The White Sox are experiencing the joy and sorrow of playoff-like baseball, and it’s only Sept. 1 with 24 games left to play in the 2020 season.
After spotting the Twins a four-run lead and rallying for victory Monday, the White Sox jumped in front in the first inning Tuesday, only to drop a 3-2 decision at Target Field. Chicago fell to 22-14 overall and into a first-place tie atop the American League Central with the Indians, who crushed the Royals on Tuesday night, 10-1. Minnesota moved back within 1 1/2 games in a race that figures to go down to the last game of the season, if not beyond.
But a young team such as the White Sox seems to be responding to the pressure, even with Tuesday’s setback.
“We've done a great job,” said White Sox southpaw Dallas Keuchel, who finished with a no-decision in Tuesday’s start. “Outside of the first five, seven games, we've [risen] to the occasion numerous times.
“Honestly, I'm very surprised at how well we've handled the pressure, just being such a young team without a ton of success, in terms of the win column. But as much as I'm surprised about that aspect, I'm honestly not just because of how good our players are.”
Keuchel, in search of his fourth consecutive victory, did not allow an earned run over five innings and 85 pitches, while striking out four and walking two. The only run scored on him came in the fifth when José Abreu dropped Nick Madrigal’s throw to first on what would have been an inning-ending double-play grounder hit by Marwin Gonzalez with runners on first and third.
That effort became even more impressive when manager Rick Renteria and Keuchel revealed postgame that the hurler was dealing with stomach distress and Renteria was talking with him about how he felt from the third inning moving forward.
“Just didn't feel right,” Keuchel said. “Woke up not getting a lot of sleep. But I don't make a lot of excuses, and I tried to power through as much as I could. Five was all I had tonight. I feel bad for the rest of the bullpen, just because of the lack of innings that [Lucas] Giolito had last night, as well. You never want to put the bullpen in a position like that. It was a mutual decision to come out [after] the fifth, but I'm glad I got through five."
“He was going to still try to give us as much as he could, and he was gassed,” Renteria said. “He gave us what he could in that situation. He did everything he could to try to keep himself in there. He did the best he could, and he gave us a chance.”
Byron Buxton figured into the victory with his bat and his glove. The Twins’ center fielder stole a home run from Edwin Encarnación leading off the sixth, leaping over the left-center-field wall to bring back the drive. Buxton then hit a two-out single off of Evan Marshall in the seventh to score Nelson Cruz with the eventual game-winning run. Cruz opened the frame with an opposite-field double off of Jimmy Cordero, who also worked the sixth and allowed the game-tying run on Jake Cave’s triple followed by Luis Arraez’s double.
Abreu extended his hitting streak to 15 with a first-inning single and scored on Eloy Jiménez’s two-out, two-run double off of Michael Pineda, who made his 2020 debut. But the potent White Sox attack could not convert any other scoring chances, leaving them looking for a series victory and a continued hold at the division’s top Wednesday.
“So we're hanging in there, and that's all we can ask,” Keuchel said. “It's going to come down to the wire, and I think we're ready for it. It's going to build character for our team, and hopefully we see the talent shine through."
“The bullpen did a great job of minimizing damage and keeping us close and giving us a chance because we do have a club that can put points on the board at times,” Renteria said. “So, we had a chance. Just fell short.”