NBC Sports Chicago is simulating the 2020 White Sox season via MLB The Show during the postponement of play. The White Sox, stocked with young talent and veteran offseason acquisitions, were expected to take a big step forward in their rebuild this season. Follow along as we play out the first few months of the season.
Result: Astros def. White Sox 7-4
Record: 37-34, T-2nd in A.L. Central (2.5 GB of Twins)
W: Brad Peacock (1-2)
L: Dane Dunning (2-1)
SV: Roberto Osuna (19)
Game summary: After taking the opener vs. the Astros, one of the top teams in the league, the White Sox were looking to steal a series victory in Houston. Yasmani Grandal gave them a nice start right off the jump, hitting a two-run homer in the top of the first to give the White Sox an early lead.
Lucas Giolito was dealing out of the gate; five of the first six outs he collected were via the strikeout. The Astros broke through against the Sox ace in the third inning when Jose Altuve hit a solo shot to left, his 14th of the campaign. Yuli Gurriel tied the game in the fourth, lacing an RBI single down the left field line.
The South Siders got back on the board in the sixth. Nick Madrigal’s line drive fell in left field and Tim Anderson raced home from second to give the Sox a 3-2 lead. The Astros answered the call in the bottom half, this time on a solo homer from George Springer. That was the end of the line for Giolito, who went 5 1/3 innings, giving up three earned runs and striking out eight.
A familiar late-inning script reared its ugly head. Dane Dunning and Gio Gonzalez combined to give up four runs in the bottom of the seventh, adding another loss to a long list of poor outings from the White Sox bullpen. Chicago will have to wait until Sunday to see if they can swipe a series win in Houston.
MLB
White Sox lineup:
Edwin Encarnacion: 2-4, 2B, 2 R (.322 BA)
Eloy Jimenez: 1-5 (.254 BA)
Yoan Moncada: 1-4 (.275 BA)
Yasmani Grandal: 1-5, HR (26), 2 RBI, R (.310 BA)
Jose Abreu: 1-4 (.304 BA)
Tim Anderson: 1-3, 2B, R (.286 BA)
Luis Robert: 0-2, 2 BB (.240 BA)
Nick Madrigal: 1-4, RBI (.265 BA)
Nomar Mazara: 1-4 (.263 BA)
Scoring summary:
Top first
Yasmani Grandal homered to center field, Edwin Encarnacion scored. 2-0 CHW.
Bottom third
Jose Altuve homered to left field. 2-1 CHW.
Bottom fourth
Yuli Gurriel singled to left field, Alex Bregman scored. 2-2.
Top sixth
Nick Madrigal singled to left field, Tim Anderson scored. 3-2 CHW.
Bottom sixth
George Springer homered to left field. 3-3.
Top seventh
Grandal grounded into 6-4-3 double play, Encarnacion scored. 4-3 CHW.
Bottom seventh
Myles Straw singled to center field, Kyle Tucker scored. 4-4.
Yordan Alvarez doubled to center field, Straw scored. 5-4 HOU.
Bregman homered to left field, Alvarez scored. 7-4 HOU.
Notable performance: It’s time to start putting Grandal in the MVP discussion. With his two-run homer on Saturday, he now is tied for the league-lead in homers (26) and RBIs (67) and is second in the AL in WAR (5.2).
Next game: Sunday, June 14 - Game 72: White Sox vs Astros (Dallas Keuchel, 3-5, 6.58 ERA vs Justin Verlander, 7-3, 3.95 ERA)
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