2020 OOTP sim: The win streak continues

Wild pitch offense generates the first three runs, and the bullpen holds on

BALTIMORE — #WILDPITCHOFFENSE rides, again.

Paced by not one, not two, but three runs brought in by Baltimore wild pitches, the White Sox broke out to a healthy lead on Tuesday, then held on through a harrowing ninth or a 6-5 win.

Leury García, who has settled into the leadoff spot, extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a first inning double, and was the first to score on a Orioles wild toss. García went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored in the game, and now sits with a 1.7 WAR, ties for second among hitters and third overall on the club.

Gio González took a 1-0 bounty into the bottom of the first but was rocked immediately by Baltimore, which parlayed a double and Renato Nuñez homer into a 2-1 lead.

But #wildpitchoffense would not abate, and Hunter Harvey continued to throw the ball all over the field with runners in scoring position. With Yasmani Grandal on third in the second inning, Harvey hit the Orioles' bird mascot with a pitch, sending Yaz home. Ditto Luis Robert, who'd doubled to put Grandal 90 feet away; a pitch three rows up in the stands brought La Pantera home and gave the White Sox a 3-2 lead.

While Harvey was piling up pitches, González was just getting by. He ended up with his fourth win of the season, but it was a mediocre effort that ended in a win because his opponents was last-place Baltimore: three earned in 5 ⅔ innings and a tepid 48 game score.

Thanks in part to a home run from Eloy Jiménez (his 11th) to lead off the third, the White Sox pretty well cruised all game — until the ninth. 

A rough outing from Aaron Bummer (two hits, a walk, two runs en pursuit of just one out) forced Alex Colomé in to bail him out, and after a run-scoring single that pulled the O's to within a run, the closer dug deep and whiffed big bats Nuñez and Trey Mancini. 

The White Sox look to extend their winning streak to six games on Wednesday, sending out Dylan Cease (2-2, 4.17 ERA) against Kyle Lloyd (1-5, 5.68 ERA). Ashley Sanders will be back with coverage for that one!