Column: White Sox Down 2-0 After Bullpen, Garcia Cost Game

CHICAGO — The Chicago White Sox had several chances to win Friday's game against the Houston Astros, to bring the American League playoff series back to Guaranteed Rate Field tied 1-1, but a five-run seventh inning and bad defense by right fielder Leury Garcia led to a 9-4 loss.

The White Sox went into the seventh tied 4-4. Lefty Aaron Bummer, who pitched exceptional down the stretch, came in, but wasn't at the top of his game. He gave up a smash single up the middle to Houston Astros star second baseman Jose Altuve. Bummer whiffed Michael Brantley but then gave up a line shot single up the middle to third baseman Alex Bregman.

Good Bummer turned into bad Bummer real quickly.

Bummer fell behind to the Astros most potent power hitter, Yordan Alvarez, 2-0 in the count. Alvarez smacked an RBI single, giving Houston the lead over the White Sox 5-4, for good.

Enter Craig Kimbrel, the Chicago Cubs star closer who has been absolutely awful since the Chicago Sox acquired him at the trade deadline for Cody Heuer and Nick Madrigal.

Unfortunately for Kimbrel in Friday's game, a lousy defensive play in right field by Leury Garcia contributed to his bad stats line for the day.

After playing Garcia most of the game at second base, manager Tony La Russa moved Garcia out to right field in place of defense whiz Adam Engel in the seventh inning, putting Cesar Hernandez in at second base.

When the Astros shortstop Carlos Correa hit his seventh inning fly ball to deep right, Garcia was turning and twisting, and he missed catching the ball. Two more runs scored. The White Sox fans were crushed. It was now 7-4.

Then, it got ugly.

Kimbrel gave up an opposite field home run to power hitting outfielder Kyle Tucker, who smashed a deep home run into the left field stands. The game was now 9-4, and it stayed that way.

The White Sox are now losing the series 2-0.

If the Sox lose back in Chicago on Sunday night, their season is over.

The White Sox are in bad shape right now. They have to win on Sunday night, and they have to win again on Monday at Guaranteed Rate Field, and then try their luck in a Game 5 back in Houston where the White Sox are now 0-6 this season.

Can the White Sox win three in a row? Yes. But does it look like the White Sox will?

No, it doesn't.

After Friday's loss, La Russa told reporters the Astros "have a good strike zone understanding, so, they'll take a walk and the walks hurt us. Except for those two out hits, it's 5-4. You know, we had a lot of several hard hit balls ... and the one Yasmani (Grandal) hit to right center that Tucker caught and made a nice play on.

"No, they're really good, but I thought we played really well too. But they played better."

More on Patch:

• Could Sox's Championship Chances Be Doomed By 'Ex-Cubs Factor'?
• White Sox GM Hahn Remains Hopeful Rodon Can Help Playoff Chances
• 'The Right Guy' La Russa Proves To Be The Right Choice For Sox
• White Sox Power Their Way To First Division Title Since 2008