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Wow.
On the broadcast, they called it a season-defining game, and boy, if coming back down four runs in the second inning on the road against the defending division champ isn’t season-defining, I don’t know what is.
After a comedy of (three) errors contributing to four runs for Minny in the second, the White Sox just chipped away, Pito two-run double to tie it 4-4, Pantera megablast to make it 5-5, then another Luis Robert gem-double down the left-field line to provide the eventual winning run. It was just a delicious, delicious win.
I got the last question in to Ricky: How is it going to feel waking up tomorrow, alone in first place in September for the first time?
— South Side Hit Pen (@southsidehitpen) September 1, 2020
"Pretty good."
[thumbs up]
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The Starts
It was Giolito’s worst start since the doubleheader opener vs. St. Louis, appropriate given right after that day, the hot streak started for the Sox. After incredible outings of 87 and 105 game scores (the two best on the team this season), Lucas put up a pedestrian 50 tonight. He remains the top starter on the Sox, with an average 62.5 game score, just a nudge ahead of both Dallas Keuchel and Dane Dunning.
Rich Hill put up a 42 tonight, which all an all isn’t horrible for just 3 ⅓ innings of work. But he sure ran out of gas fast. Minny’s rotation is in trouble; we think we have problems ...
Pressure Play
Robert stepped up to the plate in the ninth facing game-high 4.61 LI pressure and just laughed in its face. Saying postgame he was looking fastball, Robert chipped a low-outside slider just fair down the left-field line to score Yolmer Sánchez and put the White Sox up for good, 6-5.
Pressure Cooker
Tyler Clippard faced the most pressure in the game, at 2.32 pLI, barely edging out Robert at 2.28. Clippard fared far worse in the face of such pressure, getting just two outs while giving up three hits and two earned.
Top Play
Robert’s storied double was a .312 WPA hit, the highest value added in the game.
Game MVP
Holy hell, Robert clocked in with .472 WPA for his 2-for-4, mammoth homer, two-RBI day. Should have been three RBIs, if not for the ground-rule double. No Ks. Just a perfect game.
Magic Number: 449
Somewhat over looked given his later heroics, Robert murdered a Trevor May pitch 449 feet to dead center to tie the game 5-5 in the seventh.