CHICAGO – The song “Holding Out for a Hero” from the iconic movie “Footloose” was playing at Rate Field Friday as they were arranging for postgame fireworks.
That hero already arrived minutes earlier for the White Sox in the form of Miguel Vargas. And his two-out, walk-off home run, giving the White Sox a 4-3 victory over the Tigers in 10 innings, set off unofficial fireworks among the 30,019 in attendance that were greater than even the organization’s top-notch pyrotechnic display.
Once Vargas connected on a 0-1 pitch from Drew Anderson with Drew Romo on second, he turned and fired his bat in celebration toward the home dugout. He slammed his chest a few times for effect, before circling the bases for his first walk-off hit.
“First,” a jubilant Vargas said. “In my career, in my life.”
Home run No. 13 for Vargas completed a three-RBI night and turned a rare downer on the field into a playoff-like moment for these exciting young South Siders. Not only were they facing their final out against the Tigers (22-36), but they lost slugging first baseman Munetaka Murakami to right hamstring tightness after he beat out a one-out fielder’s choice grounder to second in the third inning.
Manager Will Venable expected Murakami to be out a couple of weeks, although he said the 26-year-old would get imaging on Saturday and that nothing was official. Derek Hill grounded out to third in Murakami’s spot in the 10th, leaving it up to Vargas to deliver.
“Since Mune wasn’t in the game, I have to step up and take that power hitting. No, I’m just kidding,” a smiling Vargas said. “I tried to drive in the runner and put the team in position to where we can win the game. I got lucky. I got the right pitch and put a good swing on it, and we got good results.”
“Nuts,” right-hander Erick Fedde, who allowed two runs over four bulk innings Friday, said of the finish. “The boys battled back in the ninth, and obviously the walk-off -- down to our last out -- just the way this team has been this year has been so much fun to be around. Proud of the guys."
Down by a 2-1 margin in the ninth, the White Sox tied the game on Andrew Benintendi’s single off Kyle Finnegan, his smart baserunning to get to third on Tristan Peters' single and his even smarter baserunning to come home after Finnegan paused and threw to first on Rikuu Nishida’s bunt. That example highlights the team-oriented, play-for-each-other-as-much-as-play-with-each-other approach exhibited by the White Sox.
Their 10th inning heroics showed off the potency of this lineup, even without Murakami and his 20 home runs.
Pitching to Vargas seemed to be an interesting choice, even in a righty-on-righty situation with Anderson, especially with first base open. But if the Tigers elected to work around arguably Chicago’s best overall player this year, then they had the power of Colson Montgomery waiting for them.
It’s a team that has maintained belief in being good, and that's now matched on the field. The White Sox have a chance to get better as the season progresses.
“I said that earlier in the season. Probably a lot of people don’t believe me,” Vargas said of the team being good. “I think the clubhouse did believe in that. We put that on the field every day. Now we are just full of a lot of confidence.”
“These guys make it fun,” Venable said. “The clubhouse environment is great. Just the attitude that these guys bring to the field every day makes us as coaches, and really everybody, excited to come to work every day, as well, and see what they're going to do.”
One shortcoming came from Vargas’ biggest career moment. He has choreographed a 'hang up the phone celebration' with third-base coach Justin Jirschele on home runs, but in this moment, he missed on the act as if Jirschele wasn’t there.
His omission is understandable. The White Sox had just moved to a season-high three games over .500 at 30-27 and sent an energetic crowd home in pure euphoria.
“We all feel the support. Today even being down all nine innings, they stay in the stadium,” Vargas said. “That means a lot for us. They want to win. They want to see us winning games,”
“Talking to the guys on the bench, I was like 'Man, this place is sneaky packed today if we utilize it,'” Fedde said. “You've got to credit the fans to wins like that. The place was loud, it was electric. It makes the guys play better, makes their team feel pressure. I love seeing it.”