Did you know: The White Sox hadn't played a three-hour game this season?
This one clocked in at three hours and six minutes, and every White Sox fan would consider it worth the time, as the Sox parlayed multiple Rangers mistakes into a Texas-sized six-run sixth inning that slung the frustration from the home dugout to the visiting one.
The White Sox entered the inning behind 4-2, as they'd trailed all game, but the Rangers opened up a portal of possibilities on the left-center warning track, where Sam Haggerty and Wyatt Langford collided while chasing down Austin Slater's deep drive. The ball rolled out of Haggerty's glove after impact, allowing Slater to reach third on a "triple" to open the inning.
Some 29 minutes, 12 batters later and two more Rangers relievers later, the White Sox led 8-4.
"It seems like the momentum shifts big-time when you can score runs after an error," said Andrew Benintendi.
The Texas run-prevention unit provided plenty of further assistance. Chase Meidroth couldn't get Slater home, but Josh Jung failed to glove his ground ball cleanly, and couldn't get the throw across the diamond in time to avoid being charged with an E5. Mike Tauchman then hit a chopper to the right side slow enough to 1) score Slater, 2) allow Meidroth enough time to clear Marcus Semien's tag attempt, and 3) reach base safely himself, which made it a one-run game with still nobody out. The Rangers finally recorded an out on Miguel Vargas' nubber to the right side, but both runners advanced into scoring position, and that's when the White Sox offense truly went to work.
Benintendi struck the first of the inning's two big blows, and via the 3-0 green light. With first base open, Jacob Webb had the opportunity to concede the plate appearance and load the bases against Luis Robert Jr., but instead he tried to get back into the count with a fastball, and Benintendi lined it to right field for his first double of the season, and one that put the Sox ahead 5-4. Robert then singled to left to move Benintendi to third and stole second. Joshua Palacios went down swinging for the second out, but Matt Thaiss drew his third walk of the game to load the bases.
Lenyn Sosa then saw two sweepers from Webb and swung at both of them. The first one was low, and chopped foul. The second one stayed middle-middle, and Sosa came within a few feet of a grand slam. He settled for a three-run double off the left-field wall, and the White Sox could set it on cruise control the rest of the way.
"They opened up a little window for us and we took advantage with just quality at-bats," said Will Venable. "Some hustle plays too."
(Slater and Meidroth drew the second and third walks of the inning before Tauchman grounded out. Slater entered the game as a pinch-hitter for Josh Rojas and was immediately replaced defensively, but he still managed to log two plate appearances.)
Up until that point, the White Sox looked like the less-equipped team. And they were, in the sense that they had to start Bryse Wilson on short notice due to Jonathan Cannon's stiff back. Wilson fell behind 1-0 after two batters, but otherwise did a decent job over his four innings.
"Credit to Johnny, he came in and he kind of knew that he wasn't going to be able to go, so I was given a four hour heads up," Wilson said. "The adjustments we made moving over on the rubber and just the overall aggression, attacking the zone was much better. I'm happy with it. Wish I could've given more length. I was happy with the outcome."
He could've used more support. While he opened the fourth by hitting Joc Pederson on the hand, defensive mistakes exacerbated the issue. First, Sosa opted to throw to first on a grounder that developed too slowly for a double play, even though the force at second was available to him. That put an extra runner in scoring position, and both runners came home -- one on a Marcus Semien sac fly, and another when Joshua Palacios simply dropped a high fly to left field that should have ended the inning. Instead, the Rangers extended their lead to 3-0 before Wilson got out of the inning on a batter interference call.
Credit Palacios for atoning immediately. After the wind knocked down Robert's bid for an inning-opening solo shot to left field in the bottom of the fourth, Palacios rode the wind out to right for a two-run homer that made it 3-2 game. Alas, more shoddy defense ended Wilson's afternoon, as Rojas bounced a throw to second that Lenyn Sosa couldn't handle to put two on with nobody out. Mike Vasil took over, and while he allowed an inherited runner to score on a single up the middle, he recovered to keep his own tab clean, and picked up his third win of the season with three scoreless innings.
Bullet points:
*Tauchman answered Adolís García's solo shot in the top of the eighth with one of his own, for his first homer as a White Sox. He, Benintendi, Palacios and Sosa all had multi-RBI games.
"The wind has been crazy this year," Benintendi said. "I think driving the ball out of the ballpark consistently is going to be a little different for us this year, at least up to this point."
*The White Sox outhit the Rangers 14-7, out-walked the Rangers 8-3, and out-extra-base-hit the Rangers 8-2. They went 5-for-17 with runners in scoring position.
*Meidroth made a fantastic over-the-shoulder catch to save at least one run in the second inning, as he ranged into shallow left field to snag the ball in front of a Palacios sliding attempt that would've been late.
*Vinny Capra received his first plate appearance as a White Sox after replacing Slater to play third base, striking out to start the eighth.
*The Orioles are playing the second half of a doubleheader at publish time, but their winning percentage gives them sole possession of the worst record in the American League.
