The Tigers took a quick ride to 35th & Shields after facing the other Chicago baseball team. The game remained close, with a good start for Chris Flexen, who pitched through six innings. Alas, bad fundamental baseball and a sloppy bullpen would ultimately hand the game to the opposing team.

Riley Greene doubled, starting the Tigers’ offense early. Matt Vierling doubled to left to send Greene across the plate. Flexen added some drama by walking Kerry Carpenter but was able to strike out Colt Keith and Spencer Torkelson.

The White Sox answered with a flyout, lineout, and another flyout.

The Tigers continued to hit the ball in the second. Jace Jung doubled to center to start, followed by Dillon Dingler singling to left. Jung scored from third after being advanced during Trey Sweeney’s groundout.

Gavin Sheets put the ball in motion with a one-out single and Korey Lee followed suit. Lenyn Sosa then singled to right, scoring Sheets and advancing Lee with two outs, but Sosa was caught stealing to end the inning.

The third inning was uneventful for both teams.

Sweeney reached on an error to second by Brooks Baldwin in the fourth. Remember above when I mentioned bad fundamentals? This is the start of many bad plays.

Keider Montero issued a walk to Andrew Benintendi to start the bottom of the fourth and Andrew Vaughn finally got a hit. Red-hot Lee doubled to send Benintendi home and tie the game before Sosa ended the inning. The vibes were temporarily better.

Flexen got a big strikeout on Greene and walked Carpenter, again. But the fifth inning overall was a good one for him.

Nicky Lopez drew a walk and Luis Robert Jr. singled. Alas, Vaughn would hit one right to Vierling’s glove, leaving his comrades on base.

Back to bad fundamentals — Sosa, Lopez, and Benintendi tripped over each other trying to glove a hit. It was ultimately easiest for Benny, but Sosa tried anyway. Lopez was there to back him up and get the out right before a pile of players took place behind third.

Sheets was called safe at home after Keith fumbled a routine play by falling on his bum. Sean Guenther, who replaced Montero heading into the sixth, got nine pitches in before AJ Hinch yanked him off the mound. Oddly enough, he had only given up a hit and was working with two outs. Will Vest threw a wild pitch to advance Sheets but Keith restored his dignity by gloving Sosa’s hit.

Fraser Ellard, who recently got called up from Charlotte, was out for the seventh, getting Dillon Dingler to strike out looking. Parker Meadows was allegedly hit by a ball, but Grady Sizemore said absolutely not and the call was overturned. Meadows ended up walking anyway. After giving up a hit to Greene, he had runners in the corners and was pulled from the mound after 14 pitches. Justin Anderson came in to deal with one out and runners in the corners. Vierling singled to send Meadows home and break the tie. Keith singled to right to knock in Greene and put the Tigers up by two.

Oh, how I long for those Jason Benetti calls.

The White Sox couldn’t muster up anything but a single off Vest.

Jared Shuster came in for the eighth and thankfully had a 1-2-3 inning. Lee went 3-for-4 with a two-out single but was stranded after Dominic Fletcher struck out swinging.

And we’re back to bad fundamentals again. Shuster was back out for the ninth. Robert and Baldwin struggled with communication which caused a near collision and a double for Meadows. Shuster walked Vierling and allowed a single from Zach McKinstry to send Meadows home before coming off the mound. Enyel De Los Santos, who replaced Shuster, immediately gave up a walk to Keith to load the bases. Torkelson was bamboozled by a four-seamer for the second, and much needed out. Then followed up with a bases-loaded, full-count strikeout to Jung, ending the inning.

De Los Santos, who was recently DFA’d by the Yankees, was claimed off waivers on August 17th. 

Sosa, Baldwin, and Lopez all hit the ball, but couldn’t get on base. The White Sox fell 5-2 in the series opener. The bullpen are now 11-41.

Of course, Flexen finally had a great night on the mound.