Man, it cannot get much worse for Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Carson Fulmer.
He entered the spring as the team’s projected fourth starter in the rotation and is now trying to remember where his favorite restaurants were in Charlotte.
Rick Renteria and Rick Hahn will ultimately make the decision, but it is looking more likely that Fulmer will begin the season with the Class AAA Knights.
Fulmer went 1 ⅔ innings in the Sox’ 11-3 defeat against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, giving up seven earned runs on five hits and three walks. He’s walked 10 batters this spring and boasts an ERA of — wait for it — 18.90.
Ryan Braun feasted on Fulmer, hitting a solo shot in the first, and chasing that with a grand slam in the second. Travis Shaw added a solo home run, tipping the scales to three longballs on the day against the righthander.
Plain and simple, Fulmer has been a huge disappointment this spring. He is entering his fourth professional season and has failed to stay in the majors for an entire year.
He had an impressive September and October last season by posting a 1.64 ERA in six appearances, which gave the team and fans hope heading into 2018.
But Fulmer still does not have command of his pitches. Bruce Levine, the Score’s baseball analyst, tweeted that the Sox coaching staff has “seen progress” with Fulmer’s off-speed pitches, but controlling them has been the main issue.
The Sox bats stayed quiet until the fourth inning, when Yolmer Sanchez added a two-RBI single to his impressive preseason. The third baseman is slashing .378/.410/.595 this spring training.
Tim Anderson hit a soft line drive later that inning to score Sanchez from third base.
That was about it for the South Siders offensively.
Renteria benched Avisail Garcia after his first plate appearance for not running out his check-swing ground ball. This was the first time I’ve seen Garcia dog his way to first; normally he is, as Hawk says, “busting his behind” to first.
However, Renteria wants his team to hustle out of the box every play, and he showed today there is a zero tolerance policy for not going hard. You gotta love it.
Chris Volstad and Robbie Ross Jr. covered a combined 2 ⅔ innings in relief. The two have yet to give up a run this spring.
Gregory Infante, Chris Beck and Connor Walsh each went one inning, giving up one run apiece.