What a day for Chicago sports! The Chicago White Sox won, 7-2, against the Texas Rangers, as they get a series win on the road for the first time this month. It was a great offensive comeback game for the South Siders, and a great pitching performance from Lucas Giolito to bring the magic number down to just four.
Righty Jordan Lyles started off the top of the first inning by surrendering a leadoff single to Tim Anderson, but that would be all. Lucas Giolito came out strong, only allowing a single to Willie Calhoun in the bottom of the inning. Lyles and Giolito both pitched scoreless second and third innings, and it wasn’t until the top of the fourth inning where a home run put the White Sox on the board.
Yasmani Grandal, for the second day in a row, hit a solo shot to get the scoring started, at 1-0. Gavin Sheets followed up with a double, while Leury García got on base due to a bunt single. After a strikeout by Romy González and wild pitch by Lyles, runners were on second and third for César Hernández.
Hernández, who has had a great offensive series, smashed a two-run single to left to extend the White Sox lead to 3-1.
With two outs, Anderson started a rally again with a single, followed by a Yoán Moncada walk to load the bases. José Abreu singled to score two runners and extend the lead to 5-0.
Abreu is now tied with Salvador Perez for the MLB lead in RBIs, with 113.
After a walk to Grandal, Lyles was replaced by Dennis Santana. Lyles went just 3 2⁄3 innings with eight hits, five funs, and three strikeouts.
Giolito pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth inning, and Mike Foltynewicz replaced Santana in the top of the fifth, pitching a 1-2-3 inning as well. Giolito got into a bit of trouble in the bottom of the inning, as he allowed back-to-back singles to DJ Peters and Yonny Hernández. Giolito got José Trevino to ground into a double play, but with two outs, Isiah Kiner-Falefa singled to drive in Peters, making it 5-1.
After a walk by Giolito in the top of the sixth inning, he was replaced by Aaron Bummer. Giolito had a solid day on the mound, as he went 5 1⁄3 innings with six hits, one run, and four strikeouts. Bummer finished the sixth clean.
The South Siders added to the scoring in the top of the seventh inning, after a leadoff single by Abreu. He advanced to second on a ground out, as Gavin Sheets walked. Sheets was replaced by Billy Hamilton at first base, and was immediately put to good use.
Who other than Leury Legend to drive in the runners and make it 7-1?
Michael Kopech came in to pitch the seventh, where he had a clean inning in a back-to-back, night-day pitching appearance.
Mike Wright Jr. was able to pitch today as well, as he is in the process of appealing his three-game suspension for “intentionally” hitting Shohei Ohtani.
Wright allowed one run in the bottom of the eighth on a sacrifice fly by Adolis García, that had all of us holding our breaths for a moment. Wright came back to close the game in the ninth inning, where he struck out a batter and induced two ground outs to end it.
This win was much-needed after the game yesterday, and the team is one win closer to clinching a postseason appearance. Cleveland plays a doubleheader tomorrow, the White Sox will go to Detroit to play the Tigers, so theoretically the magic number could be down to 1 by tomorrow night. Carlos Rodón will get the start against Matt Manning, and game time will be at 5:40 p.m. CT.
Enjoy the rest of this beautiful and sports-filled Sunday evening, and get ready for a new week of baseball starting tomorrow!