Head-scratching decisions in the eighth inning of a scoreless game cost the Chicago White Sox a pivotal matchup against the Houston Astros in the 2026 MLB season. After the game, there was a lot for manager Will Venable to answer for, and he did so with clear messages for Tristan Peters and Drew Romo, whose baserunning was put under the microscope.
Although for different reasons, both Peters and Romo received backlash for their baserunning. The White Sox center fielder went all in rushing home and was thrown out, while the catcher, on the other hand, shied away from making a run at home plate. After the 2-0 loss to the Astros, Venable defended Peters’ decision but questioned Romo’s.
“Tristan [Peters] did the right thing by going and obviously [we] just weren’t able to advance the backside runners,” Venable said postgame, via the Chicago Sun-Times. “I think [Romo] was a little hesitant there, he’s a really good baserunner, and just not a great read.”
Venable admits he would go back in time
Asked whether sending in a pinch-runner for Romo, who could in turn be replaced by catcher Jake Rogers afterwards, Venable didn’t sugarcoat his thoughts. If he could go back in time, he would make the decision in a heartbeat.
Catcher Drew Romo having a chat with Erick Fedde.
“We talked about it and we thought we’d trust Drew [Romo] there. He was catching a shutout,” Venable stated during his postgame media availability. “If you go back, probably would have chose to [send a pinch runner]. It was a decision that we talked about, thought that we were in a good spot, and trusted Drew to make the right move.“
Of course, hindsight is 20/20, and there’s no going back for the White Sox. The Pale Hose have now lost three of their last four outings in the 2026 MLB season. As a result, Chicago has witnessed its lead over the Cleveland Guardians drop to three games in the race for the AL Central division pennant.
Romo faces more backlash
Although his defensive play is out of the question, Romo has faced harsh criticism all year long for his struggles at the plate. So far, he has posted a .141 batting average, which ranks among the worst on the team.
The concerning statistics extend to his figures in on-base percentage (.239), slugging percentage (.288), and OPS (.527). In addition to that, his recent, costly, hesitant move on the basepaths has put him in the eye of the storm once again.
