The White Sox got absolutely demolished on Tuesday, falling to the Red Sox 14-2 in a series opener where Chicago mustered just six hits against Boston’s fifteen. Pitcher Davis Martin took the brunt of the assault, surrendering nine runs and watching his season ERA balloon from 3.62 to a concerning 4.13. This wasn’t just a bad night, it marked the second time this season Martin has given up nine runs, the other being back on June 16 against the Yankees, and it’s definitely part of a bigger trend for the righty.
Martin’s Rollercoaster Ride Just Hit a Downhill Slope
Seriously, where has the “ace status” Martin showed through June gone? This guy looked like he was turning a corner before the All-Star break, but now? He’s regressing hard, and the numbers don’t lie. Tuesday was his third straight start giving up four or more runs. If you zoom out a bit to his last seven outings, covering 34 1/3 innings, his ERA spikes to a brutal 6.55 with a 1.60 WHIP. He’s also striking out way fewer hitters, with only 20 Ks across that stretch. It’s tough to imagine him performing in a playoff game right now, and that’s a huge problem as we head into crunch time in what’s already a tight division race. The White Sox are currently 59-53, while the Red Sox sit at 61-51.
Tipping Pitches: A Glaring Issue in Beantown
So, what happened to Davis Martin on Tuesday? Well, manager Will Venable spilled the beans after the game, admitting Martin was tipping his pitches. Catcher Kyle Teel noticed it during the game and flagged the coaching staff. This definitely offers some context, explaining why Boston’s hitters looked so unbelievably comfortable right from the opening inning. Nick Sogard led off with a double off the Green Monster, then Ceddanne Rafaela got hit by a curveball to put two runners on. After an out advanced the runners, Willson Contreras and Masataka Yoshida followed with back-to-back base hits, scoring the first run for Boston to make it 1-0 and loading the bases. Then, Caleb Durbin stepped up and absolutely clobbered the second pitch he saw for a grand slam over the Green Monster, pushing the lead to 5-0. Jarren Duran wasn’t done, blasting a solo shot for back-to-back homers and bringing Martin’s earned runs for the first inning alone to six. Ouch. Martin needed 26 pitches to finally escape that nightmare first inning. While the tipping issue helps explain Tuesday’s specific disaster, it doesn’t erase his recent inconsistencies or the uneven results over his past several starts. He was more efficient later, needing only eight pitches in the third and up to 15 in other frames, even working a 1-2-3 fourth inning, but the damage was done.
Heading into Wednesday, the White Sox have to figure out if Martin’s recent struggles are correctable. The uncertainty around his performance for the remainder of the season is a major red flag as every game in this tight division race feels like it matters more than the last.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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