‘We need to show the fire that we have — if we have any’: Chicago White Sox make pricey errors in a loss to the Kansas City Royals

Chicago White Sox starter Johnny Cueto has pitched for profitable groups all through his profession, together with the 2015 World Series champion Kansas City Royals.

After one other evening of missed alternatives in an 8-3 loss Wednesday in opposition to the Royals at Kauffman Stadium, the Sox have been left to ponder what it might take to point out the consistency so many had anticipated all yr.

“I think we need to be more aggressive and we need to show more swagger,” Cueto mentioned via an interpreter. “We have to go on the market and play and play arduous and present what we will do.

“We need to fight. We need to show the fight, we need to show the fire that we have — if we have any.”

The Sox broke via offensively with three runs within the high of the sixth to take a two-run lead. The Royals tied the sport within the backside of the sixth and went forward within the seventh on MJ Melendez’s solo residence run off Jake Diekman. They pulled away with 4 within the eighth.

“I look at it like we had a two-run lead and it’s part of the game,” Sox supervisor Tony La Russa mentioned. “Sometimes we’ve had rallies that started with a ball hitting a bag or a blooper. It happened for them.”

The Sox trailed 1-0 after they loaded the bases with one out within the sixth.

Gavin Sheets, who flied out to left in the same state of affairs within the second, smacked a grounder to second with an exit velocity of 106.1 mph. Michael Massey couldn’t cleanly area the hard-hit ball, and two runs scored on the play, which was initially dominated a success earlier than being modified to an error.

The Sox tacked on a 3rd run on a two-out RBI single by Josh Harrison.

The Royals responded with two within the backside of the sixth.

Bobby Witt Jr. reached on an infield single, beating the throw from third after a slight double clutch by Yoán Moncada. Witt scored from first on Salvador Perez’s double.

Perez superior to 3rd on a throwing error by Moncada, who made a pleasant fielding play on Hunter Dozier’s grounder however threw extensive of first baseman José Abreu. Perez scored on a two-out single by Massey.

“I battled,” Cueto mentioned. “Just two ground balls that unfortunately Moncada couldn’t finish those plays. But I kept battling. I did what I could.”

Cueto allowed three runs (two earned) on 9 hits with 4 strikeouts and one stroll in six innings.

“Part of baseball,” La Russa mentioned. “And he almost pitched out of it. It’s a tough way to get guys on base. A tough way to give up runs from Johnny’s perspective.”

Diekman has been efficient for the reason that Sox acquired him in a commerce from the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 1, retiring 10 of 12 batters confronted with six strikeouts in his first 4 outings.

He gave up the homer to Melendez on a 1-2 pitch.

The Royals added the insurance coverage runs within the eighth in opposition to Jimmy Lambert, who had not allowed a run over his final 12 outings.

“Diekman made one mistake and (Melendez) hit it out of the park,” La Russa mentioned. “And then it got away from us in the eighth inning. This was not the way Lambert’s been pitching. He’s still very good. Soon as he rests, he’ll be back out there again.”

The Sox didn’t produce something offensively exterior of the sixth. While Royals starter Kris Bubic didn’t issue within the resolution, he lowered his profession ERA in opposition to the Sox to 2.72 in seven outings (six begins) after permitting one earned run on seven hits in 5⅔ innings.

“You look at lifetime, this guy has been tough on us,” La Russa mentioned. “We got the three, I was proud of that. Even the first time that Sheets hit the ball to left field, couldn’t score. And he hit the bullet (in the sixth). (They) pitched good against us but we had a chance to win that game. Just got away from us.”

The Sox fell again to a recreation above .500 at 56-55. They’re in third within the American League Central, 2½ video games out of first place.

“Not yet,” La Russa mentioned about sustaining success, “doesn’t mean you can’t and won’t.”

He believes it’s nonetheless coming for the Sox.

“Because I know what’s in here,” he mentioned. “If we didn’t have that, we would have been buried a long time ago. The fact that we’re still clawing and fighting tells you that we can make something good happen that’s consistent.”

()