The 2022 Chicago White Sox have been nothing short of interesting. Fans have been clamoring to see them play better as they have been an inconsistent team that continues to make poor decisions.
They have no offense to speak of and their pitching has been mostly good but faltered at times. This was not the White Sox team we had hoped to see in 2022.
However, today the White Sox went above and beyond. They fought, scratched, and clawed their way to earn themselves a victory over the Chicago Cubs. The game went 12 innings and the Sox made a few mistakes but ended up coming back several times to win the game 5 to 4.
The Cubs carried a 1-0 lead into the bottom of the ninth when the White Sox were having their last gasp. The Sox were able to tie it up at one when A.J. Pollock scored thanks to a wild pitch by Cubs pitching.
The Chicago White Sox managed to win this Sunday game in extra innings.
The game then went into the 10th and saw the Cubs score two runs to make it 3 to 1. It looked as if the Sox would come out of this one with a loss because getting two runs seems like a lot for a team that isn’t able to generate that much offense.
But thanks to a sacrifice fly by Andrew Vaughn, which allowed second baseman Josh Harrison to score, the Sox were able to draw within one. First baseman Jose Abreu was able to hit a single into left field which allowed shortstop Danny Medick to score from second thus tying the game at 3 apiece. The game would then move on to the 11th inning.
The Cubs were able to go up by one to make it 4 to 3 when Alfonso Rivas’ sacrifice fly allowed a run across the plate. The White Sox didn’t have any quit in them on this day, however. In the bottom of the 11th, they scored when outfielder Adam Engel put a ball right into left field which allowed Pollock to score. The game would be tied again at that point.
In the bottom of the 11th, on a play that many question, utility player Leury Garcia was called out on an interference call when he “blocked” the Cub’s first baseman who missed catching the ball. It appeared as if Engel had scored and won the game for the Sox but he was told to return to second base.
The White Sox managed to hold the Cubs to a scoreless top of the 12th inning and had a chance to get a winning run in the bottom of the frame. They had a little help from catcher Yasmani Grandal who caught a foul ball behind the plate after twisting and turning to find it in the air. That play was one of the highlights of the game.
The Cubs decided to bring their infield and some of the outfield in to protect against a short hit to the infield area and prevent the runner from scoring.
But third baseman Jake Burger would not follow the script as he belted a ball into left field which allowed Medick to score in a walk-off fashion. The White Sox beat the Cubs 5 to 4.
Jake Burger calls game. #ChangeTheGame | @NBCSChicago pic.twitter.com/AP8xLi5b8u
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 29, 2022
It was a story of trying hard, overcoming mistakes, and taking advantage of the Cubs’ miscues to win the game. The White Sox are nowhere near what they should be but there isn’t any quit in this team. They wanted to win and they did.
Let’s hope that they have that same fighting spirit and don’t quit attitude for the remainder of the season. If they do, they will win a lot of close games.