2020 OOTP sim: White Sox peak early, fall to Giants

SAN FRANCISCO — In a tale of two games, the White Sox dominated early but faltered late, falling to the Giants, 5-1.

Things started off sweet, as Leury García led off the game with a oppo taco inside the right-field fair pole to put the White Sox up, 1-0.

Unfortunately, it was the last run Chicago would score in the game, and in fact the club would muster just three more hits, as Drew Smyly escaped early trouble and dominated the South Siders in a 10-strikeout, complete-game effort.

It didn't have to be that way. Still up 1-0 in the second, Tim Anderson led off with a double — but Dylan Cease popped out on his sac bunt attempt, García whiffed and Yoán Moncada popped out, for no dice.

In the third inning with the game tied, 1-1, the offense's ineptitude was even more egregious. Eloy Jiménez led off with a single, chased by an Edwin Encarnación double. With ducks on the pond and nobody out, Yasiel Puig and James McCann whiffed. Nick Madrigal shot a screamer out to center in hopes of scoring at least two, but Giants speedster Billy Hamilton made a diving catch to douse hopes.

The White Sox would never threaten again.

Cease began his start in dominant fashion, kicking off the game with a three-pitch K to Hamilton, finishing with two Ks in the first frame. He'd doubled that to four in the second inning; what's more, Cease was mowing through the Giants lineup, taking just 18 pitches to retire his first five batters. Through the fourth, Cease was at eight Ks but swelled to 56 pitches, which did not bode well.

It was the fifth inning that did Cease in, as San Francisco converted three runs before the young righthander was forced to leave with shoulder inflammation. With runners on the corners, Pat Venditte (0.60 ERA) entered and continued his astounding season by inducing a 4-6-3 double play from Mike Yastrzemski to end the inning.

After the game, White Sox trainer Brian Ball termed Cease's injury as minor, predicting he would not miss his next start.

Tony Watson, ex-Giant, entered the game in the eighth, and was tagged for a run before being bounced from the game having retired just two batters. Puig went 0-for-3 with two Ks, so the former San Franciscans did not induce regret from their former team on this Sunday.

The White Sox have fallen to 19-21, 7 ½ games out of first place and just four games from last in the AL Central. Dallas Keuchel (2-3, 4.89 ERA) takes the bump on Monday in San Diego to face another hot pitcher, righty Dinelson Lamet (6-0, 1.22 ERA).

NOTES: With 1.9 WAR at the 40-game mark, Moncada is on pace for a 7.6 WAR season ... García is playing at a 4.0 WAR pace ... Reynaldo López, despite a 4.60 ERA, is on pace for 4.8 WAR.