Randal Grichuk Might Have Just Saved Season for White Sox
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White Sox fans who remember the 2005 World Series championship season are quick to point out Joe Crede's walk-off home run against Cleveland during a crucial late September series. While that didn't keep Cleveland from threatening the Sox's dwindling AL Central lead for another few days, it provided a huge psychological boost that ultimately allowed the Sox to clinch the division.
While there are still two weeks to go in 2026, Randal Grichuk might have just had the equivalent of that Crede moment. The Sox had been slumping badly, and those pesky Guardians were once again on their tail.
Even though the Guardians had lost earlier in the day, the Sox still weren't able to solve the St. Louis Cardinals and were looking at a 5-4 loss despite tinkering with the lineup and having Sean Newcomb open for the struggling Luis Castillo.
With the Sox down to their last strike and Brenton Doyle in scoring position, Grichuk launched a deep fly ball to right field that just barely cleared the wall. Bryan Hudson proceeded to throw a perfect bottom of the ninth inning, and the Sox had a stunning 6-5 victory, not to mention their divisional lead restored to 1.5 games.
Down to their last strike, Randal Grichuk delivers for the @WhiteSox 😤 pic.twitter.com/lw5TcF1nyZ
— MLB (@MLB) September 13, 2026
According to Baseball-Reference, Grichuk's two-run homer represented a 71% shift in win probability. When you have that kind of swing that late in the season, in the thick of a pennant race when victories haven't been so easy to come by, that can mean a heck of a lot moving forward.
The homer also illustrated just how important Grichuk has been since the Sox picked him up after the New York Yankees got rid of him. While not an everyday player, the 35-year-old has been very good in situational spots. Will Venable has not been afraid to swap him for Andrew Benintendi at designated hitter, and Grichuk is still capable of playing the outfield now and again.
When the Sox signed Grichuk in early May, they were below .500 and nowhere close to being considered a playoff team, let alone a divisional favorite. No, Grichuk alone did not make a difference in turning the team around. But he nonetheless has provided a crucial veteran presence on a young team filled with players who are playing the most baseball of their lives.
We don't yet know whether this truly was a turning point or simply a blip on an otherwise downward trajectory. For now, though, it's the latest memorable moment in a season that has had many of them. The only difference is this one might actually have saved the season for the Sox.
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After nearly eight years on newspaper night desks, Geoffrey began a lengthy tenure with Fighting Irish Wire to cover Notre Dame athletics for USA TODAY. He continues covering the Irish and other college football stories for The Voice of College Football. He also covers prep sports for the Daily Herald and Chicagoland Soccer, writes about Chicago sports for Da Windy City and helps run Chicago Bulls Confidential. He received a bachelor's degree from North Central College in 2011 and a master's degree from DePaul University in 2016. He hosts a World Series history podcast and hopes to visit every MLB stadium, so far having checked off 20 current ballparks and four demolished ones.
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