Chicago White Sox: Major Takeaways From Opening Day Loss to Tigers

By Josh Marshall | Apr 4, 2017

Apr 4, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; The Chicago White Sox meet at the mound during the sixth inning of the game against the Detroit Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports /

The Chicago White Sox opened up the season with a 6-2 loss to Detroit, but there were some good things that transpired on the field.

Opening Day has finally come and gone for the Chicago White Sox. Any anticipation and hope for a good game and a win were shattered relatively fast.

Jose Quintana did not look like himself on the mound whatsoever. Giving up three home runs in a single game is far from the norm for Quintana. After looking dominant in spring training and at the World Baseball Classic, fans were expecting to see the usual dominant Quintana. Instead, they got to see Quintana struggle and give up hit after hit.

So should the White Sox be worried about Quintana? No way. Quintana is still an ace, one game isn’t the end of the world. Everyone has a bad game, even the great Chris Sale got rocked on occasion. It’s part of the game the real question is how will Quintana bounce back from this and not let it affect him.

On a positive note, one of my biggest takeaways from today’s game was the bat of second basemen Tyler Saladino. In a lineup that didn’t see much production, Saladino went 2-4 with a run scored and a walk. Could Saladino be an impact offensive player for the Chicago White Sox from the leadoff spot? I sure think so.

More from Chicago White Sox

Saladino has everything it takes to be a good leadoff man. His patience at the plate and ability to find holes in the infield are great assets for the team.

Saladino played well enough to help the team win today, they just couldn’t generate more hits off of Justin Verlander. Stringing hits off of Verlander is not easy for any lineup.

Another great thing to see was the bullpen. Three pitchers were used after Quintana came out and as Jake Petricka, Zach Putnam and Michael Ynoa combined for 3 2/3 shutout innings. The trio of relievers only gave up one hit to a Tigers offense that had their way with Quintana.

It’s always great to see your bullpen pitch well, especially against an offense like the Tigers. When the starter does not do his job, the bullpen has to pick him up. The Chicago White Sox relievers did just that on Tuesday.

White Sox fans, we need to take this season one game at a time and look at all the positive that comes even from a loss. Yes, Quintana didn’t look like himself but it’s not the end of the world. Chalk it up as opening day nerves and expect to see him pitch better his next outing.

Next: Top Breakout Candidates for the 2017 White Sox

The White Sox will host Detroit for Game Two of the series on Wednesday. James Shields will be on the mound for the South Siders as the Tigers send Jordan Zimmermann. The game will begin at 1:10 pm CT.

Home/Chicago White Sox