For the first couple innings, it looked like a typical Felipe Paulino outing.
By the start of the fourth inning, it looked like the possible end the line, at least for the immediate future.
The Rangers took a 2-0 lead into the third inning and more than quadrupled their earnings, pasting a number of Paulino's secondary offerings around the park, most of them with two outs.
In fact, Paulino had a chance to get out of the inning after Donnie Murphy hit a flyout to deep center. That gave Paulino two outs with runners on second and third.
Then the Rangers hit for the cycle over the next six batters (triple, homer, double, walk, single, double) to bludgeon that dream senselessly. The White Sox trailed 9-0 after that flurry, and when Paulino started the fourth on 80 pitches, Robin Ventura may have foreshadowed a change of scenery.
Paulino didn't do Ventura the favor of finishing the fourth -- a two-out homer and a two-out single ended his night after 3⅔ innings ... and 13 hits ... and 10 runs (all earned) ... and three walks ... with two homers. But hey, three strikeouts.
On other side, Martin Perez threw his first career shutout, scattering three hits and a walk while striking out eight. He only needed 109 pitches, and limited the Sox to only four at-bats with runners in scoring position (all hitless). His changeup confounded the Sox, including Jose Abreu, who struck out three times.
Throw in, and this was your classic Sox Machine pooping-dog game, in other words.
The silver lining: Zach Putnam (making his Sox debut) and Scott Downs took care of the other 4⅓ innings, each allowing a run, but neither losing any dignity in the process. Also, Marcus Semien made three plays on rockets hit at him, while Alexei Ramirez collected a single to keep his hitting streak alive, and added an incredible diving stab-and-throw to his left.
Record: 8-9 | Box score | Play-by-play | Highlights