For White Sox fans who don't want to see the other Chicago team reach the postseason, tonight's loss could be considered enough of a win.
The Sox posted a respectable effort in defeat by giving Corbin Burnes the business along the way, and while they couldn't come through in the eighth or 10th innings, this is one of those rare times where you can consider the consolation prize: The Brewers maintained their 2½-game lead over the Cubs in the NL Central.
If you pay no heed to the North Siders one way or another, then tonight's game was a mixed bag. Michael Kopech showed some resilience after issuing three walks during a 30-pitch first inning, but there still isn't any momentum starter-grade command. The White Sox offense couldn't come through in the end, but it proved pesky to Burmes, with a two-run laser by Eloy Jiménez punctuating an effort full of softer hits.
The Brewers responded in kind, frustrating the White Sox pitching staff with its own array of knocks. Oscar Colás overthrew a cutoff man to set up a two-run Willy Adames single that narrowed the White Sox's lead to 5-4, and then Aaron Bummer, trying to erase yet another perfectly placed swinging bunt on his watch with the bases loaded, flung the ball over Yasmani Grandal's head for a single/error that put the Brewers ahead in the sixth.
The White Sox were able to tie the game at 6 in the seventh when Eloy Jiménez reached on an infield single, advance to third on Yoán Moncada's flared double inside the left-field line, and scored on Andrew Vaughn's chopper over the mound.
But when it came to the seventh run, the Brewers were able to convert on their third chance, while the Sox went 0-for-3.
Mark Canha proved the difference-maker, coming off the bench and roping a double to left off Jimmy Lambert for the game-winning run in the top of the 10th.
The Sox had a chance in the eighth when Trayce Thompson walked. Oscar Colás bunted Thompson to second on the first pitch he saw, but Sal Frelick made a fine leaping catch into the netting down the right-field line to end Elvis Andrus' at-bat, and even though Thompson advanced to third. Tim Anderson laid off of enough Joel Payamps pitches to draw a walk, but then Andrew Benintendi struck out in rather ugly fashion to end the threat.
The Sox had no such hope in the ninth against Devin Williams, but the installation of the Zombie Runner in the 10th automatically gave them a shot. Luis Robert Jr. pinch-ran for Vaughn, but he only made it to third. Yasmani Grandal flied out to left, Gavin Sheets grounded out to first, and then Abner Uribe snagged a Colás comebacker and ran it to first himself for the game-sealing 1-unassisted.
Bullet points:
*The White Sox tallied 10 hits and five walks, which is the kind of patience the Sox usually see against them. For instance, the Brewers collected 11 hits and seven walks themselves (one intentional).
*Lambert and Bummer each pitched two innings, and Gregory Santos pitched a scoreless eighth himself. This is one of those games where they just ran out of plus arms, and there'll probably be more of that over the remainder of the schedule.
