Korey Lee of the White Sox hits a solo home run against the Minnesota Twins in the third inning at Target Field on April 24, 2024 in Minneapolis. (Getty Images)
David Berding/Getty
MINNEAPOLIS – White Sox hitting coach Marcus Thames managed a smile. He even seemed upbeat.
You have to give him credit for that, considering the Sox’ 3-20 record entering their game against the Twins, a franchise record to start the season. And knowing the offense is dragging that mark down more than anything.
“Everybody always asks me ‘How are you? How are you?’ ’’ Thames said before the White Sox tried stopping a five-game losing streak against the Twins.
Wellness checks in April are appreciated, but they’re never a good sign.
“My journey has kept me positive,” said Thames, who hit 115 homers in his 10-year career. “For me it’s trying to make sure these guys stay positive and make sure they are doing the right work to get back on track.”
The track now is a path best untraveled. The Sox snapped a 20-inning scoreless streak on Tuesday but blew a 5-2 lead, enjoying a whopping five runs, only to see them go for naught.
Entering Wednesday, the Sox had scored 50 runs, the fewest in the major leagues and the fewest in franchise history through 23 games. No team has been that bad to start a season since the Montreal Expos scored 41 in 2004.
“It hasn’t been what I expected,” Thames said. “But I know the guys are putting in the work and trying different things.”
Sitting up front on the Sox struggle bus are Andrew Vaughn (.165/.258/.203) and Andrew Benintendi (.163/.202/.174), who batted fourth and fifth Wednesday. Tuesday’s lineup also featured the batting averages of Paul DeJong (.216), Kevin Pillar (.150), Braden Shewmake (.143)and Eloy Jimenez (.163).
Manager Pedro Grifol, searching for a spark, inserted Danny Mendick – who had four hits since his call-up from Triple-A Charlotte – into the leadoff spot.
“I like how he competes in the box. He’s there with bad intentions,” Grifol said of the 30-year old who had eight homers at Charlotte. “He’s there to square balls up, to get on base. I like the way he goes about it and he’s having some success so for right now he’ll stay at the top of the order.”
There was no immediate spark — Mendick, Gavin Sheets and Jimenez struck out swinging in the first against Joe Ryan.
“As a whole, a lot of our guys are putting a little bit more pressure on themselves and going out of the zone,” Thames said. “It goes back to the basics since you were a kid: Get a good pitch in the zone and hit it hard. Once we can simplify like that, good things will happen for us.
“They have a track record and you look up at the scoreboard and you have 60 at-bats and you see .160 and .170 and it stinks. But guess what? Hopefully you get 4 or 500 more and you can turn it around and right the ship.”
Vaughn’s battle is particularly concerning and more glaring with Luis Robert Jr. and Yoan Moncada down with injuries. Vaughn hit 15, 17 and 21 homers in his first three seasons but is looking for his first homer.
Until Kevin Pillar and Korey Lee homered against Twins right-hander Joe Ryan Wednesday, you begin to see why the Sox were on a streak of 20 games with one or no home runs, their longest since going 21 straight in 1993
“Andrew, he’s not on time,” Thames said. “We just have to get him on time and trust the process.
“He’s getting pitches to hit and when he’s late, the ball goes on the ground. When he’s early, his bat path works to get the ball up in the air. We did some drill work in the cage earlier today. Hopefully he can trust it and take it into the game.”
There comes a time when the focus on mechanics for hitters in slumps needs to shift from mechanics to seeing the ball and hitting the ball.
“Get in the box and compete,” Grifol said. “That’s the way they got here. And what happens is when you go in a little rut like we’re in, you worry so much about swing mechanics, this, that and the other.”