White Sox 1, Cleveland 0: Luis Robert’s solo shot enough

White Sox win

Tony La Russa said the White Sox celebrated late into the night, but they didn’t let any hangover affect them in the win column. A bullet-point recap:

*The White Sox didn’t beat Shane Bieber, but they beat Cleveland in a game Shane Bieber started.

*Bieber threw three perfect innings on 34 pitches, but Luis Robert hit a solo shot off Trevor Stephan to lead off the fourth inning, and that stood as the game’s only run.

*Dylan Cease pitched scoreless baseball for longer, going 5⅓ innings with relative ease. He allowed just three hits while striking out nine, and the only jam was a leadoff double in the third, which he stranded by striking out the side.

*Alas, Cease left before his pitch count dictated a change because he took a bouncer from Bradley Zimmer off his right tricep, just above his elbow.

*Zimmer committed his second baserunning miscue of the series when he tried to score from second on a chopper between Ryan Burr and Zack Collins that resulted in miscommunication and a soft collison. Except Collins picked up the ball, covered home, then fired to third to get Zimmer with relative ease.

*Aaron Bummer pitched around one of his classic infield singles with a pair of strikeouts, Craig Kimbrel struck out the side on 13 pitches during a perfect eighth, and Liam Hendriks needed just 10 pitches for his 35th save.

*Tim Anderson turned a slick 6-3 double play to end the first inning, after Amed Rosario reached on a Yoán Moncada error. Rosario took off for second, which put Anderson in a position to cover the bag as the chopper arrived.

*The White Sox only notched four hits, and didn’t draw a walk while striking out 11 times.

*Cease is now 13-7 with a 3.95 ERA on the season. X-rays were negative.

Record: 87-67 | Box score | Statcast

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Ted Mulvey

I noted the 11Ks against 0BBs for the Sox, then felt better seeing Cleveland with 16Ks and 0BBs.

Willardmarshall

Big strike zone?

dwjm3

It was …Robert got screwed on a strike 3 call

shaggy65

That’s the Kimbrel that we traded away a future all-star 2B to acquire. Let’s hope he’s the guy we get for the rest of the year.

jhomeslice

Certainly he was better. Yet the Indians are a hapless offense that got shut out 3 times in 5 games a couple weeks ago, and has been no-hit 3 times this year.

So I’m still not giving Kimbrel the ball when it counts unless he strings together 3 or 4 good outings that come against teams other than the Indians. Hope he has opportunity left to do that before the playoffs.

jorgefabregas

He was putting the ball exactly where he wanted it and it was crisp. Looked totally different. Nothing to do with the opponent. He’s struggled against bad teams in this stretch too.

jhomeslice

Good point. He’s just been such a disappointment that it’s going to take a lot more than one excellent outing to convince me he is worth trusting for a late inning of a playoff game.

Hope he looks like last night, I agree. Step in the right direction.

NateDPT12

They mentioned on the broadcast the last time the Sox won on the road 1-0 with a home run was in 1995 and Ron Karkovice homered at Tiger Stadium. I was at that game, I want to say Jason Bere started. At least that’s what my 11 year old self remembers.

itaita

That sent me down a hole on baseball reference which led me to former first round pic Bobby Seay and this transaction.

June 4, 1996: Drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 1st round (12th pick) of the 1996 amateur draft. Player signed November 8, 1996.
August 15, 1996: Granted Free Agency.
November 8, 1996: Signed as a Free Agent with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

And that then led me to read about the loop-hole that Boras found about how if you took longer then two weeks to offer a contract they can become a free agent. I just wonder how the hell something like that was even a rule added.