The sound of 40,288 people chanting “Sox in five” echoed throughout Guaranteed Rate Field as Liam Hendriks put the finishing touches on a wild 12-6 victory over the Astros on Sunday night.
“This place was rocking tonight,” Yasmani Grandal said after the game. “I haven’t seen it– these fans are incredible, so the fact that everybody was here, it was great. All blacked out. It was awesome.”
The White Sox erased an early four-run deficit to stave off elimination and force another game Monday. Heading into Sunday’s game the White Sox offense had only managed 18 hits. All of them were singles.
However, with their backs against the wall, the offense erupted for 16 hits in Game 3. Every starter in the White Sox lineup had at least one hit. They got off to a fast start in the first inning behind a raucous home crowd. Tim Anderson scored on an Eloy Jimenez RBI single to draw first blood.
But Dylan Cease found a way to kill the momentum by getting knocked out of the game in the second inning after allowing three runs. Micheal Kopech added to Sox fans’ agony by allowing a two-run homer to Kyle Tucker an inning later. Things looked bleak as the scoreboard flashed 5-1 Astros.
It looked like the White Sox would season was over until Yasmani Grandal picked the perfect time to launch the White Sox first extra-base hit of the series. With one out in the third, he tagged on an opposite-field home run to left field to cut the Astros lead to two.
PUT IT ON THE BOARD! pic.twitter.com/lAqxs9AN2U
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) October 11, 2021
Yoan Moncada and Gavin Sheets kept the line moving with two outs to give the longest-tenured White Sox player a chance to do damage. Leury Garcia hit the biggest home run of his life. Literally! His first postseason home run was also the longest of his career and it gave the White Sox a 6-5 lead.
LEURY LEGEND! pic.twitter.com/6NngjpYjlP
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) October 11, 2021
That opened the flood gates. In the fourth inning, the White Sox batted around the order with five hits and three more runs. Tim Anderson led off with a single then Luis Robert and Jose Abreu joined the party with singles of their own. Then Yasmani Grandal hit a ground ball to the Yuri Gurriel. As Robert was dashing home Grandal veering slightly into the infield grass obstructing Gurriels angle to the plate. His throw glanced off Grandal’s arm allowing Robert to score on a fielders choice.
Then Eloy Jimenez hit a little nubber down the third-base line but beat out Alex Bregman’s throw for an infield single. That gave the White Sox a 9-6 lead.
The White Sox bullpen was rock solid after that. They retired 16 straight hitters with Aaron Bummer fanning four of the five batters he saw. Ryan Tepra was also lights out, striking out three in two innings of work.
“It’s a good feeling, It’s fun,” Tepera said following his second scoreless playoff appearance this season. “We’re competitors, and we go out and try to compete. That’s the top of the league right there.”
Andrew Vaughn came into pinch-hit in the eighth inning and extended the lead with an RBI double. Leury Garcia followed suit with an RBI double to left then Tim Anderson pushed him across with an RBI single.
Insurance runs: ✅ pic.twitter.com/5mSIlCXhBs
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) October 11, 2021
The comeback didn’t surprise manager Tony La Russa one bit.
“The guys were, ‘Hey, we got a lot of game. A lot of game. We’re going to play nine,'” La Russa said. “They’re going to play nine. That’s the way they are. It’s really a tough-minded bunch, and sometimes you get rewarded with a comeback like that, but it’s just the way it’s been.
The victory sets up the White Sox with another must-win game on Monday night. Carlos Rodon will take the ball for the White Sox against José Urquidy.
