KANSAS CITY — Pedro Grifol’s homecoming was like a lot of things during his first year on the job: Tough to watch.
Kansas City is where Grifol put down the final building blocks to his managerial career that began when the White Sox hired him as their 42nd manager on Nov. 11. It’s where Grifol returned Monday to lead his Sox against a 9-26 team.
“This is a special place for me,” he said before the Sox opened a four-game series with a 12-5 loss, dropping the Sox to 12-24. “We had some great runs and magical moments here. Just to come back to this place, look at the field and see some of the people that I have great relationships with. It’s a special moment.”
The Sox are playing .333 baseball but had won five of their previous seven games with their first two series wins behind them. Now they’ll have to win three straight games at Kauffman Stadium to win this series after ace Dylan Cease got roughed up for seven runs on nine hits.
Talking to a mix of Chicago and Kansas City reporters on hand for his return, Grifol was feeling encouraged by the Sox’ recent stretch despite losing Eloy Jimenez, who had an appendectomy Saturday. But he knew the Sox, who entered trailing the AL Central leading Twins by seven games, have a tough climb ahead.
“We dug ourselves a hole,” Grifol said, “but we’re working and we’re not going to stop working.”
Grifol wore different hats on the Royals’ coaching staff, including special assignment, hitting, catching, quality control/catching and bench coach from 2013 to 2022. There were emotions to be dealt Monday, but Grifol was all about the Sox gray jerseys Monday.
“At 7 o’clock I’m not going to think about it,” he said. “But in between those times, obviously I look forward to seeing some of the guys, the Nicky Lopez’s of the world and giving them a big hug and some of the front office that’s here.
“It’s pretty cool but I’m not going to have a problem separating it, I promise.”
Grifol’s time in the visitors clubhouse was only the second time he had set foot in there, he said.
“It was late after a game,” he recalled. “I said, ‘You know what, let me just go see what it looks like.’ ’’
Cease, Grifol’s ace, went to the clubhouse in the sixth after loading the bases with no outs on a single, hit by pitch and walking Maikel Garcia, who was trying to bunt. Left-hander Aaron Bummer (10.80 ERA) entered and gave up hits to three lefties, and had to be relieved by Jimmy Lambert. When the inning was over, the Royals had eight runs on the board and a 12-4 lead.
Cease has distanced himself from his Cy Young runnerup form of 2022. In allowing seven runs on nine hits while striking out six and walking one, he failed to go beyond five innings for the sixth time in eight starts. He has allowed 29 hits over his last 18 innings and will take a 5.58 ERA into his next start against the Astros next weekend.
The Sox got a two-run double from Andrew Vaughn in the third and a home run from Gavin Sheets in the sixth against Zack Greinke.
Former Royal Andrew Benintendi was ejected by plate umpire Manny Gonzalez after Elvis Andrus struck out in the seventh inning against Royals lefty Amir Garrett. Unrelated, Garrett became ill after the at-bat and vomited behind the pitcher’s mound before leaving the game. Luis Robert, playing like a Gold Glove candidate in center field this season, dropped a fly ball on the run for a two-base error in the eighth.
A Sox fan wearing a Paul Konerko cheered loudly with other Sox fans when the Blackhawks were awarded the No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft, so there was that.
It was that kind of night.
It’s been that kind of season.