The White Sox opened the week with a bang, but it’s been downhill since Shane Smith’s stellar debut was cut short and the bullpen door swung open. A five-game losing streak, a sweep in Detroit, and a whole lot of question marks later, the Sox limp into another home opener—this time in Cleveland.

Can they stop the bleeding before Boston comes to town? Or are we just getting started with the 2025 pain parade?

Two Outs from Trouble

Despite a 9-0 blowout win against division rival Minnesota Twins to open the week, the Chicago White Sox had a rough go of it. And it all started with two outs in the sixth inning on Tuesday night.

Shane Smith, the No. 1 overall pick in the Rule 5 Draft, made his MLB debut and made a strong first impression. The righty looked dominant, flashing highlight-reel stuff and executing enough to keep the Twins off the board.

But after recording two quick outs in the sixth, the rookie walked back-to-back hitters. White Sox manager Will Venable walked slowly to the mound and called in reliever Penn Murfee.

Spiraling

Murfee had been hurriedly warming during the second walk, and once he came in, the game turned. The Sox coughed up a 3-0 lead and were thumped 8-3 by Minnesota 8 3. The team’s 28-inning scoreless streak by starters ended, and any momentum they had heading into the series finale evaporated.

They dropped that game 6-1 after a three-hour rain delay and limped into Detroit with a struggling offense.

The Tigers home opener didn’t help matters. Detroit handled the Sox in Game 1, though a ninth-inning rally made the final score look more respectable. More of the same happened on Saturday—just two runs of support and a pitching rotation that faltered on their second turn.

Then came Sunday’s meltdown: the bullpen imploded, with Spencer Torkelson delivering the dagger—a bases-loaded double in the ninth off Jordan Leasure. Any hope of bookending the week with wins disappeared as soon as that ball hit grass.

Now, the Sox take their five-game losing streak into Cleveland. And yes, it’s another home opener—this time for the Guardians, who’ve been on an unorthodox 9-game road trip to start the season.

Up Next: Guardians, Red Sox, and Hopefully a Win

Ben Lively gets the ball for Cleveland in their home opener, while all eyes will be on Shane Smith to see if he can build on his promising debut. Lively has struggled in both of his starts this season, lasting 4.1 and 5.0 innings while giving up a combined seven earned runs.

Game 2 will likely feature Logan Allen, who walked five in his season debut, against Sean Burke, who’s searching for a bounce-back performance after a rough outing in Detroit.

Jonathan Cannon also wants to rebound from a start he’d like to forget against the Twins. He’ll face Gavin Williams, who tossed five solid innings (2 ER) in his last outing against the Angels.

Cleveland hasn’t exactly lit the league on fire either, sitting at 3-6 after taking their opening series against Kansas City but dropping back-to-back sets to the San Diego Padres and the Angels. Still, José Ramírez and Steven Kwan are doing their thing. Ramírez homered three times in one game last week, and Kwan remains an on-base machine.

Keep an eye on Kyle Manzardo too—he’s heating up in the middle of the Guardians’ lineup. The rest of the order has been quiet, but unless White Sox pitching can minimize the damage, that may not matter.

The South Siders went 5-8 against Cleveland in 2024—not great, but not a disaster either. They’ll hope history repeats itself for the better.

Back to the South Side: Boston Comes to Town

After their series in Cleveland, the Pale Hose return to the South Side to host the Boston Red Sox for a three-game set. And before you ask, the Sox will not face their former teammate Garrett Crochet. At least, that’s how each rotation currently lines up.

Davis Martin, Martín Pérez, and Shane Smith will likely start the series for Chicago, lining up against Boston’s Sean Newcomb, Hunter Dobbins, and Richard Fitts, respectively. Davis Martin will be looking to rebound from a rough outing in Detroit, while Pérez has been cruising to open the year, allowing just one earned run over 12.1 innings.

The Red Sox, after dropping their opening series to the Texas Rangers, bounced back nicely with a five-game winning streak, taking two of three from the division-rival Baltimore Orioles and winning three of four (including one rainout) against the St. Louis Cardinals. The Toronto Blue Jays snapped their winning streak with a 6-2 win in their series opener on Monday.

Boston boasts a formidable but inconsistent lineup that has scored 51 runs in 11 games, 31 of which occurred in two games against St. Louis. Aside from Crochet, their starting pitching has struggled, but they’ve managed to win a few slugfests to get off to a respectable start.

It’s not a soft landing, but another opportunity for the White Sox to snap out of their early-season funk—this time with some home cooking on their side.

Roster Moves & Minors Notes:

Andrew Benintendi left Sunday’s game with a strained adductor muscle, possibly tweaking it while scoring on a Matt Thaiss sac fly. Before the game, the White Sox activated offseason pickup Mike Tauchman, who made a solid debut—1-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, and a nice catch in right. The White Sox designated outfielder Travis Jankowski to make room for Tauchman on the 40-man roster.

The White Sox outrighted Dominic Fletcher to Charlotte after the outfielder cleared waivers and traded Jake Eder to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for cash.

Edgar Quero joined Baseball America’s updated top-100 prospect list after missing the cut before the season.

Elsewhere in the outfield shuffle, Chicago sent Oscar Colás back to Double-A after clearing waivers earlier this spring and landing in Charlotte. The club signed Joshua Palacios after the Pittsburgh Pirates designated him for assignment, prompting Colás’ demotion. The former top-100 prospect has continued to regress since winning the Opening Day right field job in 2023.

And in Birmingham, first-rounder Hagen Smith dazzled in his season debut. Despite walking four, the lefty tossed six no-hit innings and struck out 10, including six straight at one point. The fifth overall pick wasted no time turning heads and could be in Chicago sooner than later if he keeps this up.

What’s On Tap Next?

The White Sox kicked off the week with promise but quickly unraveled, dropping five straight and getting swept out of Detroit.

Despite strong debuts from youngsters like Shane Smith and flashes of life from the offense, inconsistency on the mound and a shaky bullpen did them in.

With a tough road matchup against Cleveland and a return home to face the Red Sox, the South Siders can stop the bleeding—or dig the hole deeper. One thing’s for sure: the early-season margin for error is shrinking fast.