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The Chicago White Sox are 1-0 in the “Yoán Moncada till 30” Era.
Right on the heels of a reported five-year, $70 million extension for the star third baseman, the South Siders went out and defeated the Colorado Rockies, 7-6, in a back-and-forth contest.
The game-winner came across in the sixth inning, when Yolbert Sánchez scored on a wild pitch from Rockies hurler Joe Harvey, Harvey apparently not handling the throw to the plate cleanly, for an error.
But the victory was set up by a four-run rally for the Good Guys in the bottom of the fifth, directly answering four from the Rockies in the top half.
The scoring came courtesy of big hits from Adam Engel and Nomar Mazara, batting 1-2 in the order today. After Engel was busted inside when trying to bunt with runners on second and third and none out (Danny Mendick single, Nick Madrigal HBP, Drew Butera passed ball), he came back and dribbled a grounder though the hole to left, scoring the M&M infielders and trimming Colorado’s lead to 6-4.
In contrast to Engel’s almost-impossibly soft grounder, Mazara’s hit to tie the game was a moonshot. Just listen to Rich King, who has perhaps understandably fallen in love:
The bullpen, which hadn’t had its best day (culprit, again, Alex Colomé, with three hits, two homers, four earned and a walk ... we can hope this is a matter of Colomé mentally only being able to handle the eighth or ninth innings, or we can be realistic and let Aaron Bummer know he might be the new closer soon), bristled up over the final four scoreless innings. José Ruiz, Zack Burdi, Tayron Guerrero and Matt Tomshaw held Colorado to four hits, with four Ks, Burdi most impressive with three Ks in his frame against one hit.
Poll
Who was the MVP of today’s 7-6 win over the Rockies?
This poll is closed
-
16%
Zack Burdi (IP, H, 3 K)
(29 votes) -
1%
Cheslor Cuthbert (2-for-3)
(2 votes) -
6%
Adam Engel (1-for-3, 2 RBI, K, R)
(11 votes) -
34%
Nomar Mazara (1-for-3, HR, 2 RBI, K)
(60 votes) -
42%
Danny Mendick (3-for-3, R, RBI)
(74 votes)
Tomorrow, the White Sox travel to Sloan Park to take on the Cubs, and it starts off with some midseason-rivalry flavor, as Lucas Giolito takes the hill for the first time this spring to face Jon Lester in his second start. It’s a 2:05 CT game. Listen in on WGN 720, unless you have Marquee Sports Network (and if you do, bully for you CUBFAN). Year of the Hamster has your SSS coverage. She does not have Marquee Network; her cable plan kills fascism.