SAN FRANCISCO -- You’ve heard of the 12 Days of Christmas?
Well, we’re about to embark on the 24 Games of White Sox baseball.
I recently completed a run of covering 24 straight games, culminating with the thrilling Cubs series last weekend at Rate Field. I’m returning today in San Francisco after a break in Seattle, but before I do, here’s an overview of what this past stretch over overall excellence was like.
AT D-BACKS, April 21-23
Arizona's Merrill Kelly hasn’t had a perfect season on the mound, although he did throw a complete game recently, May 15 at Colorado. But the White Sox hit him harder than any other team, with Munetaka Murakami, Miguel Vargas and Colson Montgomery going back-to-back-to-back in the top of the second of Game 1. Sam Antonacci also picked up his first career homer, of the inside-the-park variety, which seems fitting for a high intensity player such as Antonacci.
The White Sox won the series on Andrew Benintendi’s ninth inning home run off Paul Sewald in the finale, after Sewald had walked two. Murakami’s home run streak of five straight game also ended on this afternoon. I became the proud owner of four two-liter bottles of Diet Pepsi, after ordering what I thought were four smaller bottles of the drink to my hotel room. The Door Dash driver must have thought I was having quite a party.
Overall record: 2-1
VS. NATIONALS, April 24-26
Murakami went deep in the series opener and Seranthony Domínguez struck out James Wood with the tying run on third in the ninth to end that same contest. It also happened to be Vargas Bobblehead giveaway night, honoring one of the staples of this lineup, of this team.
Overall record: 3-3
VS. ANGELS, April 27-29
People have asked me what we do during a rain delay. In Game 1 of this series, we had three hours to work on our expenses, work on future stories and meet up with friends who are now working at Rate Field in retirement.
Angels starter Jack Kochanowicz dominated when the game finally started, one of the best pitched games against the White Sox this season. But Zach Neto’s fielding error on Antonacci’s slow roller instantly gave the feeling something was changing to start the seventh. Murakami’s towering three-run homer off Drew Pomeranz completed the seven-run rally and started the three-game sweep.
Overall record: 6-3
AT SAN DIEGO, May 1-3
This series truly announced the White Sox move forward from their 6-13 start.
The White Sox were the dominant team for most of the weekend, with strong starts from Noah Schultz and Sean Burke, and home runs from Murakami and Montgomery. Derek Hill’s pinch-hit two-run homer in the seventh tied the finale, before Mason Miller’s ninth inning prevented the sweep.
San Diego is one of my favorite road cities, based on the ballpark and the Gaslamp area surrounding it. I also love staying in a hotel just a five-minute walk from work.
Overall record: 8-4
AT ANGELS, May 4-7
The drive from San Diego to Santa Ana was traffic-free, a magnificent view and aided by Sirius XM Radio. The White Sox won the opener behind Davis Martin and another long home run from Murakami, landing in unchartered territory in center. They lost the series, and I almost broke my ribs, tripping on the dugout steps pregame and falling into the bat rack. Just a bruise, but yes -- this is 60.
Overall record: 9-6
VS. MARINERS, May 8-10
Three games represent the longest losing streak the White Sox have had this season, matched by the series-opening loss at home to the Mariners. The White Sox rallied for two in the eighth to win the series on Sunday, with third base coach Justin Jirschele’s aggressive send of Drew Romo leading to Vargas’ sacrifice fly. Domínguez pitched out of a one-out, bases-loaded situation in the ninth, in a game the White Sox probably wouldn’t have won in the three previous seasons.
Overall record: 11-7
VS. ROYALS, May 12-14
This three-game sweep of the Royals put the White Sox at .500 and then one game over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2022 season. They also won two games by one run, which also were absent over the last three years, with Hill’s eighth inning homer off Matt Strahm in Game 1 setting the tone.
Overall record: 14-7
VS. CUBS, May 15-17
It was once appointment baseball when the Cubs played the White Sox in Interleague action: Ozzie Guillen, Lou Piniella, Dusty Baker, Carlos Lee’s grand slam, Chris Morel’s walk-off, the byplay among fans in the stands. Some of the intensity dissipated during rebuilds on both sides of town, but it returned with this series.
Three straight sellouts, three straight crowds of 38,000-plus and a playoff-like atmosphere. Murakami had a 30 at-bat homerless streak stop with two of the five homers hit off Jameson Taillon on Saturday, after the Cubs asserted control Friday. And Sunday’s finale moved to the top of the Cubs/White Sox history, punctuated by Edgar Quero’s walk-off homer in the 10th. Two good teams doing battle. They meet again at Wrigley Field on Aug. 17-19.
Overall record: 16-8