Cubs Lose, Schwarber Benched
September 21, 2020
Badge of Honor: Jermaine Horton from The Art of Confidence
September 21, 2020
You won’t see many major league teams score five runs in an inning with just one hit, but that’s what we witnessed Sunday as the Cincinnati Reds did it to the Chicago White Sox.
The lowdown is basically this… in the fourth inning the Reds walked six times, there was a hit batter, two run scoring fielder’s choices, and a Mike Moustakas two RBI single.
It was Dylan Cease who walked the bases loaded. And, he was then lifted. While he had not allowed a run or a hit in the game, Cease had walked a career-worst seven and hit a batter.
Unfortunately, Rick Renteria’s pitching change did not stop the Reds.
Cease is now 5-3 for the season and in danger of losing a spot in the starting postseason rotation.
This from the Chicago Sun-Times:
Cease, who has an upper-90s fastball, sharp breaking stuff and a 3.52 ERA that looks good on the surface, will have another start (probably Friday against the Cubs) to get things fixed. With 12 walks in his last 7‰ innings, a big fix is in order, although Cease seemed to think it’s a simple one.
‘‘I was yanking my fastball today,’’ Cease said. ‘‘Mainly not having a feel for the fastball is what did me in.’’
Renteria and pitching coaches Don Cooper and Curt Hasler were expected to go over Cease’s performance late Sunday ‘‘to get to the bottom of what corrections need to be made.’’
White Sox bats managed six hits. One of them was another Jose Abreu RBI. It’s his major league-leading 53rd. He’s averaging exactly one per game.
Luis Robert went hitless, but did get on a base and scored a run. For a deep dive in Robert’s slump, take a look at Sports Illustrated’s analysis (CLICK HERE).
Tonight, the White Sox travel to Cleveland and Dane Dunning will continue to lay claim to the number three starting role. He’s had a strong September with a 2.04 ERA over three outings, all Sox wins. The Indians was throw 3-5 Adam Civale who has not won a game since his complete game on Aug. 19 vs. the Pirates. The righty has a 4.80 ERA with 10 walks over five starts since that one-run gem in Pittsburgh, according to MLB.com.
