2020 OOTP sim: White Sox back to .500
CHICAGO — After a bit of a scuffle on Friday, the White Sox have righted themselves with two tight wins over the weekend, getting back to .500 and jelling a bit as a team in the process.
It was the Orioles who took the first punches in this game, scoring in the first and second to take one-run leads, then putting up a three-spot in the third to potentially put the game out of hand at 5-2.
But the White Sox had their own counterpunch in the third, once again equaling Baltimore's output with a Nomar Mazara double, Luis Robert triple and Yoán Moncada infield hit bringing the game to 5-4. After a Moncada stolen base, Leury García singled him in, and the game was again knotted.
At this point, both Moncada (two doubles, single) and García (three singles) were 3-for-3. Not a bad top of the order.
The White Sox nearly took the lead in the fifth, when Mazara walked and Robert doubled to the wall. But Austin Hayes threw Mazara out at home from deep in center field.
Home plate was getting some action in this game, as Eloy Jiménez had thrown out Rio Ruiz at home earlier in the game.
The score stayed knotted until the eighth, when the White Sox put a lot of runners on, but scored just enough to win.
Yasiel Puig doubled to lead off, and after an intentional walk to Robert, Tim Anderson sacrificed both to second and third. Moncada was intentionally walked to load the bases and bring García to the plate.
Wild pitch offense saves the day!
Puig scored on the Andury Acevedo yuck chuck, putting the White Sox up, 6-5. It's a good thing, because Jose Iglesias made a fabulous play on a dribbler up the middle from García, getting the out at first while freezing the baserunners. After Jiménez was walked, Edwin Encarnación struck out.
Alex Colomé came on for his fifth save. In nine games, he hasn't allowed an earned run.
The White Sox are off on Monday before welcoming the Tampa Bay Rays to town starting Tuesday.
