Lip Man 1

When they do hit home runs they are solo shots because nobody is on base. Friends and neighbors the end is near. This club played beyond expectations but it has finally caught up with them it seems. Six hits, three walks and the only runs they score are solo home runs...against a pitcher with a record of 5-14 with an ERA of almost six. Only in the world of the White Sox. Castillo goes tomorrow and by tomorrow night the Sox will be in second place.

The Cubs seemed to have no trouble against the "hard throwing" Pirate pitchers today.

That's why I'm hoping that even if they fall short of the post season they win at least seven more games and lock in a "winning" record. To go from 102 losses to 82 wins in a single season is pretty remarkable and gives the organization and fan base something to feel good about. The progress made will have paid off record wise. And given the uncertainty next year with the labor situation that may be all everyone can hang their hat on.

But they have much better starting pitching.

Very true.

Stat of the Day: As a team the Sox are hitting a robust .200 for the entire month of September.

By the way I'll be curious to see how the Pirates do against the Cubs this weekend.

Not the same. They never really were serious contenders come September. K.C. went on an insane run (like the Sox did in 1983) The three years I mentioned they literally were a few weeks away (and in 1967 a week away) for going to the post season and they completely fell apart.

This is who the Sox are facing tonight for the Cardinals: 5 and 14 with a 5.57 ERA If they can't actually score runs off this stiff then they are in more serious trouble than anyone can imagine.

Personally unless they turn things around I'm think the Sox in 1967, 2003 and 2012. (Look it up)

From Fegan's post game: Nearly no-hit Already limited to five runs in their first two losses to a Pirates team playing out the string, the Sox — still with their best offense in years — couldn’t manage a hit off hard-throwing right-hander Jared Jones on Thursday night until Colson Montgomery’s two-out double off the wall in the seventh inning. Fittingly, the runner was stranded by a Braden Montgomery lineout. The two-hit shutout loss sealed a damaging sweep and reduced the Sox lead in the American League Central to just 1.5 games. “We helped him out tonight chasing on the slider,” said Andrew Benintendi. “Their whole staff seems like they all throw 100 mph. I think they have the highest average fastball in the league. It will be good to put them in our rearview.” A coming six-day road trip that ends with three games against second-place Cleveland will now be potentially decisive for the division race. “Sometimes a punch in the face is needed to get going,” Fedde said. “You need to get something from the series. And I know this club, I know this team, we’re not going to roll over.”

There's an old saying, 'you can lead a horse to water but you can't make them drink...'

Two factoids today: September 11, 2001 - The White Sox were in New York near ground zero when the terrorists attack on the World Trade Center towers took place. They got a firsthand look at one of the darkest days in U.S. history. Major League Baseball, in the wake of the national emergency, suspended all games for a week. The Sox returned to New York in early October to make up the three games with the Yankees. September 11, 2016 – In a 2-0 loss to the Royals at U.S. Cellular Field, Sox pitcher Chris Sale set the team record by recording 200 or more strikeouts for the fourth consecutive season. Sale set the team single season mark for strikeouts in 2015. He would pitch eight innings striking out 12, only to lose as the Sox offense could not give him any support. In 2016 he’d fan 233 hitters.

As far as the rebuild they still have a very long way to go especially in the most important position...pitching.

It's almost like the players think it is a mortal sin to shorten up and go the other way.

Absolutely. That's eight losses in 11 games. Maybe they have been playing over their heads the first five months and they are reverting back to the norm. They are hanging on by a thread to the division and the #2 seed. 34 runs in 11 games. (10 came in a single game) Seven of those games they scored three runs or less. Home Run or nothing.

As long as JR is in charge this isn't happening.

From Paul Sullivan's column today: Bridgeport BluesNo one from Bridgeport wants the Sox to leave Bridgeport and turn it into a virtual ghost town. Unfortunately, Ishbia lives on the North Shore, not Bridgeport, and has no nostalgia for the neighborhood that’s been home to the Sox for 116 years. If the Sox and Illinois Sports Facilities Authority had allowed bars and restaurants to be built around the new ballpark 35 years ago, as late Gov. Jim Thompson originally promised at McCuddy’s, Bridgeport would now be like River North and the team wouldn’t have to move to draw more fans.

In the last 10 games the Sox have score 34 runs...10 came in a single game.

From Fegan's Sun-Times story: With 17 games left after Wednesday, the repeated assertions that rookies Noah Schultz, David Sandlin, or that a rehabbing Drew Thorpe could be recalled for meaningful innings down the stretch are harder to figure. But that hasn’t slowed the flow of said assertions. “There’s a number of guys down there that are going to be helpful for us at some point here,” Venable said. “A very important piece of this, getting to the end here, is having those guys available and ready to contribute.” If Thorpe being asked to turn a lineup over twice in a division race–more than two years since he was last in the majors–feels far-fetched, multi-inning relief work is a potential fit for him and other Triple-A starters.

Some of the White Sox offensive identity is simply personnel. They have the fourth-lowest contact rate in the league because their roster is full of loose movers, long levers and uphill swing paths. Their runs come in huge chunks, as do the whiffs and inconsistency, especially with the roster’s youth. https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2026/09/09/white-sox-hitting-director-ryan-fuller-talks-offensive-improvement-and-the-development-that-remains-colson-montgomery-munetaka-murakami-miguel-vargas-chase-meidroth

Four factoids today: September 10, 1930 - Future Hall of Famer Luke Appling made his White Sox debut. It was the start of the legacy of great Sox shortstops which included "Chico" Carrasquel, Luis Aparicio and Ozzie Guillen. Appling went 1 for 4 in a 6-2 loss to the Red Sox. September 10, 1954 - Paul Richards, one of the greatest managers in club history, resigned to accept a dual position of general and field manager for the Baltimore Orioles. Richards was the man credited with turning around the fortunes of the franchise in 1951 with his aggressive running/pitching/defensive philosophy. Sox pitcher Billy Pierce called Richards the smartest manager he ever had. Richards was also credited with turning around Nellie Fox, helping make him into a very good hitter. Richards left because the White Sox were not willing to give him a multi-year contract extension or a raise and because of personal disagreements he had with then G.M. Frank “Trader” Lane. One example was Richards letting Lane know about a young player in the Negro League named Ernie Banks who he thought the Sox should look closely at and potentially sign but by then he and Lane basically weren’t on speaking terms and his suggestion was ignored. September 10, 1967 - Coming off two straight losses to the Tigers and in danger of falling out of the pennant race, Joe Horlen threw a no-hitter. Almost 24,000 Sox fans saw Horlen win 6-0. Sox second baseman Wayne Causey saved the no-hitter with a grab of a smash up the middle, off the bat of Jerry Lumpe in the ninth inning. His throw just nipped him at the bag. Horlen hit a Tiger and another reached base on an error, other than that, he was perfect on the afternoon retiring Dick McAuliffe on a ground ball to shortstop Ron Hansen for the final out. Rookie Cisco Carlos then shut out Detroit 4-0 in the second game vaulting the Sox right back into pennant contention. It was the last time in franchise history the Sox would throw double header shutouts. September 10, 1977 - Sox pitcher Wilbur Wood tied the A.L. record by hitting three Angel hitters in a row in the first inning of the club’s 6-1 loss at Anaheim. With two out and a man on, Wood hit Dave Kingman, Don Baylor and Dave Chalk.

Well they've now lost seven of 10.

Only you WBWSF...only you. How much money has he already invested again? How much has he given to Reinsdorf? I can only assume you are trolling now because this makes absolutely zero sense.

I don't think Getz is bringing up either Sandlin or Thorpe. He's got that option but I just don't think he's doing it.