In the gamethread preview, we mentioned this should be a good opportunity for the Chicago White Sox to bust open on offense against the Los Angeles Angels’ Tyler Anderson (2-1, 5.47 ERA) — and the bats delivered. Looking like the team that used to feast on southpaws, the Sox bats kept Anderson on the ropes all game and pounced on the pitches he left up in the zone.
Most of the offensive output came in the fourth inning, thanks in large part to the bases-clearing double smashed by Andrew Vaughn, who extended his team lead with 39 RBIs.
Romy González also continued his hot hitting, going 2-for-4 with a homer off of a cutter that didn’t cut; that marks three straight games with homers for Romy. Jake Burger and Luis Robert Jr. were also significant contributors, as both went 3-for-4 and Robert lacing a pair of doubles.
Meanwhile, Lucas Giolito (4-4, 4.08 ERA) didn’t start well, giving up a shot in to his first batter, Taylor Ward. Gio managed to navigate a bend-but-don’t-break effort, going five innings with two walks and five strikeouts, yielding three runs. The righty avoided significant mistakes, with the only other home run hit by the always-dangerous Shohei Ohtani. Ohtani’s 435-foot moon shot was the longest home run hit at Sox Park this year, and the gasps from the crowd were audible as soon as the bat made contact.
The Sox bullpen continued their excellent work, with two solid innings from Reynaldo López and an impressive outing from Aaron Bummer, who made it through the heart of the Angels lineup and ended with him striking out Ohtani with a sweeper. Kendall Graveman was the only bullpen arm to make life challenging, as he allowed two runners on before closing out the game.
The Pale Hose will try for a series win tomorrow at 1:10 p.m. Central as Lance Lynn (4-5, 5.83 ERA) pitches against Jaime Barría (1-2, 1.55 ERA).