White Sox 'angry' after sweep, but ready to battle

CHICAGO – Frustration. Disappointment. Disillusionment.

Those are all feelings the White Sox could be experiencing after a 3-2 loss to Arizona on Sunday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field, marking the D-backs’ first sweep of the White Sox in franchise history. It also was a fourth straight defeat for the White Sox (63-65), who are three games behind the second-place Twins in the American League Central and five behind the division-leading Guardians.

But a noticeably perturbed Tony La Russa went with anger to describe his prevailing emotion after his squad fell to 2-9 over their last 11 games.

“I don’t like frustration, discouragement. That’s loser crap,” said the White Sox manager in a very concise and at times terse postgame interview session. “Just seeps energy out of your body. I just get angry and want to do something about it.”

The White Sox have wanted to do something about it for a while, dating back to an eight-game losing streak at the outset of what figured to be a very promising season. There was some hope two weeks ago, when the White Sox rallied late twice against Houston, the AL’s best team, and moved to a season-best five games over .500.

They appeared to be seminal victories for a team on the rise in a very winnable division. But this game is ‘what have you done for me lately’ and not ‘those comebacks sure were exciting.’ What the White Sox have done is put themselves in a sizeable divot with 35 games remaining, enduring tough losses while missing Tim Anderson, Luis Robert, Yasmani Grandal, Yoán Moncada and Eloy Jiménez from Sunday’s starting lineup due to injury.

“Last 11, I don't know how many it's been, but I know within some of those, we've been right there,” White Sox second baseman Josh Harrison said. “We've had some chances to tie the game up, win the game, [and we’ve] fallen short.

“A bounce here or there, a pitch here or there. It's frustrating, because you want to win. We show up every day to win, and it hasn't gone our way. You've got to show up every day."

Dylan Cease pitched like a prime Cy Young candidate Sunday, allowing two hits over a career-high eight innings. Both of those hits were solo home runs, including Sergio Alcántara’s game-tying drive with one out in the eighth on a pretty good 0-2 pitch.

Arizona did little else against the right-hander, who struck out eight and walked one over 103 pitches.

“I’m happy I was limiting walks, commanding my fastball pretty well,” Cease said. “I thought I was more focused today. I really wanted to command my fastball, and I got in a good flow and it really made a big difference.”

“That’s as good as he’s been all year,” said La Russa of Cease.

Elvis Andrus gave the White Sox a chance to tie the game in the ninth with a one-out double off Ian Kennedy (nine saves). Jiménez walked on four pitches as a pinch-hitter, but Leury Garcia, pinch-hitting for Seby Zavala, struck out on a 3-2 four-seamer. Romy Gonzalez struck out on three pitches to end a fifth straight home loss.

In keeping with Harrison’s assessment, Garcia fouled a pitch down the left-field line that was a few feet wide of turning into a walk-off two-run double during that last at-bat. But those uplifting results have not come regularly for the White Sox.

Those losses leave La Russa with a feeling of anger to do better, something he believes the players share.

“You've got to ride the wave. Ebbs and flows,” Harrison said. “But at the same time, you've got to acknowledge where you are and be realistic, and know that we had a chance to win some of these games. Fell short, but if that doesn't light a fire under somebody, they've got to look in the mirror. I don't think it's a thing where me or anybody else has got to light a fire under anybody.”

“Losing is always disappointing,” Cease said. “I think it would be an issue if there wasn’t some anger and some disappointment. We’ve got a lot of professionals in the clubhouse, and we’re not going to let our heads get down or stop fighting. That’s really the biggest thing.”