White Sox 10, Tigers 1: So this is Detroit
If this is going to be the template for White Sox-Tigers games the rest of the way, well, there are six more of these, so some Sox on the fringe might be able to shift the conversation in their favor when the smoke clears.
Take Yolmer Sánchez, the subject of this morning’s post. He had his first-ever four-hit game out of the leadoff spot including a pair of doubles.
There’s Daniel Palka, who had more hits in tonight’s game (three) than he had over his first 23 (two). Two of them were well-struck, which is two more legitimate singles than he had all year.
How about Eloy Jiménez? He went 3-for-5, giving him three three-hit games out of his last five. He hit another opposite-field grand slam that broke the game open for his 29th homer, and also notched his second career triple (corrected). His OPS (.826) is on the verge of surpassing Jose Abreu’s (.827).
Yoan Moncada and Tim Anderson also had two-hit nights, with Anderson doubling and Moncada homering. Zack Collins and Adam Engel each struck out thrice, but they came up with RBI doubles to give their evenings a highlight. Even Danny Mendick came off the bench in a blowout to drop a single to right.
And last but not least, there’s Dylan Cease. He threw six fairly easy innings, scattering two doubles, three singles and two walks over six one-run innings while striking out eight to collect his fourth victory of the season and his career.
Of course, the Tigers are the one team Cease has been able to reliably tame over his young career, as three of his four victories have come against Detroit. That’s kinda how it’s gone for the whole league, which is why they’re 45-108 this season, and why Jordan Zimmermann fell to 1-12 with a 6.85 ERA.
The White Sox’ 10 runs and 19 hits count as much in this one as they do in every other game, so you can’t take it away from them. Considering they hadn’t scored 10 runs in a win since Aug. 4, no easy victory should be taken for granted. It’s just that some developments in these games might need to be weighed a little differently when it comes to decision-making.
Bullet points:
*Anderson and Abreu teamed up for a beautiful 6-3 double play in the eighth inning. Anderson made a leaping grab of a Harold Castro liner and made a quick throw back to first. Abreu made the pick on the long hop before Victor Reyes made it back to the bag.
*That play put Manny Bañuelos on track for the first of two scoreless innings in his first appearance since Sept. 2.
*Chuck Garfien sat in for Jason Benetti on another football weekend, but Steve Stone did the driving.
Record: 67-86 | Box score | Highlights
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Eloy’s second career triple. His first was on August 18 in a forgettable loss in Anaheim.
If you’re bad, then be bad the best.
WSB 2019: The best bad team in the American League.
Eloy’s slam was amazing. Pitch high and outside, he reached for it, seemed like a pop up off the bat, then curls into the 330 short porch in right.
September heroes killing their draft pick position, a whitesox tradition like no other.
Gotta love the excitement in the box over beating up a AAA squad.
In all seriousness its nice to see impact bats in the middle of the lineup. This is the Eloy we wanted in April. And with the seasons Moncada, Anderson, Abreu are having its nice to see the possible formation of a real lineup.
My hope is this new found offense and success isnt just a product of who they are facing and what month it is. My secondary hope is this EXCITES management to SPEND not to rest on the “well look the young guys are coming around so we will be fine” attitude I figure they will adopt.
I would imagine free agents would be less hesitant to join a 75-win team rather than a 65-win team.
said this about a million times last off season so may as well get time 1 out of the way early, an overwhelming majority of free agents take the biggest offer out there
Detroit has 108 losses already?
Wow…there are actually 3 teams with triple digit losses already. If MLB wouldn’t have added the wild card, baseball in September would have been the most boring thing ever.
Baseball is at its lowest point in my opinion. I know I will watch the play offs, but honestly, I am not so looking forward to 4 hour games with a lot of “bullpening” and 7 pitchers changes.
Zimmermann is so bad for the Tigers, it makes me wonder whether we really should shell out big bucks for a free-agent pitcher. I mean, a few years ago, he was one of the top free agents out there. He has been horrible for Detroit for most his big contract, and in this game it seemed he was basically throwing batting practice.
I guess we have no choice but to sign somebody, but please, Sox, get a pitcher who will not be the worst in the league by the middle of his contract.
There were red flags with him though. Declining velocity, always was a guy that beat his peripherals, and threw high percentage of 2 seamers that was a bad mix with the launch angle movement.
I would have less fear with a Cole or Strasburg. I dont know if it’s a gut feeling, but just those uber prospects that click seem to have longer legs in their careers.
How good have guys like Lester or Scherzer been though.
Every free agent is a risk, sox can afford more then most to take said risk on an arm or hopefully two.