Furious rally ends White Sox skid: ‘The morale booster we need’
CHICAGO — The streak is over.
And if the White Sox had been going to finish a 10-game shedding streak, then they could as properly do it with dramatic pleasure, as they did throughout their 12-9 victory over the Rays at a wet Guaranteed Rate Field on Sunday afternoon.
The White Sox trailed 9-5 going into the underside of the ninth, watching a 4-2 lead evaporate because the Rays (23-6) scored 5 within the eighth and two within the ninth. Yes, extra consternation and extra teeth-gnashing had been on their manner.
Manager Pedro Grifol’s crew as a substitute scored seven instances in its final at-bat in opposition to relievers Jalen Beeks and Garrett Cleavinger, utilizing 5 two-strike hits to show the downright unlikely right into a raucous celebration. Andrew Vaughn delivered the deciding shot with a three-run house run to left off a 2-2 Cleavinger slider.
“I blacked out,” stated Vaughn of his first walk-off hit. “I honestly don’t remember running the bases. That was a lot of fight. That was awesome. One of the most gritty baseball games I’ve seen in a long time.”
“That was almost more beneficial for us as a club than if we went out there and put up 12 in the first,” stated White Sox beginning pitcher Mike Clevinger, who struck out eight over 5 innings. “That’s the morale booster we need.”
This ninth-inning rally began innocently sufficient, when Romy González flied out to middle. Eloy Jiménez acquired issues going with a single to left — his fourth single of the sport — earlier than Yasmani Grandal acquired hit by a pitch, Jake Burger doubled and Oscar Colás hit a sacrifice fly to chop the deficit to 9-7.
Elvis Andrus’ single chopped the result in one, and Lenyn Sosa, who figures to return to Triple-A Charlotte when Tim Anderson and Hanser Alberto be part of the crew from harm rehab Tuesday, saved the inning alive with a floor single to proper. Adam Haseley, who matched a profession excessive with 4 hits, singled to middle to tie the sport.
It all set the stage for Vaughn.
“No doubt,” stated Vaughn of realizing the ball was gone on influence. “I knew.”
“I didn’t want to leave it up, and I thought I got it down enough,” Cleavinger stated. “He went down and got it. Credit to him for putting a good swing on it.”
Those ninth-inning heroics completed off a season-high 18 hits. They additionally marked the White Sox greatest ninth-inning comeback since Sept. 7, 2007, after they trailed 10-4 earlier than scoring six within the ninth vs. Minnesota and profitable in additional innings. It marked their greatest ninth-inning comeback with out going to extras since April 28, 2004, after they trailed 8-4 earlier than scoring 5 within the ninth vs. Cleveland.
“Sometimes, hits are contagious,” Haseley stated. “Seems like that final inning, everyone that acquired as much as the plate was placing in a superb at-bat. Everyone was simply feeding off one another, attempting to maintain the road transferring, and good issues occurred.”
“We had some heartbreak losses against them,” stated Grifol, whose crew completed 1-6 vs. the Rays. “Baseball is a crazy game, and today was an example. But that clubhouse was jumping, and it was something we needed.”
While Sunday’s efficiency definitely was a memorable one, it nonetheless couldn’t wash away Chicago’s 8-21 displaying throughout April. The White Sox completed 0-8-1 in collection play and 4-9 at house, and so they by no means received back-to-back video games.
Reynaldo López, who had been utilized in high-leverage reduction alternatives through the first month, additionally left Sunday’s recreation after permitting three runs in one-third of an inning resulting from proper biceps fatigue and the opportunity of a useless arm setting in. There’s an extended street again for the White Sox to relevance, not to mention rivalry, as they open a three-game set on Tuesday night time with the Twins, who lead them by 9 video games within the American League Central.
Maybe Sunday’s comeback can begin Chicago on the best path.
“Yeah, that felt like a huge weight off our shoulders,” Vaughn stated.
“Going into the off-day and starting a new series, it’s huge,” Haseley stated. “Especially in opposition to a crew like that. You know they’re the most effective in baseball. It reveals that we are able to struggle and dangle with them.”
“A roller-coaster,” a smiling Clevinger stated. “It was the highest of highs to the lowest of lows back to the highest of highs. It was a fun game. Definitely the most fun game of the season.”
