Todd Frazier looks to remedy slow start for White Sox

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — He may have to watch some video to identify any issues, but Todd Frazier has a pretty good sense what’s happening.

The White Sox third baseman isn’t off to the start he hoped he’d be. Frazier, who struck out four times in Sunday afternoon’s 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, has produced a .163/.196/.327 slash line in his first 12 games with the White Sox, who acquired him in December from the Cincinnati Reds in a three-team deal. Frazier has two home runs, six RBIs and 14 strikeouts in 49 at-bats.

But he won’t make any excuses.

“You go out there, you battle your tail off,” Frazier said. “Miss some pitches, swinging at bad pitches and that’s what happens when you struggle. You go through a little stretch like this, you have to hit strikes. And if you miss them, you can’t be swinging out of the zone. That’s what basically I’ve been doing.”

White Sox manager Robin Ventura thinks Frazier may be pressing a little.

But Frazier is hardly alone on an offense that scored 15 runs during a 4-2 road trip. The White Sox have a .278 on-base percentage. They’ve scored three or fewer runs in five straight games and in seven of 12 contests.

“You can see guys that when they go through that and I think right now he’s doing that, just trying to do too much,” Ventura said. “Just calming him down. He’s here, we believe in him and he’s going to be all right.”

Frazier struck out to start the second, fourth and ninth innings. He also struck out to end the sixth inning. No runners were on base in any of his plate appearances.

Asked if he thinks timing could be an issue, Frazier said “pretty much.” He’s upbeat that the White Sox are 8-4 to start the season having played only two games at U.S. Cellular Field. But he’d like to find a groove and quick.

“I have to go back and look, but I’d say everything is about timing,” Frazier said. “Myself included, we missed a lot of pitches and (Matt Moore) was dominant. You tip your cap to him. But I’d like to face him again and see what happens.”

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