With another fantastic (but close!) loss at Cleveland on Wednesday, the White Sox are now playing at the exact pace — 2-9 — as the record-breaking, 41-121 White Sox of a year ago. Along with the Atlanta Braves, the White Sox have the worst record in all of baseball.

Cleveland Guardians 3, Chicago White Sox 2 With ducks on the pond and the Sox down to their last out, Miguel Vargas came through with a single that should’ve-could’ve tied the game. However, Mike Tauchman came up lame rounding third base and surrendered the final out. Interestingly, he took a knee, then stood up and walked off the field without assistance. And, burying the lede, Tauchman would not have beaten that throw home even at full speed:

And in an early strategic fail from manager Will Venable, speedy outfielder Greg Jones Jr. (who played this afternoon in Jacksonville but was removed for his call-up mid-game) was available to pinch-run and sub into the game for Tauchman, coming off of a hamstring injury that saw him start the season on the IL. The White Sox aim to avoid another sweep in an early getaway on Thursday.

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 2, Charlotte Knights 1 A juggernaut with the bats mere days ago, the Knights mustered just three hits today, two by Edgar Quero, who did not join Jones on the flight north (see below). The positive story tonight was the continued excellence of Jared Shuster, who has played a bit of a piggyback starter role and chiseled his season ERA to 0.96 with three scoreless with two hits and five Ks. The White Sox need Shuster in the pen — or, possibly, the rotation. Charlotte fell to 6-5.

Chattanooga Lookouts 6, Birmingham Barons 2 The Birmingham offense has been the William Bergolla (one of the youngest players in all of Double-A, helluva trade for once there, Getzie) and DJ Gladney (3-for-5 tonight) Show. But that wasn’t enough to offset a wild (three walks, two HB) and dangerous (six Ks) Wikelman González debut. Bham is now 2-2.

Greensboro Grasshoppers 8, Winston-Salem Dash 6 Seth Keener struggled in this slugfest, wherein Winston-Salem just could never catch up. A ninth-inning, two-run bomb from No. 9 hitter Drake Logan brought the Dash to within two, but the game ended two outs later. The Dash are 2-3.

Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 5, Lynchburg Hillcats 1 A scoreless, hitless, DOMINANT start by Christian Oppor (4 ⅔ IP, 3 BB, 10 Ks!) allowed the CBs to coast. Unfortunately, at 81 pitches the southpaw triggered the hook, stopping him one out short of a well-deserved win. If Oppor, young and raw when drafted two seasons ago, can put things together here in his first year in full-season ball, there will be joy. Kanny sits at 2-3.

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