Yikes! Hicks snatches sweep from Sox

It was almost a perfect day. But after John Hicks’ three-run homer off of Alex Colomé in the top of the ninth, doubleheader sweep turned doubleheader split ... and 90 losses are still possible.

The White Sox lost, 4-3, and the game wasn’t nearly as entertaining as the final score indicated. A chilly and sparsely-attended game did not warm with highlights.

Chicago’s fielding was shoddy, including a costly 26th error from Tim Anderson on a throw to start the ninth. The hitting was anemic: Zack Collins had a two-RBI single in the second to give the White Sox a 2-0 lead, and somehow that lead held up until the ninth. Yoán Moncada clocked a pinch-homer with one out in the ninth to provide the third run.

In-between, it was a whole lotta nothing, save a double from Adam Engel and a team 1-for-7 with RISP. And the White Sox fell back into their old ways, contibuting to a lack of clutch with two walks against nine Ks. Eight different White Sox batters had hits, and nine different ones had whiffs — including Daniel Palka, whose pinch-hit attempt with two out in the ninth, a last gasp at PalkSMASH magic, ended on a five-pitch K with only one pitch slicing the zone.

Subtract Colomé’s bad outing — the White Sox are now 59-1 when leading into the ninth inning this season — and the Chicago pitching was tight tonight, with an Iván Nova-Aaron Bummer-Evan Marshall-Jimmy Biceps mix going 8 ⅓ innings with five hits, one earned, two walks and eight Ks.

The season finale hits tomorrow afternoon, with TBA (maybe Dylan Cease, more likely an amalgam of relievers) on the mound for the White Sox, and game time hitting at 2:10 p.m. on NBCSCH and WGN-AM.