White Sox top Nationals 7-5; Eloy and Beef power the win

It’s funny how baseball works sometimes.

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Manny Banuelos threw 36 pitches in the first inning that resulted in two runs. In related news, I was preparing to finish this recap around 2 a.m.

In the bottom half, Washington Nationals starter Patrick Corbin needed just three pitches to get two outs. Little did Corbin know that he would eventually give up four runs later that inning.

White Sox catcher Welington Castillo smoked a grand slam to dead center field to give the Sox a two-run lead at the time. Some high-quality at-bats from James McCann and Eloy Jimenez kept the inning alive for Beef to come through.

Three pitches for two outs, and 18 pitches for four runs. That’s baseball for ya.

Bañuelos settled down after the first inning. He ended his night going 4 ²⁄_3, giving up two earned runs on five hits and three walks.

Eloy Jimenez followed up his impressive walk (he’s laying off more pitches now) with a mammoth shot to center field. Words don’t do it justice. You just have to watch and admire this.

The bomb was one foot longer than Jim Thome’s home run in the 2008 play-in game against the Minnesota Twins. Jimenez’s home run cleared the shrubbery and bounced into a part of the park I’ve never seen a ball reach before.

The Sox added some insurance runs later in the game behind Jimenez and Co. The rookie lined a double — 106 mph off the bat — to give the Sox a 6-2 lead. Yolmer Sanchez would drive Jimenez home later that inning on a single.

The game got a bit tense in the eighth inning, after Aaron Bummer suffered one of his rare bad outings of the season. Bummer’s command was off, and he gave up two earned runs on two hits and a hit batter in ¹⁄₃ of an inning.

White Sox closer Alex Colome got our old friend (?) Adam Eaton to fly out with the bases loaded to close out the eighth inning.

Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon led off the ninth inning with a towering home run to left field. Colome walked the tightrope by issuing Brian Dozier a free pass with two outs in the ninth, but got Yan Gomes to strike out.

Always a good day when the Sox win and the Cubs get smoked. The Sox have an off-day tomorrow before hosting the New York Yankees for a four-game set.