The White Sox (9-10) defeated the Padres (7-9) by a score of 9-6 to wrap up their spring training play. This matchup marked the final game of spring training for both teams involved.
After a quiet first inning on both sides, the White Sox got on the board first in the top of the second. After a single by Yasmani Grandal, Leury García cranked a two-run homer to give the South Siders an early 2-0 lead.
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) April 5, 2022
However, the Padres answered as quickly as they could have, striking back in the bottom of the second. Though the first inning was easy for White Sox starter Michael Kopech, the second inning was a struggle. Kopech issued a dreaded leadoff walk to Eric Hosmer, and Wil Myers followed with a single. Then, Kopech issued a walk to Austin Nola to load the bases with no outs. Jurickson Profar tied the game with a two-run single, and Kopech issued yet another walk, this time to Ha-Seong Kim. That loaded the bases once again, and J.B. Olson took over on the mound, inheriting a mess.
Incredibly, Olson worked out of the jam and stranded all three runners he inherited. Olson struck out Trent Grisham, he got Manny Machado to pop out, and he got Jake Cronenworth to fly out. As a result, the game was still tied at two as the second inning came to a close.
In the third, Danny Mendick led off with a double, and Tim Anderson drove him in with a single. That gave the White Sox a 3-2 lead.
You don’t see this every day, but Kopech reentered the game in the bottom of the third. Kopech ended on a high note with a strong performance that inning that resulted in a scoreless frame.
The Padres tied the game for the second time in the fourth inning, when Aaron Bummer took over on the mound. Profar led off with a double, and after a single by Kim, San Diego had runners on the corners with no outs. Then, Grisham laid down a successful bunt that tied the game at three.
The fifth inning started out very well for reliever Liam Hendriks, as he struck out the first two Padres he faced. But, a single by C.J. Abrams and a double by Austin Nola gave the Padres their first lead of the game.
The White Sox had a quick answer in the sixth, however, taking advantage of a Padres fielding error. That error allowed Yoelqui Céspedes to reach base to open the inning. Then, with one out, Yolbert Sanchez singled to put runners on the corners. Indiana Hoosier Craig Dedelow followed with a sacrifice fly to tie the game at four.
Relievers Kyle Crick and Tanner Banks delivered a scoreless inning apiece to keep the game tied after seven innings. Then, in the top of the eighth, the White Sox took a lead that they would keep the rest of the way. Surprisingly, the big rally started with two outs and nobody on base. Luis Mieses and Yolbert Sanchez hit back-to-back singles to set up Dedelow for another RBI opportunity, and the Hoosier took advantage. Dedelow’s three-run homer to right-center field gave the White Sox a 7-4 lead.
The bottom of the eighth was difficult for Tanner Banks, but fortunately, Banks had room for error. By the end of the inning, the Padres had made the score 7-6, but the White Sox got those two insurance runs back in the top of the ninth. The White Sox got those runs back when Xavier Fernández homered, Danny Mendick doubled, and Yoelqui Céspedes drove in Mendick with a single. Then, Caleb Freeman picked up the save with a one-two-three bottom of the ninth.
The next White Sox game will mark the first time in nearly six months that the result of a game will count. The White Sox are entering Opening Day with a three-game losing streak in season openers, with their most recent win being a 14-7 victory in Kansas City in 2018. It is time to end that losing streak. The season opener will be in Detroit on Friday at 12:10 p.m. CST. We will see you then.
Poll
Who was the MVP from Tuesday’s 9-6 victory?
This poll is closed
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69%
Craig Dedelow: 1-for-1, HR, 4 RBI
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3%
Leury García: 1-for-2, HR, 2 RBI
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4%
Kyle Crick: 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 2 K
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1%
Yolbert Sanchez: 2-for-2
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21%
J.B. Olson: 1 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 1 K, stranded all three runners he inherited
Poll
Who was the Cold Cat from Tuesday’s 9-6 victory?
This poll is closed
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29%
Lenyn Sosa: 0-for-3, 2 K
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54%
Michael Kopech: 2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 4 BB, 1 K
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16%
Reese McGuire: 0-for-3, K
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