The Bernstein Brief: An Emblematic Ending For The White Sox
By Dan Bernstein--
CBSChicago.com senior columnist
(CBS) Sometimes all the elements are distilled to a moment, as they were on the final at-bat of Wednesday's game between the White Sox and Tigers in Detroit.
Winning run on third with one out in the bottom of the ninth. Then a pop-fly to shallow left, and White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia did everything wrong except show off a perfect, carefree gum-bubble. The 6-foot-4, 240-pounder set up on a bad angle to the ball, double clutched the transfer and then let fly with a cannon-shot of a throw that bounced about 120 feet in front of him, ending up at the pitcher's mound as the run scored with no play.
Chris Sale's eight-inning, two-earned run performance was wasted, with the White Sox falling to the Tigers for the 11th time this year and now standing six games below .500.
Garcia was the main "prize" in the 2013 Jake Peavy trade, you'll remember, and has since compiled a slash line of .259/.312/.390 in 331 games over four years.
A typical inability of the White Sox to take advantage of their ace pitcher ended on an inexcusable misplay by a poorly scouted, failed prospect.
Dan Bernstein is a co-host of 670 The Score's "Boers and Bernstein Show" in afternoon drive. You can follow him on Twitter @dan_bernstein and read more of his columns here.