The White Sox scored their first run of the game when Cleveland's center and right fielder collided on the warning track and threw Yoán Moncada's fly over the fence.
The White Sox scored their last run of the game when José Abreu took a James Karinchak fastball behind the earflap, causing Tony La Russa to come sprinting out of the dugout at top speed.
The Sox scored their other four runs in more conventional ways, but the serial-order effect says you're not going to remember them by tomorrow. Whichever memories prevail, the Sox took the opener of a three-game set that could settle the division by the first weekend in August.
Nothing about this game was how you'd draw it up, starting with Lance Lynn loading the bases three batters in and only getting his first out because Leury García threw to third on Franmil Reyes' two-run single. Ryan Tepera also made a terrible first impression, giving up a game-tying homer to Reyes on his third pitch in the eighth inning, then allowing a single and a four-pitch walk before being lifted from the game while Ethan Katz was talking to him on the mound.
Nevertheless, the Sox were able to prevail thanks to better plate discipline and a defense that didn't collapse like Cleveland's did.
With the game tied at 4 after the Reyes blast in the top of the eighth, García opened the bottom of the frame with a grounder up the middle that Amed Rosario booted. Up came Seby Zavala with every intent to bunt, but his catching counterpart wouldn't let him. James Karinchak's first fastball sailed outside and off Roberto Perez's mitt to allow García to advance. Karinchak threw his second fastball in a similar spot, and while Perez caught it, his attempt to pick García off second bounded into center, allowing García to take third.
Tony La Russa then replaced Zavala with Zack Collins, who worked the rest of the walk. Tim Anderson followed, and after seeing Karinchak missing gloveside, he set his sights on the opposite-field. He fouled the first pitch into the press box, but he slashed the second fastball through the right side to put the sox ahead 5-4. César Hernandez then loaded the bases with a bunt single that José Ramirez fired wildly on, and that's when Karinchak beaned Abreu. The benches cleared, with La Russa pushing Perez away from Abreu as if to say "your side has done enough."
Abreu stayed in the game, but Karinchak didn't. Maybe he should've, because Nick Wittgren struck out the side to keep it a 6-4 game. But it was cushion enough for Hendriks, who jogged in from the bullpen for the second time and closed it out with two strikeouts.
The White Sox scored their most runs in a game since July 20, and as a result they regained their nine-game lead over Cleveland.
Jose Ruiz picked up the win with maybe the best high-leverage work of his career. He entered after Tepera blew the lead, and while Perez bunted both runners ahead, the Future Guardians didn't have another idea. Ruiz struck out Yu Chang and induced a harmless flyout from Ernie Clement to retire all three batters on 10 pitches.
La Russa used five relievers, and Tepera was the only one who didn't have it. Garrett Crochet threw a scoreless sixth, and Aaron Bummer posted a zero in the seventh despite one of his trademarked random walks in front of a dangerous hitter (he struck out José Ramírez to end the threat).
Had the original lead held, Lynn would've picked up the win despite work that wasn't his best. He labored, throwing 104 pitches over five innings, allowing seven hits, a walk and an HBP. He struck out seven to prevent more damage, but his ERA did rise all the way to 2.07.
The White Sox were able to take multiple leads against J.C. Mejía and Co. Moncada opened the scoring with an assist from Bradley Zimmer and Daniel Johnson and their Combined Canseco.
Two innings later, they took the first of three leads. Moncada started with a one-out single, followed by a four-pitch walk to Andrew Vaughn. Brian Goodwin then won a 10-pitch battle by bouncing a single through the right side that tied the game at 2. Vaughn took third on the play and scored when García hustled out a potential double-play ball for an RBI fielder's choice.
After Ramírez retied the game with a two-out single in the top of the fifth, the Sox retook the run with a Hernández single and three walks. The Sox drew six walks on the night, along with two painful Abreu HBPs.
Bullet points:
*Abreu stayed in the game, but maybe because the Sox didn't have a first baseman. Collins entered the game for Zavala, Vaughn had been replaced defensively with Billy Hamilton, and Gavin Sheets was the DH.
*Zavala was hilariously overmatched in his first three plate appearances, striking out three times and throwing his bat twice.
*Hernández made his White Sox debut in the second spot and went 2-for-5 with a run scored.
