Chicago White Sox manager Tony La Russa calls for intentional walk on 1-2 count again
What can else you say about the job Tony La Russa's done as Chicago White Sox manager to this point without sounding like a broken record?
The White Sox entered the year as World Series contenders but are just two games above .500 in mid-August. Certainly, not all of that is due to the managing, but it does seem like La Russa is often determined to make it seem like it is.
Of all the poor decisions La Russa has made this year, his multiple strange calls for intentional walks might take the cake. And guess what? On Friday against the Cleveland Guardians – with the White Sox already down 5-2 in the bottom of the seventh – La Russa called for another intentional walk on a 1-2 count!
The decision to walk Oscar Gonzalez with the count at 1-2 came after Andrés Gimenez and Josh Naylor pulled off a double steal to advance to second and third, respectively. With first now open, La Russa didn't want to pitch to Gonzalez despite the 1-2 count.
The decision actually worked out for the White Sox this time – unlike earlier this season when the 1-2 walk backfired horribly vs. the Dodgers – as new pitcher Jimmy Lambert got Owen Miller to fly out with the bases loaded to end the inning.
Still, the White Sox lost to Cleveland 5-2.
Contributing: Jace Evans