What a game! It was a back and forth game on the South Side tonight in what was probably this season’s most eventful game for the White Sox. Anytime either team took the lead, they seemed to give it right back up in the next half inning or so. Neither team got great starting pitching as Jonathan Cannon allowed 10 baserunners (8 hits, 2 walks) and 4 earned runs in 5 innings of work, and Aaron Civale gave up 8 hits and 6 earned runs in just 4.1 innings for the Rays.
The White Sox fell behind 3-0 early as today’s starter Jonathan Cannon lived in the middle of the strike zone and paid for it. Andrew Benintendi‘s first home run of the season tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the 4th inning.
The tie was short-lived as Rays’ first basemen Austin Shenton gave his team the lead with a solo shot in the top of the 5th. The Sox came back strong with three runs in the bottom half of the 5th on behalf of a Gavin Sheets RBI double, an Andrew Vaughn fielder’s choice, and a wind-assisted single by Benintendi giving him 4 RBI on the day.
Dominic Leone came on to pitch the top of the 6th inning and ended up giving up two runs and the lead after Andrew Vaughn could not handle a high chopper by Rays’ CF Richie Palacios. While it was ultimately ruled a hit, Vaughn should have been able to get the out at first and end the inning. This extended the inning long enough for Randy Arozarena to his a two-run double and tie the game at 6.
The game stayed knotted up until the 10th inning when Deivi Garcia‘s two wild pitches gave the Rays a 7-6 lead. That is, until Andrew Benintendi came up in the bottom of the 10th and hammered a ball into the right field seats, giving the White Sox a walk-off win, and their first back-to-back wins of the season.
W: Deivi Garcia (1-2) | L: Phil Maton (0-2)
Statcast Breakdown
Box Score
Offensive Recap:
Pitching Recap:
Notable Performances
Andrew Benintendi: 3-5, 2 HR, 6 RBI
To say Andrew Benintendi has struggled this season would be an understatement. In a season where he only had 4 RBIs coming into today’s game, he came through in a big way today with two home runs and six RBIs. Hopefully this offensive explosion can jump-start more consistent offense from Benintendi.
Tommy Pham: 2-4, 1 R
Tommy Pham has been a breath of fresh air early in his stint with the White Sox. In only two games, he has 4 hits, and his base-running aggressiveness has shown to be a major weapon. Anyone who is down to do the little things on the field is a-okay in my book, and Pham seems to be one of those guys.
Next Matchup
The White Sox will look for a series sweep and their first win streak of the season in tomorrow’s day game against the Rays. Tomorrow’s projected starters are Zack Littell (1-1, 3.33 ERA) and Erick Fedde (1-0, 2.73 ERA).
It’s a day game tomorrow starting at 1:10pm CT, so get your rest! The game will be broadcast on NBC Sports Chicago.
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Featured Image: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
