It felt like the Chicago White Sox were all but locked into the ALCS. Not only did they sweep the Houston Astros in the Wild Card series, but they also took the first two games of the ALDS, both on the road, against the Cleveland Guardians, putting them one win away from advancing to the Championship Series, with the scene shifting to a rowdy Rate Field on the South Side of Chicago.
All the White Sox had to do was defend home turf in front of a crowd trying to will them to the ALCS, but they failed miserably, despite threatening a Game 4 comeback. Now, with the series headed back to Cleveland for a winner-take-all Game 5, it feels like the Guardians have taken all the momentum, and White Sox fans should be extremely nervous. Here are several reasons why it's time to panic.
White Sox pitching magic has worn off in the blink of an eye
What made this White Sox run really stick out is that they made it this far despite not having a single reliable starting pitcher. I mean, look at the innings their starter for each game this postseason has given them.
Game | Pitcher | Innings |
|---|---|---|
WC Game 1 | Hagen Smith | 3 |
WC Game 2 | Sean Burke | 4 |
ALDS Game 1 | Hagen Smith | 2.2 |
ALDS Game 2 | Anthony Kay | 0.1 |
ALDS Game 3 | Sean Newcomb | 2.0 |
ALDS Game 4 | Hagen Smith | 0.2 |
To be fair, Sean Burke did throw 5.1 innings as a bulk reliever in Game 2 of the ALDS and has been their best pitcher this postseason. He'd be lined up to pitch in Game 5, which is a good thing. However, it's not like Burke has been able to get so deep into games either, and who else do you trust?
Grant Taylor threw four innings to save Game 1 of the ALDS, but he looked shaky in Game 2 (despite recording another save) and couldn't record a single out in Game 4. It's safe to assume he's running on fumes. Hagen Smith just walked the bases loaded to begin Game 4, and has been heavily used. Will he even be available in Game 5?
It's been fun to watch Will Venable attempt to guide this pitching staff without a single reliable starter through the ALDS, but there's a reason why starting pitching is so coveted. Their pitching staff is incredibly taxed given the fact that length has been so hard to come by, and they've allowed 18 runs in the last two games as a result. That is a problem heading into a winner-take-all game.
White Sox have lost their power in the postseason
What made the White Sox so fun to watch during the regular season was their powerful lineup. Did they strike out a lot? You bet. But they also hit some absolute bombs as well, ranking fifth in the majors with 211 home runs in the regular season. The postseason has been a different story, though. They hit just two home runs in the Wild Card series, and Miguel Vargas just hit their second of the ALDS in garbage time. That's a total of four home runs in six postseason games. For reference, Chicago surrendered four home runs to the Astros in the two-game Wild Card series alone.
Both Munetaka Murakami and Chase Meidroth hit huge home runs this postseason, but four home runs in just six games aren't going to cut it for a power-or-bust team. The White Sox were 25th in batting average in the regular season. Stringing hits together isn't how they win baseball games. Three White Sox players hit 30+ home runs in the regular season, and six White Sox players hit 15+, yet you wouldn't know it based on how the playoffs have gone.
If they can't tap into their power, scoring runs, especially against a tough pitcher like Williams, will be a major challenge.
Jose Ramirez is looking like Jose Ramirez again
The White Sox won the first two games of the series, holding Jose Ramirez, who had a down regular season, hitless in six at-bats with three strikeouts. Ramirez looked completely lost at the plate, and the Guardians scored a combined three runs in those two contests. Ramirez wound up going 2-for-4 with a double and a triple in Game 3, and in Game 5, he went 2-for-5 with a home run. That's four hits (three of them for extra bases) in two games.
Prior to his down regular season, Ramirez was universally recognized as one of the 10 or 20 best players in the sport. If he's back at that level, can the White Sox really slow him down, especially given the state their pitching staff is in? It's hard to trust that, and that's frightening. A confident Jose Ramirez can swing any game on his own.
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