The Chicago White Sox handed the Cleveland Guardians a 7-5 loss at Goodyear Ballpark on Saturday in spring training play. Despite Alex Mooney's 1-for-2 with two RBI effort at the plate, the Guardians could not pull even when it mattered. Tanner Bibee worked 3.0 innings on the mound, allowing 3 earned runs on 3 hits. The Guardians finished with 8 hits on the day while holding the Sox to 7. The loss is a minor bump as the Guardians continue fine-tuning ahead of Opening Day. The exhibition season is about preparation, and today provided the kind of reps the coaching staff needs to see.
Key Performers
Alex Mooney was the top performer at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two RBI. His consistent contact set the tone for the lineup. The Guardians will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
George Valera provided support, going 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI, Kody Huff also contributed, going 1-for-1 with an RBI, and Yerlin Luis chipped in, going 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI. The Guardians showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Sam Antonacci led the Sox offense with a 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI day. LaMonte Wade Jr. also contributed, going 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI. Miguel Vargas added a 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI effort as well. The Sox offense proved to be too much for the Guardians pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Tanner Bibee took the loss after battling through his outing, working 3.0 innings while allowing 3 earned runs on 3 hits. He threw 47 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 6.0 innings of work, allowing 4 earned runs while striking out five. The Guardians continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting. Shane Murphy recorded the save to close out the game.
Among the relievers, Kolby Allard stood out with 2.0 innings of 1-run work, striking out two. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
Sox got on the board first with three runs in the first inning. The Guardians countered with a run in the third. Sox struck back with two runs in the fifth. Sox added a run in the sixth. Sox tacked on a run in the seventh. The Guardians countered with three runs in the seventh. The Guardians plated a run in the eighth. The Sox were able to score in four separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. The Guardians out-hit Sox 8-7 on the day, with 2 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 4,600 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
Despite the result, the Guardians will take the lessons learned from this game and move forward. Spring training is about preparation and evaluation, not wins and losses, and the coaching staff gained valuable information about the roster today. There is still time to make adjustments before the regular season begins, and games like this one are part of that process.
