Garrett Crochet on the mound against the second-worst offense in the majors (guess who’s worst). A White Sox offense that had been much better lately, facing a starting pitcher who’s only on the mound because Miami’s got seven starters on the IL.

Easy-peasy, correct?

Not so fast.

Crochet, who had pitched since mid-April like a man determined to bring the biggest trading-deadline haul ever, started out just fine. He gave up a couple of singles in the first, including a 109.9 mph shot by old buddy Jake Burger, but cruised through two innings on 22 pitches, 19 of them strikes.

Then came the third, and a sudden loss of control. A HB, walk and a single led to a run, but more importantly, Crochet needed 26 pitches.

Turned out that was the economical inning, with his fourth taking 45 pitches — the most Crochet has ever thrown in any inning, ever — with two hits and two walks on his tab. But that tab took on only one more run, because the Marlins (did we mention their offense is really bad?) left the bases jammed, to run their LOB total to seven over four innings.

Garrett’s day was done, at 93 pitches. But he left with a 3-2 lead, thanks to a couple of singles and a fielder’s choice run off Yonny Chirinos in the first and a veritable explosion in the third, when Andrew Benintendi dribbled a single toward third, Gavin Sheets found the correct side of the foul line with a 110 mph shot, and Andrew Vaughn followed with a slightly-less-impressive 105 mph knock.

Big offensive day coming, for sure, right? Well, except the only White Sox base runner from then on was Nicky Lopez, who drew a walk in the seventh as Chirinos and three relievers got stingy.

Michael Soroka wasn’t exactly mowin’ them down, but he did fine until a dreaded leadoff walk in the seventh that was followed by the even-more-dreaded follow-up 420-foot homer by Dane Myers, who doubled his dinger total from last year by getting his second of the season and gave the Fish a 4-3 lead.

Crochet’s trade audition setback was matched by Luis Robert, Jr., who ended an eight-game hitting streak with a three-K performance.

The White Sox can still win the series tomorrow afternoon, when Jonathan Cannon faces what will be a bullpen game for the Marlins, since that’s the only kind they have given their injury list; Miami’s starter  will be Edward Cabrera, hot off the 60-day IL, he of the 7.17 ERA Cabreras.

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