The White Sox entered tonight’s ball game with a chance to clinch their first playoff appearance in over 12 years. However, they’ll have to try again tomorrow. Despite a win from the Royals over the Tigers and, what looks like a Mariners loss as well, the White Sox lost 5-1. After a long period of high-powered offense, two hits were all the Sox could muster, and they didn’t have a single base runner after Abreu’s home run in the fourth inning. Lucas Giolito was slightly inconsistent with his location and the Twins finally got around to being the team we know, hitting three homers in the game.
The Sox are now 32-17, with a two-game lead over the Twins in the American League Centrak. A win tomorrow will get the South Siders into the playoffs.
W: Cody Stashak (1-0) | L: Lucas Giolito (4-3)
Notable Performances
Jose Abreu: 1-for-4, HR, RBI, R
Even in games where the offense does not show up, your MVP candidate will. Jose Abreu contributed to the offense with a solo home run, his 16th, in the fourth.
Lucas Giolito: 6 IP, 4 K, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB
Despite suffering his third loss of the season (and second to the Twins), Lucas Giolito made some nice pitches. With the normal Sox offense we’ve all come to know, a three-run, three-hit performance from the ace would just fine.
Tim Anderson: 1-for-4, single
For the ninth time in 12 games, Tim Anderson kicked off the ball game with a leadoff base hit. His single in the first was one of just two hits the White Sox totaled in the ball game. For the AL batting champ watch, TA’s average fell to .373. Meanwhile, New York’s DJ LeMahieu continued to stay hot, as he had a 3-for-4 performance and is now tied with Anderson at .373. Quite a battle ensuing!
Moment of the Game
The Moment of the Game came in the fourth, as Abreu got the Sox within two, hitting his 16th homer of the season.
Player of the Game
Lucas Giolito was not at his best by any means, but his performance outshines anyone in the White Sox offense. Therefore, he is your Player of the Game.
Looking Ahead
The White Sox announced Reynaldo Lopez will get the start tomorrow afternoon as Dallas Keuchel remains sidelined with back spasms. The White Sox will face Kenta Maeda, who has given them some trouble this season. A win, and they’re in the playoffs! First pitch is set for 1:10 pm on NBC Sports Chicago and the MyTeams app.
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Grandal KILLED the Sox offense in the very first inning when he struck out staring at a pitch in the middle of the plate on a run n hit situation. He had to swing at a pitch in the zone to protect Anderson from running into a DP. Grandal should not be batting in the upper part of the order EVER! He is a slow runner (easy DP candidate) and is not a contact hitter. He has been called out on strikes a lot of times looking this season and is not even close to being a clutch hitter. I would bat Madrigal second (even tho he is a rookie) because he is a contact hitter and is fast. I would also play Engel over Mazara in RF, as he is the better player defensively and offensively. The Sox will need to sign or trade for a real RF for next season once the season is over. If the Sox resign McCann, they need to include Collin’s name in any trade deals they may make, imo.
The White Sox are forfeiting an out with Mazara in the lineup every time he steps into the batter’s box. Also, Robert is deeply planted in the deep sticky muck of a rookie batting slump. Luis has discovered the game is not as easy as he believed based upon the results of 25 games. Luis has not had a solid fly ball out of the infield in the month of September. The team needs Luis to recapture his rookie of the year skills soon.