White Sox 9, Rays 4: The Martín Maldonado Game

Did Tommy Pham’s arrival fix him?

I don’t mean to alarm you, but the White Sox have won their fourth game, this time at home and against the Rays.

Chris Flexen looked great on the mound tonight and the offense finally decided to help its pitcher. Right off the bat, pun not intended, Nicky Lopez and Tommy Pham started the hit parade. They were stranded, but hey, this team got right off hitting the ball. Even Andrew Benintendi had a leadoff single in the second, although again, the White Sox left him stranded.

The third inning started in favor of the home team. An error and two walks from Zach Elfin (who doesn’t walk anyone) loaded the bases with Andrew Vaughn at the plate. Vaughn hit a sac fly, allowing Pham to tag from third to put the Pale Hose up by one. Despite Robbie Grossman and Eloy Jiménez still on base after being walked, and a momentum shift, Benintendi struck out chasing. But hey, a run was scored.

Danny Mendick hit a leadoff double (his second two-bagger this season) in the bottom of the fourth, followed by Paul DeJong sending him home on an RBI single to make it 2-0.

Nicky Lopez mashed a ground-rule double at 99 mph that Jose Siri couldn’t snatch. Thanks, wind.

Alas, Martín Maldonado grounded into a double play, leaving Lopez unable to advance on Pham’s hard-hit grounder that ended the inning.

Flexen allowed back-to-back walks in the top of the sixth and was pulled, sending Dominic Leone in. The White Sox escaped the inning without consequence.

Now ... are you sitting down?

No? I need you to.

Maldonado got his third hit of the season. Wow, Chrystal, that’s all?

Nope.

It happened to be a three-run homer to put up a crooked number on the board, with the Sox now up by five runs.

Audible gasps were heard across Midwestern living rooms. Did that really happen?

Well, the bullpen certainly tried not to.

The Rays got on the board with an RBI double by Rene Pinto that Grossman couldn’t quite track. There goes the shutout. Thanks, wind.

Jordan Leasure loaded the bases with two outs after back-to-back walks, bringing the tying run to the plate in Amed Rosario. Leasure couldn’t throw a strike to save his life and walked in a run. Leasure regrouped and got a ground ball fielder’s choice to escape, but not without the Rays putting up a fight.

The bottom of the seventh could’ve been a slog, with a walk, two grounders, and Vaughn striking out looking, but the Big Baby himself launched a nuke for a two-run homer in the middle of all that, making it 7-2.

Kopech came out for the eighth and started having a rough time between throwing out of the zone and defensive struggles behind him that botched a double play (Danny Mendick throwing to second instead of first base). Kopech gave up an RBI single to Siri, making it 7-3. He then loaded the bases with two outs and then plunked Yandy Díaz on the hand, forcing him from the game.

Randy Arozarena stepped up to the plate, hoping for a grand slam to tie it up. My nerves? Completely shot. But Arozarena struck out swinging after three beautiful fastballs from Kopech, leaving the sacks packed.

A lingering question persists.

The White Sox loaded the bases in the eighth with one out. Grossman was swapped out for Rafael Ortega, who managed a sac fly RBI for an insurance run. Erasmo Ramírez then threw a wild pitch to Jiménez, plating Nicky Lopez and giving the Sox a season-high nine runs.

The Rays attempted a rally in the ninth with two hits right away, but Isaac Parades tried to stretch his single and was met with Nicky Lopez tagging him out. Tanner Banks allowed a single from Mead to plate Rosario, cutting into the lead to 9-4.

But finally, with mouths of fans from all over agape, Banks got José Caballero to strike out swinging.

Friends, the Good Guys pulled off a win, and I’ve managed to recap two of the four White Sox wins this season.

It was rare, I was there, and I remember it all too well. (Sorry, it’s been a week of Taylor Swift playing non-stop in my house.)

See ya tomorrow night, folks.

Futility Watch

White Sox 2024 Record 4-22, worst 26-game start in White Sox history (ahead of 1948 and 1950, at 5-20-1), tied with three teams for third-worst in MLB history
White Sox 2024 Run Differential -80, tied for eighth-worst 26-game start in MLB history
White Sox 2024 Season Record Pace 25-137 (.154)
Race to the Worst-Ever White Sox Record (1932, 52-109-1*) 27 1⁄2 games ahead
Race to the Most-Ever White Sox Losses (1970, 106) 31 games ahead
Race to the Worst-Ever American League Record (1916 A’s, 38-124*) 13 games ahead
Race to the Worst-Ever MLB Record (1899 Spiders, 21-141*) 4 games behind
*record adjusted to a 162-game season