Welcome back from the quick All-Star Break. It was a time when the dominant Garrett Crochet represented the White Sox for all the world to see.

I hope you enjoyed that moment of zen because we’re snapping back into reality now. The second half of baseball started today, and the White Sox have only won 27 games this season after tonight’s blowout against the Kansas City Royals.

I’ll start with the good news. Brooks Baldwin made his MLB debut at second base and had a wonderful play in the first inning. Once he was finally up to bat in the third, he singled! Brooks looked great defensively and was aggressive at the plate. His teammates in Birmingham cheered him on from a distance while in a rain delay.

Brooks Baldwin’s teammates in Double-A react to him getting his first major league hit 🖤🤍 pic.twitter.com/5G4XzrrXnc

— White Sox Talk (@NBCSWhiteSox) July 20, 2024

Korey Lee also homered, in the eight, to break up the shutout. That’s it.

Tommy Pham started the game with a single, and Luis Robert Jr. drew a walk. The White Sox, however, aren’t allowed to have nice things, as proven by Andrew Vaughn, who hit into a double play to end the inning.

Bobby Witt Jr. opened the floodgates with his 17th home run, as Chris Flexen gave up his 17th home run of the season. How can you not be romantic about baseball, right?

The second inning was calm for both teams with three easy outs on each side.

As I mentioned above, Brooks had his first MLB hit! Erick Fedde caught the ball, which was quickly snatched and sent to the dugout. His team unfortunately let him down offensively.

Chris Flexen started showing real signs of struggle in the bottom of the third once Maikel García singled to right. Kyle Isbel hit a sac bunt to first to advance García. Then death, taxes, and Witt picks up an RBI to put the Royals up by two.

While the White Sox couldn’t even muster up a base hit in the fourth, Robert robbed two potential home runs from Salvador Pérez and Michael Massey to keep the Royals off the board.

The bottom of the fifth was brutal for Flexen. After back-to-back walks with no outs and a stolen base, Katz made a mound visit. Adam Fraizer bunted to advance runners to second and third for Witt. Flexen continued giving up walks, this time to Witt to load the bases for Vinnie Pasquantino. A long sac fly brought in another run. Pérez was intentionally walked to load the bases up again, this time for Hunter Renfroe. This at-bat should end the inning, right? Nah. Flexen hit Renfroe to walk in a runner. A two-run single from Massey gave the Royals a huge 6-0 lead. Then Flexen, who should’ve been pulled after Renfroe, was finally pulled for Chad Kuhl.

Freddy Fermin got a base hit to score Renfroe with another run added to Flexen’s tab. Baldwin scooped the ball and sent it to first to finally get the third out in the inning from hell.

Michael Wacha continued to dominate in the sixth, retiring the last 10 batters. Witt went 3-for-3 with two outs, but Andrew Benintendi thankfully gloved a hit from Pasquantino to end the inning.

Eloy Jiménez tried to get something going in the seventh with a single, but his teammates left him stranded. Kuhl stayed cool in the bottom of the seventh with a scoreless inning.

Korey Lee scored the only White Sox run of the game with a solo homer in the eighth and Kuhl continued to pitch well into the bottom of the eighth, saving the bullpen.

Benintendi and Jiménez both had base hits in the ninth with two outs, but  Renfroe gloved Senzel’s hit to end the game.

That’s all, friends. Maybe tomorrow will be a little better. (Probably not but I’m trying here.)

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Brooks Baldwin photo: S.R. Silver/Sox Populi