Man, did the Sox need this one. After trailing early by scores of 1-0 and 5-2, the White Sox refused to go away, scoring seven unanswered runs on the way to ending their six-game losing streak. Jose Abreu, Yoan Moncada, and James McCann all played crucial roles on offense, while Garrett Crochet served as the perfect bridge to the back of the bullpen. The Sox improved to 35-24 with the win.
W: Matt Foster (6-1) L: Jon Lester (3-3)
Notable Performances
Yoan Moncada: 2-for-4, HR, 3 RBI
Yoan Moncada FINALLY launched a homer, hitting his first in what feels like ages. His 2-for-4 night raises his average to .224 as he continues to work through the struggles of recovering from COVID-19.
Jose Abreu: 2-for-5, 2B, 3 RBI, K
The MVP candidate came up huge for the Sox tonight, driving home three runs on a bases-clearing double in the fourth inning that would give the Sox the lead for good. With the three RBI evening, Abreu now has 60 RBIs in 59 games.
James McCann: 2-for-2, HR, RBI, 2 BB
James McCann was his usual solid self against LHP, taking Lester deep in his first at-bat of the night. As the Sox head into the playoffs, McCann will likely play a crucial role, whether off the bench or against a LHP.
Dane Dunning: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 5 R (4 ER), 3 BB, 2 K
The three walks say a lot about Dunning’s day, as all three came around to score on Kris Bryant’s Grand Slam in the third inning. Dunning hasn’t looked sharp as of late, but still likely pencils in as the third starter in the rotation come playoff time.
Garrett Crochet: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K
All Crochet did was come in and serve as a bridge to the back end of the bullpen, throwing 21 pitches 99 mph or faster in the process. No matter what happens to the Sox this Postseason, Crochet is likely to play a role. Looking forward to his future on the South Side.
Moment of the Game
Down 5-4 in the fourth inning, Jose Abreu stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs. He promptly cleared them and turned the tide of the game.
Player of the Game
The easy answer here is Jose Abreu. So I won’t choose him. I’m going with Garrett Crochet, who came in and provided two huge innings with just a two-run lead against a tough Cubs offense. He bridged the game beautifully to the back end of the bullpen, where Colome, Bummer, and Marshall could shut the Cubs down for good. Looking forward to seeing more of Crochet over the years.
Looking Ahead
The Sox and Cubs wrap up the regular season tomorrow at 2:10 CT. Believe it or not, the Sox could still win the Central Division with a win AND a Twins loss. No matter what, the results tomorrow determine the seeding for the Sox, so it is certainly not a give-away game. Adbert Alzolay and Reynaldo Lopez will match up to end the regular season.
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