On August 20, 2021, the first-place White Sox took on the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. The White Sox were 11.5 games up on the second-place Cleveland Indians. It was a dramatic comeback win, with TA leading the charge.
The White Sox scored early on in the first thanks to a Luis Robert double down the line. Lucas Giolito took the hill for the South Siders. He allowed his first run on a solo home run from Rays’ first baseman Ji-Man Choi.
The Sox tallied their second run of the ball game thanks to Jose Abreu, and a nifty slide from TA at the plate made it 2-1. Yoan Moncada also hit a two-run shot to straightaway center field making it 4-1.
In the fifth, Rays outfielder Manuel Margot hit a triple, and then Kevin Kiermaier scored on a sac-fly making it 4-2. In the eighth Wander Franco chopped a ball up the middle, and TA had no play. A run did come in to score, making it a 4-3 ball game. After an intentional walk, Tony La Russa elected to play the lefty-lefty matchup with Rays’ pinch hitter Austin Medows. It burned him. Medows lined a single up the middle to make it a 5-4 ball game.
Tim Anderson led off the ninth with a solo shot to center to tie the game. Garrett Crochet took the ball in the bottom of the ninth, and he punched out two in the ninth after a walk.
On to the eleventh inning, where TA7 does it again with Zack Collins on second. TA singled through the hole on the right side to make it a 6-5 ball game. The Sox traded a run for an out on a Jose Abreu ground ball as Tim Anderson scored, making it a 7-5 Sox lead.
Ryan Tepera locked it down after putting up two runs in the eleventh, and the Sox stole a game from the Rays.
Follow us @SoxOn35th for more throughout the season!
Featured Image: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
