The White Sox lost their 101st game of the season, and to add insult to injury, were swept by the Yankees. The game was sloppy from start to finish, making my final recap of the season even more frustrating.
With two quick outs, Colson Montgomery kept the inning going, as well as his career-high seven-game hit streak, with a single that skipped right by Anthony Volpe. Unfortunately, Carlos Rodón got Edgar Quero to strike out swinging and end the frame. The Yankees threatened first with a single, then a double, and a four-pitch walk. Ben Rice grounded out, but a run came in to give the Evil Empire an early 1-0 lead. Davis Martin was able to limit the damage after a huge strikeout and Jazz Chisholm Jr. grounded out to strand two runners.
Miguel Vargas singled to start the second, and Kyle Teel was plunked to put two runners on. Michael A. Taylor’s sac bunt moved the runners, allowing Corey Julks to send Vargas home on a sac fly, tying the game. The new guy, Derek Hill, gave Rodón his first 200-strikeout season:
Austin Wells and Ryan McMahon flanked an out with singles, and Aaron Judge was intentionally walked to load the bases with two outs. Martin escaped the jam thanks to Cody Bellinger grounding out.
Both teams were retired in order in the third inning, but more importantly Martin had back-to-back strikeouts. Vargas picked up a one-out walk in the fourth, and with two outs, Taylor gave the Good Guys the lead with a two-run homer to right field:
With one out and back-to-back singles in the fifth, Tyler Gilbert replaced Martin. After a battle, he walked Rice to load the bases. Giancarlo Stanton, who struck out twice facing Martin, hit a double that sent three runners home, putting the Yankees up for good, 4-3. In the sixth Gilbert started fine, striking out Volpe, but hit McMahon. A sliding catch from Hill helped keep a run off the board after a wild pitch, and Judge was once again intentionally walked. Bellinger picked up a walk to load the bases, prompting a conversation on the mound. A catch by Julks ended the threat.
The White Sox were retired in order in the top of the seventh. Mike Vasil came in to pitch and walked Stanton. Jasson Domínguez stepped in to pinch-run for him. Wells doubled, sending the Domínguez home to make it 5-3. With two outs, Vasil gave up another walk. But a strikeout came in a big moment to end the inning and strand two runners, and more importantly, avoid Judge.
The White Sox picked up a walk and a single in the eighth, but it would not be enough to manufacture any runs. The bottom of the eighth and top of the ninth would have one commonality: Batters were retired in order. Unfortunately, that also meant the White Sox were swept in New York.
The White Sox currently own the sixth-worst record in franchise history, and with losses in two of the. next three will finish with the third-most losses in club annals. And just one more loss ensures the 2023-25 White Sox the 11th worst-three season (486-game) run in major league history.
