Edgar Quero delivered a walk-off single in the 12th inning as the White Sox erased multiple deficits to prevail in a pivotal game against the New York Yankees.
The Chicago White Sox needed a win on Wednesday night. Perhaps not in a literal sense. Win or lose, the White Sox would be waking up on Thursday in first place in the AL Central. But if there was ever a game that felt like a must-win from a momentum standpoint, Wednesday night's battle with the New York Yankees was it.
The White Sox had lost four of their last five games. Many of their top players have been struggling since the All-Star break. And, quite frankly, the AL Central standings are getting a bit crowded.
Entering play on Wednesday, the White Sox had a 1.5 game lead over the Cleveland Guardians, but the Minnesota Twins had closed the gap to 2.0 games. The Detroit Tigers were just 5.0 games back. We know the White Sox need help at the MLB trade deadline, and we have every reason to believe they'll be on the hunt for additions. But in the meantime, salvaging a win against the Yankees and maintaining their place atop the division was essential.
It wouldn't come easy. The White Sox had a matchup with Yankees right-handed pitcher Cam Schlittler, the current odds-on favorite to win the AL Cy Young Award. The 25-year-old entered play on Wednesday with a 10-6 record and an AL-best 2.07 ERA.
Out of the gate, it seemed like the White Sox were in for another long night. A three-run home run from Spencer Jones in the top of the first inning had the Yankees jumping all over White Sox starter Davis Martin. Meanwhile, Schlittler was as advertised, coasting through his first six innings and recording eight strikeouts without allowing a run.
You could hear a pin drop at Rate Field.
Chicago was able to put up a run against Schlittler in the bottom of the seventh inning thanks to an RBI double from Andrew Benintendi. The White Sox then had two runners in scoring position with one out but failed to add on. That felt like a missed opportunity that would cost them the ballgame.
Fortunately, the power bats came alive in the bottom of the eighth. Sam Antonacci drilled a two-run home run off Yankees reliever Paul Blackburn. On the very next pitch, less than two minutes later, Munetaka Murakami delivered the game-tying blast.
Even then, the White Sox had more work to do. In the bottom of the 10th inning, a wild pitch put the winning run on third base with nobody out. Just a fly ball would win the game for the White Sox. Edgar Quero and Randal Grichuk both failed to get the job done, and Murakami struck out to end the inning.
The Yankees then scored in the top of the 11th, and the White Sox once again appeared destined to waste another opportunity because of poor situational hitting.
Yankees catcher Ali Sánchez generously kept the White Sox in the ballgame when he threw the ball into left field, allowing Murakami to score the tying run with two outs.
Jordan Hicks then danced his way out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the 12th, pumping 102 mph fastballs. Of Hicks' 30 pitches on the evening, 26 were clocked at 100 mph or faster.
All Edgar Quero had to do in the bottom half of the inning was put the ball in play. He blooped a single into center field to give the White Sox a walk-off win.
Once again, Chicago snatched victory out of the jaws of defeat. The White Sox also snapped a streak in the process. It had been over a month since they won in comeback fashion. The Sox had lost 11 straight games when trailing after the fifth inning. But when they needed it more than ever, this team came through.
Chicago now has an opportunity to escape the series with a split, with Sean Burke on the mound Thursday afternoon.
It's true that it's a marathon and not a sprint. Chicago would not have been completely "doomed" based on the outcome of one game on July 29. Not by any means. But every game counts the same when you look back on all 162 at the end of the regular season. In what figures to be a very tight AL Central race, one that could come down to the wire, every White Sox win matters.
Chicago seemed to be on life support in the seventh inning on Wednesday night. But now the White Sox have a healthy heartbeat and a whole lot of hope. And there should be plenty of help on the way.
