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: White Sox def. Tigers 4-3
Record: 33-32, 3rd in A.L. Central (2.0 GB of Twins)
W: Dane Dunning (2-0)
L: Kyle Funkhouser (5-3)
Game summary: After Friday’s pitcher’s duel, it looked like we were in for an encore in this affair with a pair of Michaels on the mound, Fulmer and Kopech. The two pitchers were trading zeros and strikeouts through the first four frames; Kopech tallied six K's while Fulmer struck out seven after four.
In the fifth, Kopech was the first to run into trouble. After a one-out walk, Detroit ripped three straight singles, two knocking in runs and one knocking Kopech from the game. A run scored on Cameron Maybin’s sacrifice fly was also attributed to Kopech, and the Tigers ended the inning with a three-run lead.
The White Sox started their comeback in the sixth. With two outs, Yoan Moncada took Fulmer deep on a two-run homer to left field, his 15th of the season. In the seventh, Nick Madrigal drove in Luis Robert on an RBI single to re-tie the game.
The Sox completed their comeback in the ninth with some heroics from Jose Abreu. The veteran delivered a walk-off solo homer to left to secure the series victory with Sunday’s finale still remaining.
MLB
White Sox lineup:
Edwin Encarnacion: 0-3 (.320 BA)
Eloy Jimenez: 0-2, 2 BB, R (.259 BA)
Yoan Moncada: 1-3, HR (15), 2 RBI, R (.265 BA)
Yasmani Grandal: 0-3 (.316 BA)
Jose Abreu: 1-4, HR (19), RBI, R (.309 BA)
Tim Anderson: 0-3 (.288 BA)
Luis Robert: 1-3, 2B, R (.243 BA)
Nick Madrigal: 1-3, RBI (.261 BA)
Nomar Mazara: 0-3 (.251 BA)
Scoring summary:
Top fifth
Harold Castro singled to right field, Travis Demeritte scored. 1-0 DET.
Miguel Cabrera singled to right field, Victor Reyes scored. 2-0 DET.
Cameron Maybin flew out to right field, Castro scored. 3-0 DET.
Bottom sixth
Yoan Moncada homered to left field, Eloy Jimenez scored. 3-2 DET.
Bottom seventh
Nick Madrigal singled to left field, Luis Robert scored. 3-3.
Bottom ninth
Jose Abreu homered to left field. 4-3 CHW.
Notable performance: If you want to score some runs, then Yoan Moncada is currently your guy. With his two-run homer on Saturday, Moncada has six RBIs in the last four games.
Next game: Sunday, June 7 - Game 66: Tigers vs White Sox (Jordan Zimmerman, 3-2, 3.73 ERA vs Lucas Giolito, 3-7, 5.01 ERA)
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