Ryan Noda\u2019s<\/b> first outfield appearance with the White Sox could have gone better.<\/p>\n
Noda, who has only appeared at first base or as the designated hitter since joining the Sox earlier this month, played nine games in right field during his first two major-league seasons, both with the Athletics. But Friday marked his first time there since coming to the South Side, and it proved the difference in the Sox\u2019 3-1 loss to the Giants.<\/p>\n
Noda, a Chicago-area native, made a diving attempt on Patrick Bailey\u2019s<\/b> fly ball to right in the sixth inning, but he came up short, allowing the go-ahead runs to score on a two-run triple as the ball rolled to the wall.<\/p>\n
\u201cGood aggressive play, you like the thought,\u201d manager Will Venable <\/b>said. \u201cJust as a play, you play [the ball] in front and minimize the damage.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before the game, Venable was excited to see what Noda could bring to the outfield on a day when Luis Robert Jr.<\/b> was out of the lineup dealing with a sore hamstring and Mike Tauchman<\/b> was once more the designated hitter as he eases his way back from a four-game absence with a groin injury.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s kind of a sneaky athlete … covers some ground more than I think I gave him credit for just looking at him and his overall profile,\u201d Venable said. \u201cThat was part of the attractiveness of acquiring him, his defensive versatility and his ability to go to the outfield.\u201d<\/p>\n
A sneaky athlete he might be, but Noda\u2019s misplay loomed large as the Sox dropped to 26-56. Coming into the game, the Sox ranked as one of the worst defensive teams in baseball, with minus-15 outs above average.<\/p>\n
Of course, scoring some more runs would have helped. The Sox mustered only one, twice failing to cash in with the bases loaded and one out.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s something we need to be better at,\u201d third baseman Miguel Vargas<\/b> said. \u201cIt\u2019s very frustrating.\u201d<\/p>\nTauchman in the outfield?<\/h3>\n
There could soon be a return to normalcy for the Sox in right field, as Tauchman \u2014 another Chicago-area guy \u2014 is expected to start playing the field again soon, according to Venable, after spending three consecutive games as the team\u2019s designated hitter.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, there\u2019s times where he\u2019s clearly guarding himself, but I think that\u2019s by design,\u201d Venable said. \u201cHe knows what he needs to do to make plays out there and stay healthy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to ask him every day here, knowing that we need him out there in the outfield to be able to do what we need to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sox\u2019 top prospect, lefty pitcher Noah Schultz<\/b>, fared poorly in his latest start for Triple-A Charlotte, surrendering five runs, five hits and four walks in just two innings Friday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Noda’s failed diving attempt allowed two runs to score, leading to a loss for the Sox, who rank as one of the worst defensive teams in baseball.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":64619,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-64617","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n