DETROIT — The reaction was universal wherever White Sox nation existed and reacted on Opening Day Friday.
You’ve got to be kidding.
About Lucas Giolito’s injury, yet another major blow to an important piece of the pitching staff. And about the way the bullpen failed to protect multiple leads against the Tigers in a , wild, stinging 5-4 loss.
Three days after All-Star right-hander Lance Lynn (knee) and bullpen lefty Garrett Crochet (elbow) had their surgeries and one day after third baseman Yoan Moncada (oblique strain) and righty Ryan Burr (sore shoulder) joined them on the injured list, Giolito — with four scoreless innings in his pocket — left his start against the Tigers at Comerica Park with abdominal tightness in his left side.
“I’m concerned because knowing him he won’t want to come out,” manager Tony La Russa said. “[You have to] drag him out of there. I’m concerned because he felt something ... so it’s really, we got a lot riding on him getting checked and seeing what it is.”
The Sox were winning 3-0 when Bennett Sousa trotted in from center field to open the fifth. Everything was Opening Day beautiful for the AL Central favorites. Then came word that Giolito, who threw 66 pitches, was hurt.
Then the Tigers, one of a few improved teams in the division that figures to be tighter than last season, made plays in the field and chipped away at a pair of deficits, capping the victory with two outs and a runner on third in the ninth. New Tiger Javy Baez delivered the game winner, a drive off closer Liam Hendriks that backed right fielder AJ Pollock to the wall, and while Pollock appeared to make a juggling catch, the ball made contact with the wall before going off Pollock’s glove.
“It’s unfortunate how it ended, for sure,” Pollock said.
Playing in Detroit for the first time and playing right field for the seventh time in his career on a windy day, Pollock didn’t trust himself taking his eye off the ball to get his bearings.
“If I had a little more time, I definitely would have tried to take my head off and see where I was,” said Pollock, who had three hits including a double, an RBI and the 500th run scored of his career in his first game with the Sox.
“It was kind of a funky play. It was just a crazy game.”
A replay challenge showed no catch, umpire Marvin Hudson reversed the call and the Tigers erupted from the dugout to celebrate.
Eric Haase hit a solo homer off Hendriks earlier in the ninth after Sox designated hitter Andrew Vaughn hit a tiebreaking homer off Gregory Soto in the top of the inning.
“It was a pretty good feeling to quiet the crowd down a little bit and get the momentum in our favor and it just didn’t turn our way in the end,” Vaughn said.
The Sox led 3-0 on Eloy Jimenez’ RBI single, Pollock’s RBI single and Luis Robert’s RBI double in the first two innings against Eduardo Rodriguez. The Sox seemed to catch a run-saving break when Jeimer Candelario rolled into second baseman Josh Harrison and was called for interference, completing a double play with a runner on third.
They gave the Tigers a break when 3-4-5 hitters Jose Abreu, Yasmani Grandal and Jimenez were retired after Pollock and Robert singled to open the fifth against Drew Hutchison.
The tough break for Hendriks was Miguel Cabrera’s broken bat, tying two-run single in the eighth.
“I made the pitch I wanted to but it’s not the result I wanted, and that’s the thing that hurts the most today,” Hendriks said.
Well, the injury police might have something to say about that.
“Tough,” La Russa said. “Really a hard loss.
“[Giolito] was throwing the ball so well.”
