The White Sox are entering a stretch of games that could determine their 2022 prospects.

The first test did not go well.

Minnesota scored four times in the 10th inning to beat the Sox 6-3on Monday. Johnny Cueto contributed six innings of two-run ball and Jose Abreu hit a solo home run, but Byron Buxton and questionable baserunning from the home team allowed Minnesota to take a 5 1/2-game lead over the Sox in the AL Central.

Buxton, who hit a two-run homer in the fifth, got the Twins out of a jam in the seventh after Yoan Moncada singled to tie the game at 2. With no outs and pinch-runner Adam Engel at second and Moncada at first, Buxton ran down AJ Pollock’s drive to deep center. Engel and Moncada apparently didn’t think the ball would be caught, and were both out on a triple play.

The Sox got the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the 10th but Tim Anderson struck out against Jhoan Duran, starting a two-week stretch of divisional games on a sour note.

“This is a real crunch time for us,” said closer Liam Hendriks, who came off the 15-day IL after recovering from a right forearm strain and struck out the side in the eighth inning.

The Sox entered this key stretch coming off a three-game sweep of the Giants but still in third place behind Minnesota and the Guardians with the All-Star break and trade deadline looming. But to Engel, that doesn’t mean the Sox are playing with more urgency than before.

“This team is going to be a really, really good, scary team when we’re all there,” said Engel, who was reinstated from the 10-day injured list after going down with a strained right hamstring. “I think that’s what we’re all excited for, and to say that we’re more urgent than we were prior, I don’t think would be the right phrasing for it. The timing, if we can continue to play good baseball, obviously this is as good of timing as any, for sure.”

Sox manager Tony La Russa was ejected in the top of the 10th for arguing balls and strikes.

Injury updates
Monday was an important night for determining when outfielder Eloy Jimenez (torn tendon in right hamstring) might come off the IL and return to the Sox. Jimenez batted third and played left field for Triple-A Charlotte, collecting two hits.

Asked whether Jimenez might return to the Sox by the end of the week, La Russa said a lot depends on Monday.

”Talking to him this weekend and this morning, he’s feeling good,” La Russa said. ”But to play and feel good, the guys watching him have to evaluate that. He can’t come here to get in shape and then get hurt. But right now, we watch everyone very closely as far as that decision goes.”

The Sox also are waiting on catcher Yasmani Grandal to return from back spasms. La Russa said Grandal was supposed to throw to bases Monday, but that plan was delayed by the pregame rain.

”He’s getting better,” La Russa said. ”I don’t think there’s a time frame yet [for Grandal’s return].”

Roster moves
To make room for Engel and Hendriks on the roster, the Sox optioned outfielder Adam Haseley and reliever Jimmy Lambert to Charlotte.

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MILWAUKEE — Cubs closer David Robertson was warming up next to reliever Scott Effross in the top of the ninth inning when Seiya Suzuki gave the Cubs a one-run lead on an inside-the-park home run.

Robertson watched Suzuki slide across the plate. And knew he’d be getting the call in the bottom of the ninth inning.

“We had a chance to win that game,” Robertson said after the Cubs’ 5-2 extra-innings loss to the Brewers, “And I just went out there and blew it.”

Robertson (1.95 ERA) has been consistent in high-leverage spots for the Cubs much of the year, logging 11 saves. But on Monday he recorded his fourth blown save of the season.

“Dave competed,” Cubs manager David Ross said after the game. “Looked like he just lost command for five pitches. It happens. Trust him with the ball every single night. Nobody’s perfect, guys aren’t robots out there.”

Robertson loaded the bases with a bloop single to shallow right field, an automatic double that bounced over the center field fence, and a hit batter with two outs.

Then, Brewers leadoff hitter Christian Yelich stepped up to the plate. Robertson walked him in four pitches, pushing the tying run across the plate.

Threw a lot of curveballs in a row and then could get a fastball in the zone,” Robertson said. “Just needed to make quality pitches and wasn’t able to.”

The Cubs threatened a comeback in the 10th, loading the bases. But Willson Contreras and Ian Happ, the Cubs’ most consistent hitters this season, struck out back to back to end the frame.

Brewers catcher Victor Caratini hit a walk-off three-run homer off Effross to end the game.

Steele deals

Cubs lefty Justin Steele held Milwaukee to one run in 6 2/3 innings. He didn’t allow a hit through the first four innings he pitched.

In the sixth inning, he issued a two-out walk to Keston Hiura, who then stole second base. Pedro Severino lined a double just out of Happ’s reach in left field, tying the game.

Vel?zquez’s first homer

Cubs rookie Nelson Vel?zquez turned on an inside slider and launched it into the left-field stands at American Family Field in the third inning for his first big-league homer and the Cubs only run before the ninth inning.

“That was sick,” Steele said. “I’ve been telling him, ‘Dude, I’m waiting to see your first home run.’ Dude’s a big boy, so if he gets into it, I want to see it.”

Injury updates

Ross evaluated right-hander Marcus Stroman’s rehab start with Triple-A Iowa on Sunday as “better than the line.” Stroman (right shoulder inflammation) allowed five runs in 2 2/3 innings.

“Stuff looked really sharp and crisp,” Ross said of the report from the outing.

Over the weekend, Stroman said he expected he’d need just one rehab outing before returning from the 15-day IL. But on Monday afternoon, Ross wouldn’t commit to a timeline, saying he hadn’t yet talked with Stroman about how he felt the day after the start.

Cubs lefty Drew Smyly (right oblique strain) allowed three runs in four innings on rehab assignment with Single-A South Bend on Monday.

Contreras left Monday’s game after the top of the 10th inning with left hamstring tightness.

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The Chicago White Sox canceled their postgame fireworks celebration on Monday in the wake of a mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago that left at least six people dead and wounded 24 others.

A moment of silence will be held before the start of Chicago’s game against Minnesota, which will proceed as scheduled at 7:10 p.m. CT from Guaranteed Rate Field.

“Our hearts are with the Highland Park community. The entire Chicago White Sox organization expresses our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the innocent victims of today’s horrific shooting and all of those who have been affected by this tragedy,” the team said in a statement.

Authorities said a gunman opened fire around 10:15 a.m. local time, when the parade was about three-quarters through, sending hundreds of marchers, parents with strollers and children on bicycles fleeing in terror.

The shooter, who had apparently fired from a concealed spot on a rooftop, remained on the loose hours later as authorities scoured the area. Highland Park police commander Chris O’Neill, the incident commander on scene, urged people to shelter in place as authorities search for the suspect.

Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli said “several of the deceased victims” died at the scene, and one was taken to a hospital and died there. Police have not released details about the victims or wounded. Covelli said at a news conference that the gunman apparently used a “high-powered rifle” to fire from a spot atop a building where he was “very difficult to see.” He said the rifle was recovered at the scene.

Several nearby cities canceled events including parades and fireworks, some of them noting that the Highland Park shooter was still at large.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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The Chicago White Sox canceled their postgame fireworks celebration on Monday in the wake of a mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago that left at least six people dead and wounded 24 others.

A moment of silence will be held before the start of Chicago’s game against Minnesota, which will proceed as scheduled at 7:10 p.m. CT from Guaranteed Rate Field.

“Our hearts are with the Highland Park community. The entire Chicago White Sox organization expresses our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the innocent victims of today’s horrific shooting and all of those who have been affected by this tragedy,” the team said in a statement.

Authorities said a gunman opened fire around 10:15 a.m. local time, when the parade was about three-quarters through, sending hundreds of marchers, parents with strollers and children on bicycles fleeing in terror.

The shooter, who had apparently fired from a concealed spot on a rooftop, remained on the loose hours later as authorities scoured the area. Highland Park police commander Chris O’Neill, the incident commander on scene, urged people to shelter in place as authorities search for the suspect.

Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli said “several of the deceased victims” died at the scene, and one was taken to a hospital and died there. Police have not released details about the victims or wounded. Covelli said at a news conference that the gunman apparently used a “high-powered rifle” to fire from a spot atop a building where he was “very difficult to see.” He said the rifle was recovered at the scene.

Several nearby cities canceled events including parades and fireworks, some of them noting that the Highland Park shooter was still at large.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Fans who have hoped baseball would reduce its reliance on home runs, take note: Through Sunday, 39.7% of runs have been driven in by home runs, down from 42.7% in 2021.

But for those who hoped for more base hits and action on the bases to take up any scoring slack, no such luck. Runs per game are down from 4.53 per team to 4.33, and a small rise in singles per game is no more than could have been expected from the National League’s adoption of the designated hitter.

Halfway through the season, it’s time to check out some trends:

Home runs: Teams are averaging 1.08 homers per game, the fewest since 1.01 in 2014. The average was 1.22 last season after 1.28 in 2020 and an all-time high of 1.39 in 2019.

A home-run dip doesn’t have to be a bad thing if there is enough diversity in offense that runs stay around 4.5 per game to hold fan interest. In 2000, when runs hit a post-World War II high of 5.14 per team per game, the home-run average was 1.17, but only 36.8% of runs scored on homers.

This season, the Cubs (one homer per game) and White Sox (.79) are below the major-league average. They’re also less homer-reliant than others, with the Cubs scoring 33.4% of their runs on homers and the Sox 32%.

Prime Chicago power sources have been Cubs third baseman Patrick Wisdom, who is tied for 15th in the majors with 17 homers, Cubs catcher Willson Contreras with 13 and White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu with nine.

Strikeouts: After an all-time high of 8.81 strikeouts per team per game in 2019, there was a dip to 8.68 in 2020 and 2021.

Strikeouts have fallen to 8.34 per team per game this season, the lowest since 8.25 in 2017. The drop is almost entirely because of the NL using DHs.

Not including pitcher plate appearances, strikeouts in 2021 were at 8.24 per game. A final number would have been higher because of DH strikeouts, but you get the idea. Part of the strikeout drop this season is just a difference in conditions.

Sox right-hander Dylan Cease, at 12.3 strikeouts per nine innings, continues to lead American League qualifiers and trails only the Brewers’ Corbin Burns (12.6) in the majors.

Sacrifice bunts: Only to be expected, sacrifice bunts have been cut by more than half to .07 per team per game after .16 last season. They also stood at .07 in the 60-game 2020 season, when NL teams used DHs.

Sacrifices by non-pitchers have fallen out of favor except in the late innings of close games. Numbers have been declining since .34 per team per game in 2011.

Singles: The 5.27 singles per team per game are up from 5.15 last season and 5.06 in 2020, but that’s still the third-lowest in history.

The 13 lowest singles averages in major-league history are the most recent seasons, 2010-22, as power-based offenses have taken over.

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