CHICAGO — Seeing AJ Pollock in the black and white of the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called it “a tough day” this spring when the Dodgers traded the popular Pollock for closer Craig Kimbrel.
“AJ helped us win a championship. He’s very well-liked in the clubhouse and organization and to trade him was tough for everyone,” Roberts said. “We’re looking forward to seeing AJ and saying hello.”
Roberts wasn’t so happy seeing Pollock come off the bench later that night and drive in two runs with a pinch-hit double off David Price, the key hit in a four-run sixth inning that lifted the White Sox to a 4-0 victory over the Dodgers in the opener of the interleague series.
The loss was the Dodgers’ third in a row and sixth in their past eight games.
Offensively, the Dodgers did little against White Sox starter Michael Kopech, managing just one hit and a walk while striking out eight times in his six innings.
Dodgers starter Mitch White was nearly as good. In fact, he was perfect – for four innings. White retired the first 12 Sox batters in order before giving up a leadoff single to Jose Abreu in the fifth inning.
A hit batter and another single loaded the bases with one out but White struck out Reese McGuire and Josh Harrison to escape unharmed.
That was the end of his night, though. White threw 78 pitches over five innings in his previous start. Roberts did not let him go past 65 this time. It would have meant facing the White Sox lineup a third time.
Instead, Phil Bickford came in and gave up a leadoff single to Danny Mendick and then a two-out single to Jose Abreu that put runners at the corners. Roberts called on Price to face the left-handed Gavin Sheets. White Sox manager Tony La Russa countered by sending Pollock up to pinch-hit.
Pollock shot Price’s first pitch – a cutter on the outside part of the plate – down the right-field line for a double, both runners scoring. Things didn’t get better for Price. He gave up another double to the next batter, Jake Burger. After intentionally walking Yoan Moncada, a fifth consecutive reached base with two outs. McGuire’s RBI single completed the four-run burst.
The Dodgers put two runners on in the seventh and again in the eighth. But Hanser Alberto struck out to end the seventh and Freddie Freeman bounced into a double play to end the eighth. Trea Turner led off the ninth with a walk but was stranded at second base as White Sox closer Liam Hendriks finished off the shutout.
