Chicago White Sox: Ranking all of the walk-off wins in 2021

3.) May 16th vs Royals 

Abreu’s mad dash home, White Sox score two in the ninth inning to complete comeback win (4-3)

Jose Abreu’s walk-off slide was one of his many big Chicago White Sox moments this year.

The White Sox May 16th victory over the Royals was a lesson in perseverance and a perfect example of why Jose Abreu is the heart and soul of the team. It also provided fans with the most suspenseful walk-offs of the season.

Two days prior, Abreu had a violent collision with Hunter Dozier near home plate while chasing Dozier’s popup and had to leave the game. He suffered a facial contusion and laceration, as well as a bruised left knee. Abreu surprised everyone by returning to the lineup the next day. He homered in a 5-1 loss and returned to first base in the series finale.

The Royals broke the seal on the scoring with a Salvador Perez sac-fly in the first inning. Adam Eaton helped the White Sox snatch the lead with a two-run homer in the fifth inning. The Royals grabbed the lead back in the seventh inning with a Whit Merrifield RBI single to tie the game and a Carlos Santana sac-fly to make it 3-2.

The White Sox looked to tie it in the eighth inning. They threatened by loading the bases for Nick Madrigal. But Greg Holland wiggled out of the jam by getting Madrigal to ground out softly to end the inning. The air from the stadium seemed to deflate as it looked like the White Sox had blown their best opportunity to tie the game. The White Sox win probability dropped to just 15.8%.

Matt Foster was able to throw a 1-2-3 inning to give the White Sox a final crack at it in the bottom of the ninth. Tim Anderson led off the inning with a ground-rule double off of Royals closer Wade Davis. Adam Eaton laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to advance Anderson to third.

Yoan Moncada singled on the next pitch to tie the game at three. Wade Davis then struck the already battered Jose Abreu with a pitch that advanced Moncada into scoring position. Then Yermin Mercedes slapped a base hit to right field but Yoan Moncada blew through the third-base coach, Joe McEwings, stop sign, and was nailed at the plate by Whit Merrifield.

This looked to be a costly out that would send the game into extra innings. With two outs and the go-ahead run 90 feet from home, Wade Davis was desperately trying to extend the game into extra innings. He had a great opportunity to do so with the .132 hitting Yasmani Grandal at the plate.

On a 1-1 count, Davis spiked an 83 mph knuckle curve into the dirt that got away from catcher Cam Gallagher. Jose Abreu came barreling home despite nursing a bad knee. Gallagher dove after him in an attempt to tag Abreu as he slid in.

He was called safe but after the replay review, the call was not so cut and dry. The White Sox rushed the field to celebrate but had to wait anxiously in the dugout as umpires reviewed the call. The play was very close and it appeared that Gallagher may have gotten a piece of Abreu before his hand touched the plate.

But the MLB deemed there was not enough conclusive evidence to overturn the call. As a result, the White Sox claimed the 4-3 victory and Abreu danced with glee in the dugout.