Chicago White Sox: Facing elimination heading back home

The Chicago White Sox had no chance in the first game of the postseason. It was just a bad performance all around from hitters and pitchers alike. Lance McCullers Jr. dominated the starting lineup and Lance Lynn couldn’t get anybody out after the first inning. It was a bad game but not a very surprising one when you think deeply about it.

The White Sox knew that winning game two and coming home with a 1-1 series tie would be key to winning the series. However, they were not able to get it done. They lost the game 9-4 after having a 4-2 lead earlier in the game. It was a tough way to lose but the Astros were just too much for them at home.

Lucas Giolito pitched okay but walks made it hard for the White Sox to win. The bullpen didn’t back him up so you could say that the pitching was just a disaster all around. The offense was much better in this one but it wasn’t enough to outscore that pesky Astros batting order.

Now, the White Sox come how facing elimination. It is going to be a blackout game at Guaranteed Rate Field which is going to be fun but the team is officially in must-win mode. If they lose another game to the Astros in this series, the 2021 season will be officially over.

The Chicago White Sox are coming home facing elimination from the postseason.

We don’t know who the starting pitcher is going to be used for game three for sure. It will likely either be Dylan Cease or Carlos Rodon. Either of them would need to have the game of their life in order to defeat this Houston lineup but it is certainly possible. With the way each of them has pitched this season, there is plenty of hope that it could happen.

The White Sox did tap into Craig Kimbrel and Liam Hendriks in this game but it wasn’t in the way we want to see them. Michael Kopech was not used at all so he is still yet to pitch in this series. You should expect to see him in the next game.

After the way that things have gone this series, it will be interesting to see what Tony La Russa does with the lineup in game three. They might just be smart to keep it the way that this has worked all season long. Things will be different at home, but this is going to be a tough hole to climb out of.