After a tough loss in extras Tuesday evening, the White Sox put on a hitting clinic against the Twins, ending in a 15-2 blowout
. David Sandlin pitched a gem through six innings, breaking franchise records, and both the small and long ball were prevalent tonight. There was even a grand slam!Believe it or not, things started out a bit dicey, when Sandlin tossed a low fastball to Byron Buxton for his second pitch of the game and it left the park. However, that would end up as the only hit the rookie
would surrender on the night.
Back-to-back singles at the bottom of the second would be fruitful for the Good Guys. A successful sac bunt advanced Colson Montgomery and Edgar Quero, and Sam Antonacci knocked both runners in to take a 2-1 lead. The White Sox would not look back from there.
While the White Sox continued to nibble their way to a bigger lead (including a Montgomery RBI double in the third), Sandlin cruised through the Twins. The righty was not only dominant, but efficient. With help from Quero and ABS in the fourth, Sandlin closed out Minnesota on just nine pitches in the fourth. One inning later, he stood at just 51 pitches and became the first White Sox hurler to retire 15 in a row in his debut since 1920.
The White Sox side of the fifth proved to be a whopper of a crooked number.
Munetaka Murakami picked up a walk to lead off the bottom of the fifth, and Miguel Vargas followed with a single, giving Connor Prielipp a tough time. Randal Grichuk singled, and without a throw to the plate, Murakami was waved home to make it 4-1. Prielipp faced Montgomery again before getting pulled after 93 pitches in just under five innings. Eric Orze inherited runners in the corners with one out. A sac fly would send Vargas home, and Tristan Peters, who stepped in to pinch-hit for Derek Hill, singled. Antonacci singled, allowing Grichuk to score, and on a throwing error, Peters was waved home, too. But not to be outdone, and perhaps in response to all the shit-talking White Sox fans have done about him, Luisangel Acuña also knocked in a run with an RBI single. Still no home runs, but the Good Guys finished off the fifth inning up, 8-1.
Sandlin would finish his night by serving the previous pain in his side, Buxton, a fly out, before letting out a hearty yell. Well deserved, kid. He retired 18 in a row (most-ever in a White Sox debut), only giving up one run on one hit, with four strikeouts and no walks. Sandlin was greeted with a standing ovation from a grateful fan base. Leading off the bottom half of the sixth, Murakami singled and stole second, standing up, his first career SB. With one out, Grichuk’s single produced another run before Montgomery hit into a double play.
While the Twins continued to flounder with just one hit, Chicago responded with another onslaught after the seventh-inning stretch. Quero started with a single, Peters picked up a walk, and Antonacci singled to load the bases. Enter Chase Meidroth with a GRAND SLAM.
Yes, Chase Meidroth hit a grand slam.
But it was far from over, because Mune hit a home run right after that, his 20th, putting the South Side Hit Men up, 14-1:
Munetaka became the third White Sox hitter in history (along with Frank Thomas and Jim Thome) to homer at least 20 times before June.
Brandon Eisert gave up a solo run in the top of the eighth and a double to Luke Keaschall, but escaped the inning. At that point the Twinkies gave up, putting a position player on the mound. Orlando Arcia stepped in and walked Quero, gave up a single to Peters, and walked Antonacci. Acuña grounded into a double play, but still sent Quero home to make it 15-2 before Meidroth ended the frame with a grounder.
Trevor Richards stepped in to close out the game and retired the Twins in order. Cue the fireworks, friends!
