**Pedro Grifol**: The scapegoat, or the real problem? | Jason Miller/Getty Images

I’m struggling to find anything witty to say these days

The White Sox had a team meeting this afternoon, however, Pedro Grifol didn’t feel the need to elaborate on what was said. I’m sure it’s exactly what the team needed to get pumped up, though, right?

Wrong!

What?? A loss after the big team meeting? I’m starting to question if this guy is really that obsessed.

Nice job Nastrini #WhiteSox pic.twitter.com/sBUPfo0eHZ
— Nick Murawski (@Nick_GGTB) April 16, 2024

Let’s start with some positives — the pitching!

Nick Nastrini claimed his first MLB strikeout victim, the young and talented Bobby Witt Jr., and finished the first with a 1-2-3 inning in just 11 pitches.

What a moment for the Nastrini family pic.twitter.com/fHhpCpw5UZ
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 15, 2024

Two innings in, and Nastrini had faced the minimum, at just 23 pitches.

Vinnie Pasquantino homered off of Nastrini in the top of the fourth, but the rookie didn’t seem to be shaken, as the Sox easily scooped up the third out to keep the game at 1-0.

Nastrini faced some issues when Kyle Isbel drove in a run and two remained on base with two outs in the fifth, coughing up a second walk in the inning. But the command and wipeout slider remained excellent. Dominic Fletcher made a beautiful catch at the wall to keep the Royals from taking advantage of a bases-loaded situation, and the game was 2-0 as we headed to the seventh.

Another rookie from last summer’s Dodgers trade, Jordan Leasure, had a 1-2-3 seventh, and I’m starting to think the kids are all right.

The pitching was pretty good tonight, overall. Dominic Leone looked great, and Steven Wilson, despite back-to-back walks in his frame, still held his own. Michael Kopech finished out the ninth without any damage. If it weren’t for the pitching, the Royals would probably have won by 10.

Royals starter Seth Lugo, unfortunately, looked better. (Even though Andrew Benintendi somehow had two hits.)

Are the Royals starters actually good or have they faced the white sox 5 times?
— Where is Jon Jay? (@JonWhere) April 16, 2024

Seth Lugo shut down the White Sox over 7.0 IP thanks to solid command and inducing weak contact

His secondaries grade out as plus pitches, while his fastballs an off-seed grade out slightly below average

He now has a 1.05 ERA across 25.2 IP pic.twitter.com/lxmBODlhq2
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) April 16, 2024

The bottom of the ninth started with the unholy trinity: Andrew Benintendi, Andrew Vaughn, and Gavin Sheets. James McArthur came out to close it out, and a graphic on-screen let us know that McArthur had two saves this season — both against the White Sox.

Sheets got hit off the top of his foot to invite pinch-hitter Eloy Jiménez to the plate. Mind you, Eloy didn’t even have a rehab assignment. The crowd was rowdy, hoping he might do something — only to strike out and end the game.

As of this moment, there are only six teams in MLB history ever with a worse start than 2-14. Tonight also marked the sixth shutout of the season. I hate to share a Bob Nightengale tweet, but here we are.

The Chicago White Sox join the 1907 Brooklyn Superbas as the only teams in MLB history to be shut out six times in the first 16 games, per @CodifyBaseball
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) April 16, 2024

There’s always tomorrow.

Tomorrow have two pregame clubhouse talks, Pedro.
— South Side Sox (@SouthSideSox) April 16, 2024

That’s another embarrassing loss in the books for what will likely be a season full of them. Alas, nothing will change, and Pedro Grifol will still have his job in the morning.

Futility Watch

White Sox 2024 Record 2-14, worst 16-game start in White Sox history, tied for seventh-worst in MLB history
White Sox 2024 Run Differential -53, tied for 14th-worst 16-game start in MLB history
White Sox 2024 Season Record Pace 20-142 (.125)
Race to the Worst-Ever White Sox Record (1932, 49-102-1) 34 1⁄2 games ahead
Race to the Most-Ever White Sox Losses (1970, 106) 36 games ahead
Race to the Worst-Ever American League Record (1916 A’s, 36-117) 18 games ahead
Race to the Worst-Ever MLB Record (1899 Spiders, 20-134) 1 game ahead