Chicago White Sox stumble out of the gate in season debuton July 25, 2020 at 2:00 pm

For the first time in a while, there is a real sense of optimism, as an extremely talented youthful roster has been infused with just the right amount of veteran presence, which have fans legitimately hoping for a playoff run this year — which is an even greater possibility with the league expanded to 16 playoff teams.

Well, that quest kicked off in earnest on Friday night against the power-hitting Minnesota Twins, but the early returns were a disappointment.

Starter Lucas Giolito got scuffed up pretty hard in the first inning. He gave up a home run on his first pitch of the season, en route to a 30+ pitch inning. By the time the inning was over, the White Sox were down 4-0 before they came to bat.

The South Siders would tie things up 5-5 in the second inning on a three-run home run off the bat of Yoan Moncada but that’s as close as they would get. The Twins pulled away to eventually take the opener 10-5.

Giolito lasted only 3.2 innings, giving up seven runs on six hits while striking out three and walking three. Moncada was the star of the game for the Sox, going 3-5 with his 3 RBI. Eloy Jimenez, Tim Anderson, and Luis Robert were also sharp in their season debut, each posting two hits.

But beyond that, there wasn’t much to get excited about in the opener. While it was only one game, it will certainly be interesting to see how the White Sox respond to a season where there are legitimate expectations. Pressure to meet those expectations is not something this team has had to deal with.

The Sox will look to get their first win today as Dallas Keuchel makes his White Sox debut at 2:10 EST, and we’ll all be watching.