It wasn’t the cleanest game, and the offense didn’t look perfect. But, a win is a win, and the Sox need those more than anything else.
The White Sox sent Lucas Giolito to the mound today in an effort to salvage a series split after dropping the first two games. Through six innings, Giolito was sharp enough to work around traffic on the basepaths, and he worked into the seventh for the second consecutive start. He would be pulled with two runners on, and one would score courtesy of a Josh Harrison error on an Andres Gimenez groundball. However, Reynaldo Lopez would shut it down from there, and Kendall Graveman and Liam Hendriks both threw 1-2-3 innings to keep the unearned run as the only one on the board for Cleveland.
The offensive, unsurprisingly, hit the one lefty they saw pretty well. After a leadoff walk by Yoan Moncada and single by Luis Robert in the top of the sixth, Jose Abreu mashed a sinker high off the right field wall to give the Sox a 1-0 lead. Andrew Vaughn would follow with an RBI groundout, and that would comprise the entirety of the White Sox offense – which, at times, looked good at the plate and probably should’ve scored more than it did.
There were some standout defensive plays – both positively and negatively – throughout the night. AJ Pollock and Seby Zavala put on offensive clinics in the 4th inning, while Josh Harrison and Tim Anderson both booted plays in the middle infield. Regardless, all is well that ends well.
In other news, Eloy Jimenez left today’s game with right leg tightness. He is considered day-to-day.
With the win, the White Sox keep pace with the victorious Twins and sit at 43-45 heading into a crucial series.
W: Lucas Giolito (6-5) | L: Sam Hentges (2-2) | Liam Hendriks (18)
Box Score
Offensive Recap:
Pitching Recap:
White Sox Scoring Recap:
Top 6th: Jose Abreu doubles to RF. Yoan Moncada scores. 1-0 White Sox
Top 6th: Andrew Vaughn grounds out to SS. Luis Robert scores. 2-0 White Sox
Notable Performances
Lucas Giolito: 6.1 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
Giolito’s fastball velocity still isn’t where we’ve gotten used to seeing it at times, but he was still incredibly effective with all three of his pitches tonight. He kept Guardians’ hitters off balance, and was able to control the game throughout the night.
Jose Abreu: 2-for-4, 2B, RBI
Jose Abreu got his average right around .300 today, and he drove in an important run for the White Sox in the sixth inning today.
Luis Robert: 3-for-4, 2B, R, K
Luis Robert didn’t have any highlight-reel plays today, but he set the table for the rest of the offense throughout the day with a three-hit performance. Robert’s average now sits at .296 on the season.
Yoan Moncada: 1-for-2, 2 BB, R
Like Robert, there wasn’t a highlight-reel play for Moncada today, but he did a great job out of the number two spot in the lineup today. He worked counts, started the sixth inning rally with a walk, and added a hit for good measure. If the White Sox are going to turn this season around in the second half, it will require Yoan Moncada to get going at the plate. He’s starting to look a lot better.
The Next Matchup
The White Sox head to Minnesota next to take on the Twins in the biggest series of the season to date. Johnny Cueto will go to the mound for the White Sox, and the Twins will counter with Sonny Gray.
The game can be viewed starting at 6:40 PM CT over on NBC Sports Chicago.
Follow us @SoxOn35th for more updates throughout the season!
Featured Image: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
