CHICAGO – Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura made it pretty clear how he felt after their 5-1 loss Sunday to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
He was happy with starter Hector Noesi's effort. The rest he'd rather forget.
"(Noesi) threw well but it was pretty uninspired by us all the way through," Ventura said. "It started from the first play of the game and continued on and it stunk, pretty much the whole thing. Hector pitched a heck of a game to at least give us a chance, everything else stunk."
Noesi (0-3) was indeed solid but needed more help, going six innings and allowing three runs and eight hits while throwing 117 pitches. The White Sox were limited to just four hits — two against Arizona's Chase Anderson (1-0) in his big league debut.
Noesi also fell behind 1-0 in the first thanks in part to shaky defense.
Gerardo Parra led off the game with what appeared to be a routine fly to center, but Alejandro De Aza misjudged it and stumbled before missing the ball, allowing Parra to get to third on what was ruled a triple. Martin Prado's sharp single to right then drove in Parra to give the Diamondbacks an early lead.
"I don't know. They were just flat, couldn't get anything going," Ventura said. "Something is going to happen. I don't know what yet, but something."
Besides Moises Sierra's solo homer in the sixth, not much happened for the White Sox. Anderson at one point retired 12 straight batters.
"I don't think it's lack of effort. We did seem a little, I guess, lethargic could be the word. I couldn't tell, I really don't know," catcher Tyler Flowers said. "(Anderson) did a good job shutting us down. I guess next time we need to pick up a little more rah-rah or something; that ought to keep everybody motivated and going.
"But again, we didn't quit on that game or anything. That guy did better than we did."
Recalled Tuesday from Double-A Mobile, Anderson hadn't seen any action until Sunday and he made his first big league appearance count. He allowed one run in 5 1-3 innings while striking out six, helping Arizona win for the fourth time in five games and secure its third consecutive series for the first time since June 2012.
Anderson, 26, was Arizona's ninth-round selection in the 2009 draft and made it to Triple-A last season before going back to Double-A this year, where he was 4-2 with an 0.69 ERA.
"After I threw the first pitches, I was like, OK, this is the same game and it calmed me down right there," Anderson said. "I just tried to attack the hitters. It was fun."
Arizona manager Kirk Gibson was also full of praise for Anderson, who was supported by two-run homers from Parra and Miguel Montero.
"He had all his pitches working," Gibson said. "He just hit his spots."
NOTES: White Sox LHP Chris Sale (left arm) will throw again Thursday. Chicago hasn't decided whether it will be a bullpen session, simulated game or rehab assignment. ... White Sox bench coach Mark Parent said OF Adam Eaton (strained right hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment later this week with Triple-A Charlotte and then would probably return to the White Sox on Sunday in Houston. Eaton was placed on the disabled list May 3. ... Ventura returned to the White Sox for Sunday's game after attending his daughter Rachel's graduation Saturday from Oklahoma State. Parent managed the team Saturday night and addressed the media prior to Sunday's game before Ventura returned. ... Gibson appreciates how baseball recognizes Mother's Day. Gibson's sister in-law, Lori Sklarski, died of breast cancer in 2011. He wears a white wristband with the numbers 11-11 written on it in honor of Sklarski's birthday. ... Arizona RHP Brad Ziegler threw a perfect eighth to extend his scoreless-outings streak to 18 over 17 1-3 innings.
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