4.) June 16th vs Rays
Yasmani Grandal walk-off single in extra innings (8-7)
Yasmani Grandal was so clutch in 2021 for the Chicago White Sox lineup.
The mid-June series against the Rays was the biggest matchup of the season to that point. It was the clash of two heavy-weight Titans in the American League. Both teams were sitting atop of their division standings.
The Rays owned the best record in the American League and provided the White Sox, who owned the league’s second-best record, their first benchmark real test of the season. The series lived up to the hype. The White Sox dropped the first game of the series but took the second one setting up a rubber match on June 16th.
The White Sox jumped to a 4-0 lead thanks in part to a two-run homer from Jose Abreu. Kevin Keirmier cut the lead in half with an RBI double in the fifth to make it 4-2. The White Sox got one run back in the fifth inning courtesy of a Yandy Diaz throwing error on a Brian Goodwin sacrifice bunt.
That gave the White Sox a 91.7 percent chance of winning. Those odds only improved when Andrew Vaughn and Jake Lamb extended the lead to 7-2 with an RBI double and single. Someone forgot to tell the Rays.
They came charging back with a pair of homers from Yandy Diaz and Mike Zunino. With two outs in the eighth inning, Yandy Diaz tied the game with a double.
Danny Mendick lead off the ninth inning with a double but the White Sox couldn’t capitalize. With momentum on the Rays side, a 10th innings were needed to decide the contest. Ryan Burr navigated through the tenth and kept the score tied.
Jose Abreu grounded out but Andrew Vaughn, who was starting the inning at second advanced 90 feet from home. That set the stage for Yasmani Grandal. He did the rest sending a rocket off the right-field wall to give the White Sox the victory and the best record in the MLB. The game showed the White Sox could play with anyone despite being hampered with injuries and solidified them as a legit contender in the American League.