Just when it seemed like the White Sox were going to suffer their third-straight frustrating defeat at the hands of the New York Yankees, the baseball gods had other ideas. New York led 4-1 entering the bottom of the eighth inning after likely Cy Young winner Cam Schlittler spun his latest gem, but everything changed in two pitches. After a leadoff double by Chase Meidroth, leadoff hitter Sam Antonacci turned on a high fastball for a two-run homer, and Munetaka Murakami took the very next pitch the other way for a game-tying blast. What followed was nothing short of a gift.Â
After some excellent relief work kept both teams off the scoreboard in the 9th and 10th, the Yankees got a pinch-hit sacrifice fly by Anthony Volpe to plate one in the 11th. With Munetaka Murakami at third base and two outs in the bottom of the inning, the Yankees were just one out away from closing it out. Instead of dealing with Andrew Benintendi at the plate, Yankees catcher Ali Sanchez fired a pickoff attempt to third base, but threw it away into left field, allowing Murakami to score the tying run. The White Sox would go on to win the game in ten innings after Edgar Quero’s single plated the winning run. When asked after the game about the questionable decision to attempt a pickoff, both Aaron Boone and Ali Sanchez downplayed the incident.Â
Both Boone and Sanchez didn't have an issue with deciding to throw. It was just poor execution, both said, via @YESNetwork.
— Chris Kirschner (@ChrisKirschner) July 30, 2026
Sorry, but that doesn't make much sense. Just hold the ball.
That’s an….interesting take. In the same way that attempting to steal third base with two outs in the inning would be an ill-advised play, trying to throw the runner out on a pickoff seemed like not the priority with only one batter left to retire. The White Sox had been poorly executing with runners in scoring position all night and all the Yankees needed to do was make a good pitch to Benintendi. Instead, they lost the game and allowed the White Sox a chance for the split on Thursday.Â
White Sox will look to build on Wednesday's momentum moving forward
For the White Sox, Wednesday’s comeback win felt like a much-needed boost after a rough homestand to this point. With the Twins, Guardians, and Tigers all still in the mix for the division, it felt like the walls were starting to close around them. The Southsiders are in the midst of one of their toughest stretches of the entire season, and upcoming series against the Rays, Red Sox, and Guardians will certainly show no mercy.Â
If there are any positives from the recent rough stretch for the White Sox, it’s that the biggest needs for the White Sox have become abundantly clear. Davis Martin became the first non-Sean Burke starter to complete six innings in over a month, and the team is desperately in need of serviceable innings. The deadline is just four days away, and activity around the league is bound to pick up.Â
Despite the baseball season being 162 games long, it’s crazy how one comeback victory can give fans a much better feeling moving forward. It’s all thanks to a gift from the New York Yankees
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