2020 OOTP sim: Another heartbreaker
SAN DIEGO — Imagine being 31-11 and only tied for a division lead.
That's just where the San Diego Padres found themselves on Wednesday, knotted with the Los Angeles Dodgers, residing in a division with the two best teams in baseball.
But in a season where every break is seemingly falling their way, the Padres snatched victory from defeat by tying up the White Sox in the ninth and using a two-out Manny Machado single in the 10th to notch win No. 32.
What a shame, for a starter Lucas Giolito, who's had just one healthy start all season (Opening Day) and simply dominated San Diego this afternoon. Giolito blended a four-pitch walk among three strikeouts in the first inning, and basically never looked back.
In the end, the ace went eight innings, giving up just three hits and four walks against nine Ks, for a 77 game score. Even the run charged to him was a Jurickson Profar leadoff double in the ninth that scored off of Pat Venditte, not Giolito.
San Diego could have ended things in the ninth, with Aaron Bummer called on to extinguish a one-out, runner-on-second situation. The lefty doused it good, whiffing both Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers.
But the 10th was not as kind to Bummer, who put runners on the corners with a walk and single with nobody out. Steve Cishek induced a pop out from Tommy Pham, then intentionally walked Fernando Tatís Jr. to set up a double play that failed to materialize when Machado singled home the winner.
The White Sox did not commit their customary whiffs, but cobbled together just three hits: two Eloy Jiménez singles and a Yasmani Grandal homer. Add three walks and a Profar error and that's just six baserunners all game.
The White Sox have fallen to 20-23, still mired in third place, nine games back of the Minnesota Twins. They return home for a Thursday night game hosting the first-place (24-18) Blue Jays. Gio González (3-2, 3.95 ERA) goes for the Good Guys while Chase Anderson (3-2, 5.50 ERA) takes the bump for Toronto.
Notes: According to front office sources, for the second time this season Milwaukee GM David Stearns has insulted the club with a lowball offer for prized hitting prospect Andrew Vaughn ... With one out in the bottom of the sixth on Wednesday, Pham was thrown out at home by a mile, thanks to a laser from Luis Robert for a fly out-out at home double play to end the inning.
Actor (final credit: murdered by Albert Einstein in "Carnage Hall"), musician (Ethnocentric Republicans), and Nerf hoops champion, Wiffleball aficionado and onetime bilingual kindergarten teacher, Brett Ballantini also writes about baseball, basketball and sometimes hockey, for the NBA, MLB, NHL, and Slam, Hoop, Sporting News, the Athletic, SB Nation and others. He was CSN Chicago’s Blackhawks beat writer when their 49-year Stanley Cup drought ended in 2009-10, and took over the White Sox beat after that. He currently is the editor-in-chief of South Side Hit Pen and beat writer for Inside the Rays. He also wrote a book about Ozzie Guillén but is running out of space, so follow him on Twitter @BrettBallantini and he'll probably tell you even more about himself than you ever wanted to know.
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