After sharing the fight spotlight with Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz last night, Tim Anderson had Sunday off while Jose Ramirez was given DH duties.
Neither playing their respective positions significantly impacted the game’s outcome.
During the television broadcast, manager Pedro Grifol said it was a planned absence unrelated to last night’s brawl. With Anderson out, Elvis Andrus and Luis Robert Jr. provided early offense against Cleveland. Both hit deep flies that fell a couple of feet short of being home runs. Andrus settled for a double, but Robert’s triple gave the White Sox a 1-0 lead, and he would later score off Eloy Jimenez’s sacrifice fly.
Jesse Scholtens was in control for the first four innings, but things unraveled in the fifth frame. It started when Oscar Colas fell short on the dive on Kole Calhoun's fly ball to the right-center field gap. The leadoff double would score shortly after when Scholtens tried to beat Gabriel Arias with a high 0-2 fastball. Instead, Scholtens's high heater hurriedly left the park for a two-run home run.
It didn't get better for Scholtens. Brayan Rocchio would extend the extra base streak to three straight batters with a double off the right field wall. He would score when Andrus committed a costly error. Myles Straw hit a comebacker up the middle that was deflected by Scholtens, who tried to barehand the chopper. When Scholtens couldn't grab the ball, it left Andrus a bit off balance, and he made an errant throw to first base. Rocchio quickly scored, and Cleveland took a 3-2 lead.
Despite a rocky fifth inning, Grifol kept Scholtens for the sixth inning with a pitch count inching closer to 100. Jose Ramirez was standing on second base with two outs when Calhoun crushed Scholten's changeup to deep center field. The deep fly traveled 407 feet, but Robert Jr. made another sensational catch at the wall. Timing his jump to rob Calhoun of extra bases and kept it a one-run deficit.
White Sox did have a rally going in the seventh inning. Trayce Thompson battled for 12 pitches before setting for an infield single. Yasmani Grandal would follow up with a single up the middle to center field, putting multiple runners on for Colas. Facing Southpaw Sam Hentges, Grifol stuck with Colas as a learning experience. With a couple of foul balls off the curve, Hentges went to his slider to punch out Colas. With two outs, Guardians manager Terry Francona returned to his bullpen for righty Enyel De Los Santos, and he made quick work of Zach Remillard with a three-pitch strikeout.
After a scoreless eighth inning, the White Sox had to figure out a way to tie the game against Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase. Thanks to a little batted ball luck, Jimenez reached on an infield single, and Andrew Vaughn turned on Clase's 100 mph heater for another single. With no outs and Andrew Benintendi running for Jimenez, it was up to Trayce Thompson to move both runners into scoring position.
Down 1-2, Thompson whiffed on Clase's middle-middle fastball that was 100 mph. Grandal didn't fare better, falling behind 0-2 before striking out on a foul tip. With two outs, it was up to Colas to keep the game alive.
On a slow chopper, Rocchio's throw from third base took a short hop that Calhoun couldn't corral at first. That throwing error loaded the bases for Remillard. After watching 102 mph catch the inside corner for a strike, Remillard did his best on Clase's 101 mph cutter. Another ground ball hit Rocchio's way, and just like for Colas, Remillard reached safely on another throwing error when Colhoun couldn't scoop the throw.
With new life, Andrus had a chance to be the hero. Looking for the cutter, Andrus got it on the second pitch, which he mustered a grounder through the infield. A two-run single from Andrus gave the White Sox a 5-3 lead.
Jimmy Lambert was tasked with earning his first save with Gregory Santos out on Bereavement Leave. Thankfully with a two-run lead, Lambert facing Ramirez to lead it off didn't have the game's outcome riding on the line. But Ramirez pulled a liner down the right field line on which Colas made a fielding error. It was ruled as a single, and Ramirez advanced on the error.
While Rocchio showed inexperience in keeping the White Sox alive, Andrus showed off his expertise with a great play on a sharp grounder from Oscar Gonzalez. Falling to the ground and making a throw from the outfield grass, Andrus, one-hopper to Vaughn, nailed Gonzalez for the first out. Lambert utilized Robert for the final two outs with flyouts from Calhoun and Arias, and the latter caught on the warning track.
An improbable three-run ninth inning gave the White Sox a series win and finished the season series 8-5 against Cleveland.
Game Notes:
- Elvis Andrus was 3-for-5 with two doubles, two strikeouts, and two RBI
- Lane Ramsey made his MLB debut in the eighth inning setting the order down in order
- Jesse Scholtens final line was 6 IP 6 H 3 R 2 ER 1 BB 6 K on 96 pitches (Career high)
- Yoan Moncada went 0-for-4, and in his last 30 games is hitting .160/.204/.217
