3 Tony La Russa mistakes that doomed the White Sox in ALDS

Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa made plenty of mistakes throughout the Sox’s shallow playoff run — here are 3 of the biggest ones.

Fans flocks to games to cheer on their favorite teams, not to boo them. But after a disappointing loss to the Houston Astros in Game 4 of the AL Divisional Series, White Sox fans were reportedly booing their own team.

The playoffs were a letdown for the White Sox, who entered the playoffs the AL Central winner with a 93-69 regular season record. After Tuesday night’s game, they exit the playoffs with only one victory.

It all came down to the Game 4 matchup, where the White Sox had a chance to tie their game record and potentially advance to the AL Championship Series to face the Boston Red Sox.

In the most critical moments, wins are often decided by coaching errors or flashes of brilliance. In the case of the White Sox, a series of embarrassing gaffes by manager Tony La Russa leaves fans frustrated with an early playoff exit.

Here are three mistakes the 77-year-old MLB Hall of Fame legend made during what could have been a fourth White Sox run for the World Series title.

3. La Russa started Carlos Rodon over Lance Lynn in Game 4

While Lance Lynn was rested and healthy after the Game 4 delay, La Russa opted instead to start Carlos Rodon, who has been battling fatigue and injury during the postseason.

Rodon threw 56 pitches before he was ultimately taken out of the game, which FanSided’s John Buhler explained was a costly mistake.

"“[Rodon] lasted 2.2 innings before getting pulled in favor of Michael Kopech in an elimination game. A Carlos Correa double gave the Houston Astros a 2-1 lead and chased Rodon from the game.”"

Getting pulled that early in the game is never a good sign, which led to Kopech and Garrett Crochet getting a chance on the mound. Together, Kopech and Crochet gave up three runs, which put the White Sox at an insurmountable disadvantage. The White Sox only managed one score during the entire game, while the Astros racked up a deafening 10 runs. If La Russa had started a different pitcher, the White Sox could have had a better chance at scoring more outs and keeping the game within reach.

As Buhler argued, the starting pitcher needs to last at least five innings in such a critical game. Rodon didn’t even last three.