The White Sox got steamrolled, 11-2, by a team that entered the game worse than .500. The pitching was terrible, the bats were ice-cold, and the Rangers took advantage of the long ball on several occasions.
José Urquidy did not have a great start, tossing 39 pitches in his first frame. He walked the leadoff batter and the third batter, then hit Brandon Nimmo with a pitch to load the bases with only one out. Ezequiel Duran grounded into a force out at second, but sent Joc Pederson home. Evan Carter
doubled, putting the second run on the board. With two outs, Jake Burger picked up a walk, but a pop-up from Elias Díaz would finally stop the damage. Miguel Vargas singled with two outs, and Andrew Benintendi nearly tied the game and would have with just a bit more wind, but Nimmo jumped up to rob the good guys of any runs.
With two outs in the top of the second, Corey Seager singled and was safe at second after Colson Montgomery scooped up a single from Wyatt Langford. Drew Romo blew through the first challenge as Nimmo picked up a walk to load the bases, with Urquidy already passing the 50-pitch mark. Chase Meidroth slipped, unable to grab what should’ve been an easy out, and another run came in on an infield single from Duran. Pederson, after not getting his challenge call in on time on a strikeout, continued to throw a tantrum, leading to his ejection. Romo ended additional on-field drama by tagging home for the inning-ending force-out. Braden Montgomery singled for the Good Guys, and with two outs, Tristan Peters took a slider and made the Rangers pay, cutting the deficit to 3-2. That home run put him in double-digits and his 10th homer this season:
With one out in the top of the third, Elias Díaz was hit by a pitch, and Cody Freeman singled. Seager caused more damage with a two-run double, giving the Rangers a 5-2 lead with two outs. The frame ended with a pop fly, but also on 93 pitches for Urquidy. The the bottom half Munetaka Murakami singled and Miguel Vargas walked to put two on base early. Benintendi grounded into a fielder’s choice, and Braden Montgomery picked up a walk to load the bases. Of course, the next two batters struck out to strand all three runners.
Jake Burger started the fifth with a solo homer off Tyler Schweitzer to make it 6-2. Justin Foscue, who replaced Pederson, doubled, and Seager sent Foscue home on another double, making it 7-2 before Langford struck out to end the top half of the fifth. The White Sox went down in order.
Duran picked up a one-out walk and was caught stealing in the sixth. Carter walked right after, and Burger sent him home before being thrown out while trying to get to third on what should’ve stayed a double, making it 8-2.
Duran was back to double in the eighth, got to third on a wild pitch, and came home on a wild pitch/ball four to Burger, making it 9-2. The Rangers continued to pile it on in the ninth, as old friend Nicky Lopez singled and Langford homered, making it 11-2. To spare the already-taxed bullpen, Luisangel Acuña came in to pitch. He got Nimmo to hit a grounder for the final out, at least.
There was no answer to the 11 runs, and the White Sox lost in an embarrassing fashion.
MVP:
Tristan Peters: 1 HR, 1 RBI
Runner-Up:
Braden Montgomery: 1 H, 1 BB, 1 R
Cold Cat:
José Urquidy: 3 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 4 BB
Runners-Up:
Colson Montgomery: 0-for-4, 3 K
The entire bullpen: 6 IP, 6 ER, 4 K, 4 BB
Chase Meidroth: BB, 0 H, 2 K
