Welcome to #SeptemberSheets, White Sox fans! (Credit to fellow SSS writer Jacki Krestel.) The White Sox finished the two-game series with a sweep that had everyone yelling Holy Sheets at least twice.
The Starters
Carlos Rodón is back from the IL for start No. 21 this season. Los did some damage with the 4-seam fastball, only allowing one run for the Pirates. With 77 pitches in five innings, it seems like Tony La Russa’s plan is to slowly ease Rodón back in after the IL stint. However, with 47 of 77 pitches being strikes, 10 of those swinging strikes, it seems like he’ll be fine come playoffs.
Rodón’s 77-pitch outing looked like this:
Max Kranick got the start for Pittsburgh. Kranick has not been having a super great time in 2021, with an ERA of 7.02 coming into tonight’s finale. He primarily used the fastball, but was not lucky with many pitches, only striking out one.
Kranick’s 83-pitch outing looked like this:
Pressure Play
In a tough night for the Pirates, the momentum certainly shifted when Jacob Stallings grounded into a double play at shortstop, taking Colin Moran out with him. The pressure was high, with an LI of 2.35.
Pressure Cooker
Liam Hendriks worked hard in two innings to secure the win for the White Sox. His command paid off, and his pLI was 1.32 in earning his 31st save this season.
Top Play
Carrying on with #SeptemberSheets, Gavin Sheets had the top play with his three-run home run to put the White Sox on the board. Sheets, clearly not jet-lagged from his flight from Charlotte, had a .292 WPA.
Top Performer
Did we all miss Gavin Sheets? I know I sure did. Of course, he was also the top performer with a WPA of 0.35. Holy Sheets, indeed.
Smackdown
Hardest hit: Colin Moran put some power behind his fourth-inning hit. Fortunately for the White Sox, the 110.1 mph charge was only a single.
Weakest contact: Leury García’s second inning force out left the bat at only 46.6 mph.
Luckiest hit: Yoán Moncada’s fifth-inning grounder would be a typical out normally, but the Pirates overthrew to first, barely missing the dugout. Moncada’s xBA was only .110.
Toughest out: Leury García lined out to second with Yasmani Grandal out at third for a seventh-inning double play. The xBA for García was .830.
Longest hit: Despite plenty of powerful hits for the South Siders, Anthony Alford went the distance with his seventh-inning home run. The total distance was 430 feet.
Magic Number: 0.45
Per Chris Kamka, after a 1-2-3 sixth inning for Reynaldo López, he now has a 0.45 WHIP in 20 innings as a reliever this season.
Glossary
Hard-hit is any ball off the bat at 95 mph or more
LI measures pressure per play
pLI measures total pressure faced in game
Whiff a swing-and-miss
WPA win probability added measures contributions to the win
xBA expected batting average
Poll
Who was your MVP for the 9/1 game?
This poll is closed
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98%
Gavin Sheets: 2 HRs, 4 RBIs, 0.35 WPA
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0%
Yasmani Grandal: 2 H, 1 BB, 0.11 WPA
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0%
Carlos Rodón: 5 IP, 5Ks, 0.19 WPA
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1%
Liam Hendriks: 2 IP, 2 Ks, 0.09 WPA
Poll
Who was your Cold Cat for the 9/1 game?
This poll is closed
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21%
César Hernández: 1-4, 1 K, -0.04 WPA
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42%
Ryan Tepera: 0.1 IP, 1 ER, -0.05 WPA
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36%
Eloy Jiménez: 0-4, -0.04 WPA
South Side Sox Roll Call
In a very spirited, 306-comment gamethread, Pointerbabe prevailed.
# | Commenter | # Comments |
---|---|---|
1 | Pointerbabe | 42 |
2 | Right Size Wrong Shape | 36 |
3 | 1969Vikings | 35 |
4 | obnoxious american | 30 |
5 | Nello Rubio | 29 |
6 | Kongming, Sleeping Dragon | 26 |
7 | NothinbutNets7 | 19 |
8 | AnoHito | 19 |
9 | seven11 | 15 |
10 | steely3000 | 11 |
11 | DuhSox | 8 |
12 | greenlight | 6 |
13 | usualsuspect | 6 |
14 | baines03 | 4 |
15 | GrinnellSteve | 4 |
16 | wissoxfan83 | 4 |
17 | Gutteridge70 | 2 |
18 | Jacki Krestel | 2 |
19 | ruffster | 2 |
20 | Uribe Down | 1 |
21 | steeplechased | 1 |
22 | David John Craven | 1 |
23 | katiesphil | 1 |
24 | Ozziesox | 1 |
25 | SuperMetroid | 1 |
1969Vikings has the only green of the game, with three recs: