White Sox notes: Another loss, Davis Martin, Drew Thorpe, Enyel De Los Santos

SAN FRANCISCO — White Sox right-hander Davis Martin has pitched well — three earned runs and 10 hits allowed over 16 innings in his last three starts — but hasn’t won a game. It’s tough to win with the major leagues’ worst bullpen and lowest-scoring offense backing you up.

Making his fifth appearance and fourth start since coming back from Tommy John surgery Tuesday, Martin got lackluster support from his fielders in the Sox’ 4-1 loss to the Giants.

Mike Yastrzemski’s one-hop single off second baseman Lenyn Sosa’s glove in the second inning figured in the first run. And after the Sox tied it on Sosa’s double against Robby Ray that scored Dominic Fletcher on an overturned play at home, third baseman Miguel Vargas’ error to open the third led to an unearned run.

Martin walked in that one, his second walk in a row, so he also was responsible.

So it goes for the Sox in 2024. Everyone is having a part in the majors’ worst record. The Sox are last in fielding, according to FanGraphs, as well.

“Fans want to see guys playing hard and playing the game the right way,” interim manager Grady Sizemore said.

"There’s never margin for error. You have to play clean baseball and take advantage of opportunities and usually the team that doesn’t hurt itself that comes out on top."

The Sox seem to be playing hard for Sizemore. They just don’t always play the right way. They need to go 13-22 over their last 35 games to avoid tying the 1962 Mets’ record for losses in a season (120).

The Sox lost their 14th consecutive series and are 0-74 when trailing after seven innings.

Martin (0-2, 3.22 ERA) struck out the side in the first inning and pitched OK, lasting 4⅓ innings, allowing three runs (two earned), four hits and two walks and striking out five in his bid to secure a role in next year’s rotation.

"A little grindy today," said Martin, who threw 82 pitches, on a count limit post surgery. "The first inning felt sharp, after that started yanking some stuff, flying open a little bit more than I’d like. Just one of those days, one of those starts where you had to grind through it, push through it.

"Stuff was not as sharp, and I was not executing correctly."

The Sox had one run and three hits and struck out nine times against Ray.

"His fastball was good," Sizemore said. "He got a lot of swing and miss, foul balls on the heater, made his offspeed effective, threw a lot of strikes, don’t think he walked anybody. He was getting strikes with the fastball the guys didn’t seem to get good swings on him."

Injured Thorpe ‘looking at big picture’

Right-hander Drew Thorpe is slowly working his way back since suffering a forearm flexor strain, knowing there’s a chance he doesn’t pitch till next season. Playing catch at 90 feet is the extent of his recovery while he’s on the 15-day injured list.

“You want to get back out there and throw, but kind of looking at the big picture,” Thorpe told the Sun-Times. “If I don’t get back out there this year then it would be good to get on track in the offseason feeling good and getting ready to go next year.”

The 2023 Minor League Pitcher of the Year, Thorpe was the key piece in the spring-training trade with the Padres for Dylan Cease. His 3.03 ERA through eight starts climbed to 5.48 in his last two.

“I got my feet wet, I know I can have success up here,” he said.

De Los Santos landing with Sox ‘crazy’

The irony of getting shelled for seven runs in relief by the Sox in his last outing and then getting claimed by them off waivers from the Yankees wasn’t lost on right-hander Enyel De Los Santos.

“My dad had told me the same,” De Los Santos said through translator Billy Russo. “It’s crazy. It’s crazy how this world works. The good thing is I’m here and I’m ready to go.”

De Los Santos, 28, posted a 4.46 ERA in 44 relief appearances this season for the Padres, who had traded Scott Barlow to the Guardians for him. He made just five appearances for the Yankees.

“I know this hasn’t been a very good season result-wise, but this opportunity is good for me and [I’m] trying to take full advantage of it,” he said.