White Sox Win Without Even Playing a Game

The Chicago White Sox had a much-needed off day on Monday. With 19 games remaining in the regular season and a stretch of 13 consecutive games without another break upcoming, it was an opportunity for Chicago to rest and reset for the home stretch.

But even without playing, the White Sox managed to win on Monday as scores from around Major League Baseball provided a significant boost to Chicago’s playoff outlook.

In Baltimore, the Orioles came away with a 6-4 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. Third baseman Coby Mayo recorded the first multi-home run game of his MLB career, helping build a commanding 6-1 lead. Cleveland once again attempted to rally late, creating traffic on the bases and cutting into the deficit with a three-run home run from Nathaniel Lowe.

Despite another valiant comeback effort from the Guardians, Baltimore held on for the win and helped the White Sox gain ground in the AL Central. With the Guardians’ loss, Chicago’s lead in the division is now up to three games.

The AL Central could ultimately be decided by only one or two games, so every bit of breathing room is significant for the White Sox. That’s especially true considering Chicago failed to take advantage of several opportunities to gain ground on Cleveland over the past week.

It’s also worth noting that a three-game lead may require the Guardians to outpace the White Sox by four games over the remainder of the season.

The White Sox are one win away from securing the tiebreaker over Cleveland through the head-to-head season series. Chicago will play three games against the Guardians in Cleveland next week, and as long as the White Sox avoid being swept, they’ll secure that tiebreaker.

That puts the White Sox in an increasingly favorable position with 19 games remaining. If they go 10-9 during that stretch and find a way to take care of business, they’ll finish with 85 wins. Cleveland would then need to close the season 13-4 to finish 86-76 and pass Chicago outright.

Things are by no means over. In a matter of days, the division could look like a complete toss-up once again. But for a White Sox team that has occupied first place since July 4, every game of separation is essential to closing the deal.

On Monday, the White Sox managed to win without even taking the field. They can thank the Orioles for taking down Cleveland, with Coby Mayo recording the first multi-homer game of his MLB career. 

The Toronto Blue Jays also lost to the Athletics, which provides extra cushion in the wild card should the White Sox not secure the division crown.