2020 OOTP sim: White Sox run wild for 12-9 win in extras
ANAHEIM — In a back-and-forth affair that saw both exhausted teams use every reliever in their pens, the White Sox prevailed in 12 innings, 12-9.
[Note: Apparently, this game was so wild, OOTP did not save the box score, play-by-play or replay, so this recap is pieced together from in-game notes.]
The White Sox, who weren't helped by a poor start from Dylan Cease, rallied from three separate deficits, including a double-walk-single in the first inning to put the Halos up by one.
Chicago counterpunched with a big second inning. James McCann led off with a walk, and then two-out singles from Tim Anderson and Danny Mendick tied the game 1-1. After the first to two double-steals on the day, Nomar Mazara dribbled a grounder to third that Anthony Rendon threw into the stands for a two-base, two-run error. And on the first pitch to the next batter, Nick Madrigal made the error really sting, with a two-run blast to left field.
Was a 5-1 lead in this game safe? No, no it wasn't.
Mike Trout, who started meekly in this four game series but absolutely murdered the Pale Hose over the weekend, put a two-out, full-count pitch 465 feet away in the Angels' half of the second, making the score 5-4, White Sox.
Under the premise this could still be a low-scoring game, the White Sox earned another run in the third with some small ball: Mendick walked and stole second, moved to third on a Mazara ground out, then was suicide squeezed home by Madrigal, who beat out the bunt at first. (It didn't improve on the 6-4 lead, but Madrigal stole second, Luis Robert walked, Chicago executed a second double steal, but José Abreu whiffed and McCann lined out to right.
As if to prove the sometimes-foolhardy nature of small ball, Rendon later crushed a 472-foot, three-run home to left, giving the Angels a 7-6 lead.
But the White Sox just kept on chipping,
In the fourth inning — yes, we're still in the fourth — Leury García tripled with one out, and Anderson singled him in. After TA stole second base, one of his three steals on the day, Mazara doubled him home, and the White Sox were back up, 8-7.
In the sixth, Trout hit his second homer of the day, then Rendon did same, making it 9-8, Angels. It would be the final Angels lead of the day, however.
In the seventh, Anderson led off with a single and stole second. A Mazara ground out sent him to third, where he scored on a Madrigal base hit to tie, 9-9.
The White Sox would still have to survive two scares in the game. In the bottom of the eighth, Shohei Ohtani struck out against Aaron Bummer, but took first base on catcher's interference (Yasmani Grandal, subbing into the game for McCann, was wearing the wrong catcher's mitt!). Then Trout walked and Rendon singled, loading the bases.
Bummer bore down to whiff Jason Castro and Brian Goodwin, and Alex Colomé came in and induced a first-pitch pop out to end the frame.
Both the White Sox and Angels were down to their last pitchers by the 12th inning, when the South Siders finally mustered a winning rally. With one out, Kyle Keller walked the bases loaded. Zack Collins whiffed, but Yoán Moncada (who did not start, but pinch-ran for McCann in the seventh inning) came through with two run single to make it 11-9, Sox. After an Eloy Jiménez HBP, García walked in the game's final run.
In the bottom half, I took no notes, but Carson Fulmer found himself with the bases loaded, Tuesday's starter Matt Tomshaw warming, before getting pinch-hitter Tommy LaStrella to pop out to center field for the win.
NOTES: David Fletcher of the Angels went 0-for-6, snapping his 14-game hitting streak ... the White Sox were 8-of-9 nine in stolen bases (Tim Anderson three, Danny Mendick two, Nick Madrigal two, Luis Robert one) ... for the season, the team is 32-of-38 in steals (84%), and those 32 steals lead the majors ... the White Sox are off on Monday before traveling to Denver for a two-game set with the Rockies ... sorry, no game box or stats from today.