Lance Lynn made his first start of the 2022 season on Monday night. It was a frustrating outing for the 35-year-old. He allowed 10 hits, which was a career-high for him while wearing a White Sox uniform. Lynn threw 88 pitches and only lasted 4.1 innings before being lifted from the game.
It seemed to be a slog all night for Lynn, who was clearly shaking off the rust. His frustration spilled over in the dugout. He got into an animated argument with third base coach Joe McEwing midway through his outing.
This is nothing new for Lynn, who has never been afraid to speak his mind. The spat seemed to stem from a single Lynn allowed while the White Sox had the shift on. Had the players been positioned in their regular spots it would have been a routine out.
However, if you ask Lynn that had nothing to do with it. The big right-hander provided an explanation for the dispute like only he can.
“He was trying to get me going, he kept telling me filet is better than ribeye,” Lynn joked. “I’m more of a ribeye kind of guy, and he’s more of a caesar salad. So I just kept saying he was wrong, and he went back to coaching.”
Spoken like a true Southsider. At 270 pounds, Lynn definitely fits the mold of a ribeye guy.
Lance Lynn is not happy. pic.twitter.com/QYhmAHfXUn
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 13, 2022
Tony La Russa had a slightly different version of the story.
“He was mad at himself because he made a horse manure pitch,” Tony La Russa said. “A lot of guys thought it was because of positioning… I could read his lips. He was mad because he didn’t make the pitch. Joe cleared it up and then we moved on. He’s never going to blame a coach. You talk about accountability, he’s one of the best.”
Whatever the argument was actually about it seemed to fire up Lynn.
He got through the next 2.1 innings without allowing a run. His final line for the night was 4.1 innings, three runs, no walks, and four strikeouts. While it wasn’t the Cy Young caliber performance the White Sox were used to seeing last seeing, having him back on the mound was a step in the right direction.
Lynn underwent right knee surgery in April. He left his final Spring Training start with discomfort after landing awkwardly on the mound. With Giolito, Cease, and Kopech, the White Sox now boast one of the best rotations in baseball. Last season Lynn tossed 157 innings and posted a 2.69 ERA.
While Lynn and McEwing grabbed the headlines it was Jose Abreu who was the true star of the game. The 2020 AL MVP went 3-for-4 with four RBIs, one walk, and two home runs.
His first dinger came in the first inning off Tigers starter Romy Gonzalez. Gonzalez hung a 2-1 slider that Abreu hammered to deep left.
He added his second two-run homer of the night in the top of the ninth inning off of Joe Jimenez. It was a critical home run that provided the White Sox with some much-needed run support.
Abreu is now batting .344 with 16 RBIs and a .613 slugging percentage in his last 25 games. The White Sox offense has now scored six runs or more in their last five games.
