Chicago White Sox come up empty late in 5-2 loss to the Texas Rangers — their 8th defeat in 11 games – The Denver Post

Tanner Banks became the first left-hander to start for the Chicago White Sox in more than one year when he served as the opener Monday against the Texas Rangers.

Things didn’t break right for the Sox, falling 5-2 in the series opener in front of 19,554 at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Andrew Vaughn and Luis Robert Jr. hit back-to-back homers in the sixth to get the Sox within 3-2.

The Rangers responded with a pair of two-out runs in the seventh against reliever Aaron Bummer. All five of the runs for the Rangers came with two outs.

The Sox loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but Yasmani Grandal and Jake Burger struck out. They brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth and again came up empty as the team lost for the eighth time in 11 games.

“I liked the fact (Banks, Nick Padilla and Jesse Scholtens) went in and threw strikes, they competed, attack the strike zone,” Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “They got beat a couple of times here and there, but for the most part they were aggressive in the strike zone against really good hitters.

“You tell me before the game those guys would give us six innings of a quality start, I’m taking it. They got us to the heart of our bullpen. We had opportunities to get the big hit and we didn’t tonight.”

The loss dropped the Sox to 12 games under .500 (31-43). But they remained 5 1/2 games out of first in the American League Central after the division-leading Minnesota Twins (36-37) lost. There are no teams in the division with a winning record.

“I was talking with Pedro before the game and I was like, ‘Man, we keep losing but you look up and we’re not losing ground right now,’” said Vaughn, who went 2-for-5. “We’ve got 90-something games left, there’s time to do it. But got to start sooner rather than later.”

Banks allowed three runs on five hits with three strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings in his first big-league start.

“I was excited going into it, to be able to check that box that I started a game in the big leagues,” Banks said. “Really to go out there, take the ball and give the team as much length as I could to put us in the best position moving forward, especially since it was a bullpen game.

“However I can take the ball and help the team, I’m happy to do so.”

Padilla allowed three hits in 1 2/3 scoreless innings and Scholtens followed with two-thirds of a scoreless inning.

With Banks on the hill, the Sox snapped a streak of 191 consecutive games with a right-handed starter. That was the longest active streak in baseball (Minnesota was next at 141), the second-longest in Sox history (only topped by 194 from Sept. 7, 1933 to May 19, 1935) and the longest in baseball since Cleveland (417) from 2017-21, according to Elias.

Banks became the first lefty to start for the Sox since Dallas Keuchel on May 26, 2022, against Boston.

He was in position to make the start after Mike Clevinger went on the injured list with a right biceps inflammation after leaving Wednesday’s game early against the Dodgers in Los Angeles.

Banks was stung by two-out damage in the first and third innings, with Josh Jung playing a role both times.

Jung singled with two outs in the first and scored on Adolis García’s double. Jung homered in the third.

A two-out RBI single by Mitch Garver against Padilla made it 3-0 in the fourth.

The back-to-back homers by Vaughn, his 10th, and Robert, his team-leading 18th, got the Sox back in the game. The Sox have 12 homers in their last six games, 11 of which are solo.

“I’m happy we are hitting the homers, I like homers,” Grifol said. “We just have to find a way to get guys on prior to them. Turn those solos into crooked numbers.”

The Rangers bounced back with a two-out, two-run single by Jonah Heim.

Trailing 5-2 in the eighth, Andrew Benintendi singled and then with one out Robert and Eloy Jiménez reached on a single and fielding error, respectively. Grandal and Burger both went down swinging against Josh Sborz.

Clint Frazier walked and Elvis Andrus singled to begin the ninth. Will Smith struck out Zach Remillard. Benintendi lined out and Vaughn grounded out as the Sox went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

“We battled, just didn’t happen,” Grifol said. “Couldn’t get the big hit.”

()