McHugh (4-4) was a tough-luck loser Thursday, as he held the White Sox to just two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out a season-high eight in seven innings.
Unfortunately, he had the poor fortune to be on the wrong side of White Sox ace Chris Sale's second straight complete game. This season has mostly been a total disaster for McHugh, but this was his best outing yet -- not just his best strikeout total, but also the best job he's done limiting baserunners while keeping the ball in the park. Even though he's still allowed four-plus runs five times in nine starts, which is a long way from cutting the mustard, this outing at least offers some optimism that things will be brighter moving forward.