The White Sox are hamstrung as they fall to the Twins

Have you ever had one of those weeks where it seems like everything that could go wrong does go wrong? Can you believe it could be possible for an entire roster to experience this at the same time?

On this, the sixth straight grievous loss for the White Sox, I’m going to bless this game coverage with cherished memories peppered throughout, brought to you by our current roster.

The only notable offensive plays today for the White Sox were José Abreu’s solo home run in the sixth, and an Abreu sacrifice bloop for a run in the eighth, which accounted for the only two runs scored by the White Sox.

It’s been a rough go, White Sox fans, and you deserve the gift of pleasant retrospection. Both the offense and defense have been dismal, with errors of every type — bad base-running, riled tensity, slippery buttered mitts, and errors galore — and there was no end in sight today. The great pitching we’ve seen so far this season has been offered no run support, and our old reliables look lousy. Add to that a nonexistent offense, and the six-game losing streak makes a lot of sense.

White Sox fans weren’t anticipating such a disturbing loss after a glance at today’s lineup. Upon seeing Leury back in the 7-spot, with Vaughn in the 2, we stopped believing that Tony La Russa was beheading a chicken and assigning the roster by the name on which the lifeless poultry landed. The outcome seemed hopeful — the White Sox hungry for a win against an annoying division rival, with a superior bullpen and a usually-stellar offensive lineup — but all hope was lost. Bats were slammed in frustration, happy-go-lucky sluggers were hamstrung, and the rockets ran out of fuel.

Minnesota scored early, pushing only one run across after loading the bases with no outs in the first inning. That prime pitching wouldn’t last, however, as Vince Velásquez only pitched 3 ⅓ innings before being pulled. Bennett Sousa, Kyle Crick, and Anderson Severino didn’t hold down the Twinkies, as Minnesota ended up scoring nine runs in this game, none of them noteworthy enough to share.

What is noteworthy, unfortunately, is Eloy Jiménez’s unnerving injury in the second inning, which happened while he was trying to beat the throw to first. Jiménez ran through the bag and seemed to step on the back of first base awkwardly, collapsing to the ground and staying there, face-first on the grass, and grasping his right hamstring. Eloy was on the ground for a long time, much to the silent dread of his teammates and fans, before he was carted off the field, looking heartbroken.

There may be many who disagree with this take, and I don’t usually write about my favoritism, but I love Eloy Jiménez, both as a player and as a human. When he’s in a slump, I still adore him without impatience or annoyance, and there aren’t many players I can say that about (scrap with me in the comments, if you wish). The joy and enthusiasm Eloy brings to every game is infectious, and he’s fun to watch even in batting practice. It was heartrending to witness the misery in his face as he took the long cart ride off the field. The spanking the Twins put on the asses of the White Sox in every inning thereafter further corroded my hopefulness about this series.

Let’s not forget that just because our South Siders are playing like garbage, it doesn’t mean they’re a garbage team. The White Sox are a distinctly exceptional team, from offense to defense, and everything in between. With this sixth loss in a row, Chicago is still only one game out of first in the AL Central, so let’s look on the bright side and to the future. Maybe the White Sox can utilize the experience of this slump to help with any lows that may emerge later in the season, at a time when tension is higher and timing may be more critical.

Looking ahead to Sunday, Lucas Giolito is unofficially rumored to be starting in tomorrow’s final game of this series. With our ace’s return will hopefully come the avoidance of a Twins sweep, but if not, let’s confidently look at this next homestand. I know the White Sox are ready to put this exhausting road trip behind them, and are feeling eager to go back home and put the smack down on some Royals.

With this loss, the White Sox are 6-8, and we’ve had worse starts. It’s still April, and the South Siders need to wipe the slate clean and start anew. If they need to start that at home, so be it.