When Garrett Crochet jumped off the mound after throwing two shutout innings with four strikeouts for the White Sox against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Friday, controversy erupted. The controversy was fueled by the final score of the game, played at Guaranteed Rate Field in the Windy City, 4-1 in favor of the Pirates.
Garrett Crochet, who leads the majors with 150 strikeouts, was 4-4 with a 2.38 ERA in 11 home starts this season. That boded well for his ability to get the long haul done on Friday. However, Crochet’s early exit from the mound has an explanation from the front office.
The White Sox want to carefully manage the workload of left-hander Garrett Crochet, who is in his first year as a full-time starter after Tommy John surgery.
Manager Pedro Grifol revealed that Crochet will get a short outing in his final game before the All-Star Game break this Friday. Then, after the break, Crochet will pitch the fifth game to ensure he gets a maximum of 10 days rest.
“We’re trying to get through his first season as a full-time starter and his first season coming off Tommy John surgery. There’s no magic formula for that, but we’re confident in the plan we’ve laid out,” Grifol said. “We’re going to face this challenge together.”
White Sox vs. Pirates: The game
Pitcher Marco Gonzales made an outstanding return to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ rotation just hours after coming off the disabled list, helping his team beat the White Sox 4-1. The win is the second in a row for the Pirates, who have won four of their last five games.
Ke’ryan Hayes played a key role in the Pirates’ offense, collecting two hits, driving in a run and scoring another. Pittsburgh currently has a record of four wins and one loss in their last five games.
Gonzales (1-0) had been sidelined for nearly three months with a strained forearm. But in his first start since April 13, he was solid on the mound, scattering seven hits, allowing one clean run, striking out four and walking none over five innings.
The Pirates rallied from a 1-0 deficit in the fifth inning on RBIs by Jared Triolo and Michael A. Taylor, and added to their lead in the following inning on RBIs by Nick Gonzales and Hayes.
David Bednar, Pittsburgh’s third reliever, took over in the ninth inning and earned his 17th save of the season.
Jonathan Cannon (1-3), who came on in relief of starter Garrett Crochet, allowed all four Pirate runs in the two innings he pitched.
Luis Robert Jr. drove in the only run for the White Sox, who have lost eight of their last 11 games.
Before the game, it was reported that rookie right-hander Paul Skenes will pitch in the All-Star Game on Tuesday night, representing the Pirates in Texas.
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