As White Sox fall to 70 games below .500, staff ace Garrett Crochet could be nearing final start
White Sox All-Star Garrett Crochet could be nearing a shutdown as he approaches his 27th start and 129th inning of the season against the Rangers on Tuesday night.
And if that happens, what could be the worst team in modern history would become even more inferior with a full September of meaningless baseball left.
The Sox’ 6-3 loss to the Tigers on Monday night at Guaranteed Rate Field left them with a 31-101 record and marked the 20th time this season they were swept — and the fifth time in a four-game series. The losses are tied for third-most in a season in franchise history.
The Sox, now 70 games below .500 for first time in history, led 2-1 after five good innings from right-hander Davis Martin but lost for the 25th time after leading in the seventh inning or later.
Although he said the end of Crochet’s season hasn’t been discussed, interim manager Grady Sizemore also acknowledged Monday “it could be around the corner.”
Starting for the first time in his career this season after missing 2022 following Tommy John surgery, then being limited to 13 relief appearances in 2023, Crochet (9-6, 3.64 ERA) has seen his workload ratcheted down since before the All-Star Game, in which he pitched a scoreless inning with one strikeout. He hasn’t pitched more than four innings in eight starts in July and August.
“Just trying to protect him, and where we’re at in the year, it’s getting to that point where it could be a consideration,” Sizemore said of Crotchet, the Sox’ Opening Day starter. “But we haven’t had that conversation yet.
“I’d hate to have him shut down, but it’s part of the game, unfortunately.”
So are trades, and Crochet — with two years of contract control left — could be dealt after the season. So who knows how many appearances he has left in a Sox uniform?
Whenever he’s finished this season, Sizemore still wants his leadership.
“He’s a presence in here during the games,” Sizemore said. “He’s a leader even when he’s not pitching, so we want him around.”
Perhaps more starts like Martin’s would help soften the blow of a Crochet shutdown. Martin pitched five innings of one-run ball and has a 1.71 ERA in his last four starts. His ERA of 2.96 covers six games and five starts.
“It was damage control when we needed it, but for the most part, we were in the zone, attacking with five pitches,” said Martin, who threw a season-high 88 pitches since his return from Tommy John surgery, striking out four and walking one while allowing seven hits.
Martin said Crochet is “setting a great precedent of what’s expected from a day-to-day work standpoint.” Unfortunately, Crochet’s absence would make a team on the cusp of infamy even weaker. Questions about the 1962 Mets’ record of 120 losses being so close have started to gnaw at Sizemore, who got defensive Sunday.
“My wife said it was a little spicy,” Sizemore said Monday. “I didn’t mean for it to come off that way. At that moment, I felt like I was just trying to protect the guys there. . . . We all know what the record is and what the milestone was that day. I just didn’t want to continue and move forward and harp on a number. Those guys in there, they know the situation. They know how hard this year has been and the struggle.”
First baseman Andrew Vaughn’s sacrifice fly and RBI single provided a 2-0 lead against Tigers starter Ty Madden, who gave up two runs (one earned) over five innings in his major-league debut.
Spencer Torkelson’s 439-foot home run to deep center against Justin Anderson in the seventh increased a 3-2 Tigers lead to 6-2.
Andrew Benintendi homered for the Sox in the eighth, his 14th long ball of the season.
Sizemore is 3-12 since Pedro Grifol was fired Aug. 8. At least he was able to smile about getting edgy Sunday.
“She usually doesn’t say anything,” he said of his wife’s observation. “But she goes, ‘Oh, you were a little spicy tonight.’ She got a kick out of it.”