The story of tonight’s game could be found at the plate, as pinch-hitter Jake Burger stepped up and stroked a two-run homer to give the Sox a 3-2 lead in the 8th inning. The one-run lead was all the South Siders would need as Liam Hendriks closed the door on their four-game losing skid, helping the team improve to 24-27 after the win.
The struggling offense still had difficulty throughout the game, as the bats were held at bay for the majority of the contest. In the big eighth inning, Engel started things off with a pinch-hit, bloop double. Danny Mendick followed this with an RBI single to score Engel for the team’s first run. That’s when Burger came in for Reese McGuire and the rest is history.
Dylan Cease made his first start since being placed on the restricted list and went 4.2 innings, allowing just one hit, two runs (none of which were earned), a season-high seven walks, and five strikeouts. The bullpen trio of Aaron Bummer, Kyle Crick, and Kendall Graveman combined to throw 3.1 scoreless innings of relief, with five combined strikeouts. In the ninth, Liam Hendriks retired the side in order with a pair of strikeouts for the team’s first win since Sunday.
W: Kyle Crick (2-0) | L: Jalen Beeks (1-1) | S: Liam Hendriks (15)
StatCast Breakdown
Box Score
White Sox Scoring Recap
- Top 8th: Danny Mendick singles scoring Adam Engel. 2-1 Rays
- Top 8th: Jake Burger homers to CF scoring Danny Mendick. 3-2 Sox
Notable Performers
Jake Burger: 1-for-1, HR, 2 RBI
Burger saved the day with his pinch-hit, game-winning home run in the eighth.
Dylan Cease: 4.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 7 BB, 5 K’s
Cease battled threw command issues and occasional questionable calls behind the plate to keep the White Sox in this game. He now ranks third in the league with 81 strikeouts.
Next Matchup
The Sox will look to win the series tomorrow with Lucas Giolito going to the hill against a starter to be named tomorrow. The Rays do not have a starter listed for the game tomorrow so stay tuned. Game starts at 12:10 over on NBC Sports Chicago.
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Featured Photo: AP Photo/Chris O’Meara
