The White Sox’ scheduled game against the Blue Jays Wednesday at Guaranteed Rate Field was postponed due to rain. The Sox and Jays will play a straight doubleheader Thursday starting at 4:10 p.m.
‘‘The National Weather Services has just issued a severe weather warning for Chicago and the area surrounding Guaranteed Rate Field,” was displayed on the scoreboard at around 6:50 p.m., 20 minutes before the scheduled first pitch. “We advise everyone to take refuge under a covered area of the ballpark.”
José Berríos (8-6, 3.74 ERA) of the Blue Jays was slated to start against Lance Lynn (5-8, 6.47).
The Sox (37-50) have lost 11 of the last 18 games and 14 of 22, including a 4-3 setback Tuesday opening a six-game home stand taking the team into next week’s All-Star break.
The Sox entered the night in fourth place in the American League Central, seven games behind the first place Twins.
Colas’ mental miscue
On his first day back from the minor leagues Tuesday, right fielder Oscar Colas was 1-for-4 with a bunt single in a Sox loss to the Blue Jays, an uneventful return for the outfielder who had seven homers in his previous seven games at Triple-A Charlotte.
Colas also lost track of how many outs there were when he was on first base with two away in the fifth inning. On Zach Remillard’s routine fly, instead of sprinting toward third base, Colas held up.
“He was the second hitter in that inning and there was a ground ball that led off that inning that he forgot about,” manager Pedro Grifol said.
Given the job as the every day right fielder coming out of spring training despite having played seven games at Triple-A Charlotte, Colas showed that he wasn’t quite ready for an everyday job. He batted .211, and the slumping Sox, who started 7-21, couldn’t afford to let him learn on the job, so Colas was sent back to Charlotte.
General manager Rick Hahn lauded Colas’ pregame prep and work ethic at Charlotte.
“His pregame prep, his preparing for the pitchers, really just having a purposeful work day that has put him in a better position to succeed both offensively and defensively has been really what has stood out most,” Hahn said.
The mental miscue didn’t cost the Sox. But Grifol found it surprising.
“It actually does, because we’ve addressed those things,” Grifol said. “We addressed it [Tuesday] night, a few times. I’m not going to see that ever happen again, even though it might.”
Kopech will be back
Hahn reassured that Michael Kopech, who was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, will return to the starting rotation after the All-Star break.
“The most important part of this is Michael is doing well,” Hahn said.
The Sox have re-jiggered their rotation around All-Star breaks in the past to give extended rests to starters in need, especially those “entering potentially new innings workloads in the year,” Hahn said.
“That was the plan for Michael,” Hahn said. “Unfortunately after the start in Anaheim [last Tuesday], it was pretty clear the shoulder fatigue he was feeling was affecting his delivery and the command that night. We made the decision to accelerate that extra rest up a couple of weeks.”
This and that
Through Tuesday, Sox pitchers owned a 3.61 ERA in 47 games since May 13, the fourth-best mark in the majors. The Sox were 24-23 during that span, compared to 13-27 with a 5.66 ERA in their first 40 games.
*The Sox lead the majors with an average of 9.69 strikeouts per nine innings, which would be the second-highest total in franchise history behind the 2021 club (10.18).
*Through Tuesday, Sox pitchers owned a 3.61 ERA in 47 games since May 13, the fourth-best mark in the majors. The Sox were 24-23 during that span, compared to 13-27 with a 5.66 ERA in their first 40 games.
*The Sox lead the majors with an average of 9.69 strikeouts per nine innings, which would be the second-highest total in franchise history behind the 2021 club (10.18).
*Tim Anderson was was 7-for-22 (.318 (7-22) with five runs scored in his last five games after ending a career worst 0-for-24 slump.
*Andrew Benintendi was batting .344/.386/.453 with seven doubles, five walks, six RBI and seven runs scored in 16 games since moving into Anderson’s customary leadoff spot June 16 at Seattle.
