4 takeaways from the Chicago White Sox’s opening series vs. the Los Angeles Angels, including missteps on defense and hiccups from the bullpen

The Chicago White Sox stumbled out of the gate, losing three of four in their season-opening series against the Los Angeles Angels.

Shortstop Tim Anderson exited Sunday’s game in the first inning with tightness in his left hamstring. The Sox said he’s day to day.

Here are four takeaways from a series filled with tough losses at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, Calif.

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1. Yermin Mercedes had a series to remember.

1. Yermin Mercedes had a series to remember.

Mercedes singled to center in the third inning Friday. It was his first major-league hit — and the start of an epic run.

Mercedes made history Friday and Saturday. He became the first player in the modern era (since 1900) to go 5-for-5 in his first major-league start. He was the designated hitter again Saturday and had hits in his first three at-bats, including a home run, to become the first player in the modern era to begin a season with eight straight hits, according to Elias.

“I’m excited because every one of my teammates, every one of my coaches are happy because I’m doing that and keep hitting every day,” Mercedes said Saturday.

Mercedes went 1-for-5 Sunday, finishing the series 9-for-14.

The journey, which started with playing for the Washington Nationals’ Dominican Summer League team in 2011 and continued with his first major-league at-bat last season, is part of what made this story stand out.

He had success at the plate throughout his many years in the minors, leading to a brief call-up and one at-bat last season. He made the opening-day roster this season and already is making an impact.

The Sox need contributions from multiple players to help make up for the loss of Eloy Jimenez, who is out five to six months with a ruptured left pectoral tendon.

Mercedes more than did his part in the series. Now the question becomes how often and in which ways the Sox incorporate him into the lineup.

2. The defense must improve.

The defensive miscues piled up throughout the series for the Sox.

Thursday, Nick Madrigal’s eighth-inning throw to second pulled Tim Anderson off the bag for an error. Catcher Yasmani Grandal was charged with a passed ball later in the inning. The Angels scored twice in the inning on the way to a 4-3 win.

Friday, Adam Eaton couldn’t come up with a fly ball to right in the fifth, and two runs scored on the two-out fielding error. The Angels got within 7-6 on the play, making for a tight game until the Sox scored five runs in the ninth.

Saturday, a ball in shallow center hit off Luis Robert’s glove and head, then bounced away. Instead of the third out in the third, the Angels scored one run on the error and another run moments later on a single by Jared Walsh.

Sox pitchers allowed 17 runs in the first three games, and only 10 were earned runs. Through Saturday, the Sox had committed a major-league-high five errors.

Manager Tony La Russa expressed confidence in the defense before Saturday’s game, and after the loss he said his opinion hadn’t changed.

“One of the worst things you can do is make a big issue of it where guys get tense and concerned that you lost confidence in them,” La Russa said Sunday. “And we haven’t. If it’s a play where the angle was wrong or something happened, you explain it.

“But by and large, they’re good defensive players, they’re getting their work in. We’re going to play good defense. The sooner the better.”

For a team that intends to contend, it’s clear the defense has to be sharper. The Sox didn’t have any errors in Sunday’s 7-4 loss.

3. After some early hiccups, expect the bullpen to rebound.

The Sox have one of the best bullpens in the American League, but the Angels got to the Sox late Thursday and Saturday to rally for wins.

And Sunday’s game ended in the ninth with a walk-off, three-run home run by Walsh off Matt Foster.

Aaron Bummer had some tough luck in the eighth inning Thursday. A ball bounced off his glove for a hit to start the inning. Madrigal’s error on what could have been a forceout at second followed.

One ball left the infield in the inning, but the Angels scored twice.

“That’s on me for not making the pitches I needed to make to be able to get that done,” Bummer said Thursday. “That’s my thought process, regardless of the things like getting the three ground balls that I wanted. At the end of the day, I didn’t get the job done.”

Evan Marshall struck out Mike Trout to begin Saturday’s eighth inning. A single by Anthony Rendon, a triple by Walsh and a two-run homer by Justin Upton followed. Just like that, a one-run lead became a two-run deficit. The Angels won 5-3.

“The inning starts out getting one of the best hitters of our generation out, and there’s no letdown from there in their lineup,” Marshall said. “And that just sort of shows how quickly things can go.”

Even with the early hiccups, there have been some highlights from the Sox relievers. Michael Kopech and Garrett Crochet showed their potential impact.

Kopech struck out three in two-plus scoreless innings Friday. It was his first relief outing ever and his first time on the mound for a regular-season game since September 2018.

Crochet had three strikeouts in 2 1/4 u2153 scoreless relief innings Saturday.

Those are the positives for the bullpen to build on.

“Confidence, if it’s a true confidence, I don’t think will ever waver,” Crochet said before Sunday’s loss. “And I feel like that’s what everybody in our bullpen possesses.”

4. The series was filled with firsts.

There were plenty of firsts throughout the series for the Sox, including the aforementioned accomplishments of Mercedes and Kopech.

Zack Collins was in the opening-day starting lineup for the first time in his big-league career. To commemorate the milestone, Collins said he heard his father plans to get a tattoo of the lineup.

“This is just a rumor I heard that he’s doing that,” Collins said before Thursday’s game.

The next night, Andrew Vaughn was in the lineup for his big-league debut. The team’s top prospect went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run.

“That was just an unbelievable experience,” Vaughn said Saturday.

And Friday’s 12-8 victory served as the first win for La Russa in his second stint with the Sox.

“I’m thrilled,” La Russa said after the game. “That’s why they keep score.”