White Sox 'can learn a lot' from surging Mariners

CHICAGO -- Imagine you are in the playoff race.

That message came from White Sox second baseman Elvis Andrus to his teammates following Seattle’s 14-2 blowout victory to open a seven-game homestand Monday at Guaranteed Rate Field. It’s a message for a team understandably not in ideal competitive form after trading six hurlers and Jake Burger, one of their most productive hitters, leading into the Trade Deadline.

But these final 37 games for the White Sox (49-76) have to be about more than giving a chance to young players or veterans fighting for a 2024 roster spot, although that focus stands front and center. Hence, the comments from Andrus, a consummate pro who has played in 42 playoff games and back-to-back World Series, but also has been on teams struggling to put together any sort of winning streak.

“You have to fight, man. It's a mental game especially when you're struggling as a team,” said Andrus, after the White Sox lost a fourth straight at home and fell to 1-4 in their last five. “You have to go out there and imagine you're in the race.

“It sounds crazy but that is where my mindset is now. I cannot just roll and go game by game. My mindset is still be aggressive, act like you're still in the race. That's the best way to take every game of your career.”

This opening contest basically was over in the first inning, when Seattle (70-55) put up five runs against White Sox starter Touki Toussaint (1-6). The Mariners used four walks and three hits for their early output, eventually adding four home runs to complete the demolition.

One inning seems to have done in Toussaint in every start this season, with his ERA rising to 8.84 in his last 18 1/3 innings after allowing seven runs in four frames. Control is a known issue for Toussaint, who is one of those players fighting for a job this season and next season, and the Mariners were prepared to wait.

“They were patient. They weren’t swinging at anything. I need to do a better job of throwing strikes, especially with teams like that who are going to be patient,” Toussaint said. “Everyone across the league kind of knows I walk guys, so they just did a good job of waiting me out.”

“Yep, there's not much to give you,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “Touki came in and started the game off just going all the way around the strike zone. Fell behind, walked some guys. Ended up giving up five. Settled down a little bit and he gave up those two homers and the game was pretty much over at that point.”

Luis Castillo (10-7) dominated the White Sox by striking out nine over seven innings, and he did it with his fastball. That’s a literal description and not figurative, as Castillo’s last 47 pitches were classified as fastballs by Statcast -- either a sinker or four-seamer.

Castillo is one of the top starters in baseball. But the White Sox didn’t adjust, according to Grifol.

“You're gonna have to go in there and ask them,” said Grifol on why the hitters did not adjust. “It's a good fastball, don't get me wrong. It moves and he commands it and he's good at what he does. But that's a better question for them.”

“That sinker is like a changeup and turbo sinker at the same time,” Andrus said. “We knew how tough he is, very uncomfortable. He works very well, gets you off time, the angle he throws it he's very hard to pick up. He threw a lot of fastballs. I was kind of pissed. I knew my third at-bat he was throwing a bunch of fastballs but you have to turn the page and get ready for tomorrow.”

Two more chances are on the schedule for the White Sox against Seattle, a team not having to imagine a playoff race.

“You can learn a lot from a team like that. They take every at-bat with a purpose,” Toussaint said. “They throw the ball in the zone. That’s what we are trying to get to. I look back and I’m like ‘All right, that’s a playoff team.’ I can pick things they do very well and try to attack.”