There are frustrating losses, and then there is whatever the White Sox subjected us to on Wednesday night.
Chicago wasted nearly every opportunity it received, went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and handed Houston the only two runs it needed in a maddening 2-0 defeat. The lone silver lining came elsewhere, as Cleveland also lost, leaving the White Sox with a three-game lead in the AL Central.
Davis Martin was considerably sharper in his return from the injured list. Making his first start since Aug. 13 after dealing with a blister on his pitching hand, the righthander breezed through a perfect first inning. He needed only nine pitches and received some help from Colson Montgomery, who made an outstanding play at shortstop for the third out.
The White Sox received their first gift in the second when Andrew Benintendi reached on a missed-catch error by LaMonte Wade Jr. Braden Montgomery followed with a 106.8 mph liner, but it was hit directly at Jose Altuve for the first out. Hayden Wesneski then plunked Colson to put two aboard, only for Chase Meidroth to ground into a strange inning-ending double play. It seems like Jose Altuve is always in the middle of these things.
Martin surrendered a one-out single to Daulton Varsho in the bottom half, and Varsho promptly swiped second. There was no reason to panic, however, as Martin struck out the next two batters on six pitches. His four-seamer was especially effective early.
Tristan Peters opened the third with a single, but Drew Romo struck out without advancing him. Antonacci recovered from an 0-2 count to work a walk, giving the Sox another opportunity with two on and one out. Munetaka Murakami’s struggles continued with a ground out to first, and Vargas popped up to strand both runners.
Martin needed only six pitches to retire the Astros in order in the third, but Houston finally made him work in the fourth. Yordan Alvarez led off with a double, and Isaac Paredes followed with a single to put runners on the corners with nobody out. This is generally where things fall apart, but Martin refused to let it happen. He induced a pop-up from Altuve, struck out Varsho, and retired Nelson Velázquez on a fly ball to escape without allowing a run.
Martin maneuvered around more traffic in the fifth after Cam Smith opened the inning with a single and Jeremy Peña added a two-out base hit. Alvarez represented the biggest threat of all, but Martin got him to fly out and preserve the scoreless tie.
Unfortunately, the White Sox offense was busy doing absolutely nothing. Wesneski retired nine consecutive batters from the fourth through the sixth, requiring only 33 pitches to complete those three frames.
Martin returned for the sixth and quickly recorded the first two outs before issuing a walk to Varsho. With Martin at 80 pitches, Will Venable turned to Sean Newcomb, who induced a fly out from Velázquez to end the inning.
Martin was excellent in his return, scattering five hits and one walk over 5 2/3 scoreless innings while striking out three. He gave the White Sox everything they could have reasonably asked for. The offense gave him nothing in return.
Braden Montgomery drew a walk in the seventh, but the Sox could not advance him. Wesneski finished his night having held Chicago to one hit and two walks while striking out five over seven scoreless frames. The Good Guys managed only four baserunners against him and went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position.
Then came the eighth, an inning that should haunt the White Sox for quite some time.
Peters opened the frame by crushing a 103.5 mph drive to center. It would have been a home run in 19 other ballparks, but at Daikin Park, it settled for a triple. Romo followed with a walk, putting runners on the corners with nobody out.
Surely, the White Sox could push across one run.
They could not.
Sam Antonacci swung at the first pitch and hit a grounder to short. Peters broke for home and was thrown out at the plate, wasting the team’s best scoring opportunity of the night with an inexplicable baserunning decision.
Murakami then snapped his 0-for-15 skid with a single to load the bases, giving Vargas a chance to erase the mistake and become the hero.
Instead, Vargas grounded into an inning-ending double play.
It was not bad luck. It was poor execution, and it was brutal to watch.
Unlike the White Sox, the Astros took advantage when their opportunity arrived in the bottom half. Alvarez reached on a one-out grounder that was initially ruled an error on Meidroth before being changed to a base hit. Newcomb then walked Paredes on four pitches. With Altuve at the plate and the count 1-2, a pitch in the dirt was ruled to have hit him, although it sure appeared to miss him. The Sox challenged, but the call was upheld, loading the bases.
Because nothing could go Chicago’s way, Newcomb induced a ground ball from Varsho but could not escape the inning. Velázquez followed with a two-run single, finally breaking the scoreless tie and punishing the White Sox for every opportunity they had squandered.
Tyler Davis replaced Newcomb and walked Smith before getting Christian Walker to fly out and end the inning.
Josh Hader took over in the ninth and retired the South Siders in order, putting the finishing touches on one of their most exasperating losses of the season.
Martin and Newcomb kept Houston scoreless for 7 2/3 innings before Velázquez finally broke through. The South Siders put runners on the corners with nobody out in the eighth and loaded the bases with one out. They still could not score.
Chicago did not lose because of one unlucky bounce or a brilliant defensive play. The Sox lost because they failed to execute when the game was sitting there for them to take.
At least Cleveland lost, too.
The clubs will wrap up the series Thursday afternoon, with first pitch scheduled for 1:10 p.m. CDT.
MVP
Davis Martin: 5 2/3 IP, 5 H, 0 R, BB, 3 K
Runners-Up
Tristan Peters: 2-for-3, 3B, SB
Munetaka Murakami: 1-for-4, K
Cold Cat
Sean Newcomb: 2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, BB, 2 K
Runners-Up
Tristan Peters: Getting thrown out at home
Miguel Vargas: 0-for-4, DP
Andrew Benintendi: 0-for-3