering the night, they failed to take advantage, even against the worst team in baseball and a pitcher who came in with an ERA of 6.05. Somehow, the White Sox made Kyle Gibson look like Clayton Kershaw.
"Not a good performance for us tonight, by all means," White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier said.
The White Sox were waving at pitches in the dirt -- over and over again. They went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left eight men on base. Starter Jose Quintana pitched well with the exception of two mistakes to Brian Dozier, both hammered out of the ballpark and amounting to four earned runs. The White Sox had nothing in return.
Once again, there was no run support to be found for Quintana. What more can he say?
"I don't have anything," Quintana responded. "I don't control the runs."
Of course, this isn't just the case for Quintana. The White Sox were 26th in baseball with a .227 batting average in high-leverage situations, according to Fangraphs. That was before Tuesday's poor showing. Even when their starting pitching offers a chance to win, the bats on so many occasions have failed to come through.
Everything just felt like the same old White Sox on Tuesday. They came in looking to surge and facing a tumbling Twins team that was 24-51 entering play, but Chicago couldn't even manage a threat. Quintana has gone from great to just good as of late, though it hasn't mattered if he's superhuman because there's rarely any run support.
The White Sox had a chance to get back over .500 and continue their winning ways after a 5-2 mark last week. Instead, they submitted one of their ugliest team efforts of the season.
July is days away, with the White Sox needing to finally commit to buying or selling. They came into Tuesday just 2.5 games back of a crowded wild card running, looking to take advantage of a three-game set against the Twins.
When asked before the game about the state of the White Sox, slugger Jose Abreu stumbled into an accurate assessment.
"We're a .500 team right now," Abreu said through a translator.
Abreu is right. The White Sox's 23-10 start to the season was nothing more than a nice surprise, and their tailspin in the weeks to follow wasn't a true reflection of what this team really is. Now the White Sox have lost their last six chances to get over the .500 mark, falling to 38-39 on Tuesday.
This clubhouse has character to pull out thrilling wins but also the flaws to frustrate on so many nights like Tuesday.
General manager Rick Hahn better be active at the trade deadline, because this team must either find a way to buy big and find every necessary upgrade -- and there are plenty -- or be ready to sell off any and every asset that can help rebuild the organization.
The White Sox aren't swimming or sinking. They're simply floating, not really going anywhere.
While the Indians reeled off their 11th victory in a row, the South Siders stand pat in fourth place. At this point, their only hope is in the wild-card race.
"You got to pick it up in your own division," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said.
Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf is likely to get his way, with the White Sox going for it as they always do. The pressure will be on Hahn to bolster the roster with better talent -- more than just MVPs from yesteryear.
Selling just never seems possible for the White Sox, not with Reinsdorf in charge of the team. It's an admirable organizational philosophy that is digging a hole deeper and deeper.
What's certain is that the White Sox need more, because this is still just a .500 team. Tuesday's sorry showing felt like the same game fans have seen so many times this season.
Once again, U.S. Cellular Field was left groaning by its White Sox.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.
