When the White Sox loaded the bases in the eighth inning against Jose Cuas, only to strike out three times on 11 pitches from Michael Fulmer, one sensed their 3-0 lead might not hold up over the final two innings.
That feeling intensified when Nick Madrigal led off the eighth with a homer off Aaron Bummer, abated when Tim Anderson turned an athletic 6-3 double play to end the inning, and then consumed everything as Gregory Santos allowed a double, walk and a three-run walk-off homer to Christopher Morel without recording an out.
This one would've stung if the White Sox weren't a couple dozen games under .500. As it stands, the Sox probably didn't deserve to split the Crosstown Classic and retain the cup for another year, and Pedro Grifol is still searching for the feather in his cap.
That's not to say White Sox fans didn't deserve something nice, but this season has never been about us.
The White Sox established their 3-0 lead rather quietly. The first run scored on #WILDPITCHOFFENSE in the fourth inning, but Luis Robert Jr. was doubled off third on Moncada's lineout to first. Gavin Sheets then gave the Sox the first runs they earned with a two-run shot off Javier Assad in the fifth.
But mostly the night was about Mike Clevinger, until it wasn't. Clevinger posted his best start of the year, holding the Cubs to three singles, two walks and a hit by pitch over a season-high seven innings while striking out seven.
Those baserunners clumped up on him, but he worked around it. He started his evening with a walk and a hit by pitch, but stranded those runners with a groundout and two strikeouts. He had his best fastball of the year, and tied his highest maximum velocity.
Strong defense also helped him out. The Cubs opened the fourth with two straight singles, but Andrew Benintendi made a diving catch on Dansby Swanson's liner to give him some footing. Morel flied out, and although Jeimer Candelario walked to load the bases, Clevinger induced a routine flyout from Seiya Suzuki to leave them that way.
He faced the minimum the rest of the way, thanks to a sweet 6-4-3 double play featuring a quick flip from Anderson, and a strong turn from Elvis Andrus. Clevinger comes away with a no-decision to show for it, but this is one way the White Sox's post-deadline absence of depth reveals itself. After seven innings, Grifol would normally have more options than Bummer and Grifol on consecutive days.
Then again, it doesn't really matter at the individual level. At this point in the season, Clevinger's starts are less about wins and losses, and more more about which side turns down the mutual option. This outing tilts the needle even further towards him.
Bullet points:
*Madrigal is back to having more homers than Anderson, and as many as Benintendi.
*Andrus broke up the string of five consecutive strikeouts with a two-out single in the ninth inning, but he was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.
*The White Sox were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. The Cubs were 1-for-7, but the "1" couldn't have been bigger.
