When you are playing a team like the Baltimore Orioles you have two options. You can play down to your competition or take care of business. The White Sox chose the latter. They defeated the Orioles 3-1 on Sunday afternoon capping off a four-game sweep series sweep. It was a total team effort on Sunday which makes the victory all the sweeter.
Lucas Giolito looked like an ace. He mowed down hitters all afternoon, peppering the Orioles with a barrage of changeups. He set a season-high in strikeouts, punching out 12 Orioles. He also set a season-high with 28 swinging strikes and a whiff rate of 51 percent. Changeups were responsible for 16 of those whiffs.
Giolito relied heavily on his changeup in the biggest moment of the game. In the sixth inning, he allowed a bunt single with one out and followed that up with a pair of walks. But Giolito bore down and struck out Anthony Santander on three straight changeups. He then threw four more to Maikel Franco and got him to pop out.
Giolito’s only blemish of the day came in the third when DJ Steward hit a solo home. In total, he went seven innings, allowing one run on three hits, with 12 strikeouts and three walks.
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Billy Hamilton got the White Sox offense going when he whacked a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the third. It was Hamilton’s second home run in as many days.
BILLY THE HOME RUN HITTER™! pic.twitter.com/0DKpnIIrbt
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 30, 2021
The game was tied at one apiece in the seventh inning when Tim Anderson decided to spark a rally. He singled to right field then stole second base. While on second base, he drew the attention of pitcher Dillion Tate, who threw an errant pickoff attempt to centerfield, allowing Anderson to advance to third.
Nick Madrigal did the rest. After going 0-6 in Saturday’s doubleheader, Madrigal recorded his second hit of the afternoon. He hit a fly ball to right field that landed in the corner for an RBI triple. It was Madrigal’s fourth triple of the season. As per tradition with Madrigal, the hit came with two strikes, living up to his nickname “Nicky Two Strikes.”
Nicky Two-Strikes ➡ Nicky Three-Bases pic.twitter.com/PnFpQrOikc
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 30, 2021
One pitch later Yoan Moncada laced a single to right field to give the White Sox a 3-1 lead. That was all the run support the bullpen would need. Garrett Crochet entered the game in the eighth inning and retired the side 1-2-3. He passed the baton to Liam Hendriks in the ninth. Hendriks was stellar once again. He induced two soft ground balls to end the game, giving him his 13th save of the season and third in two days.
Liam Hendriks converted his ninth straight save opportunity, fourth this homestand and 13th of the season. #ChangetheGame pic.twitter.com/lskv5xcDKq
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) May 30, 2021
Lucas Gioltio was credited with the win improving his record to 5-4. The win also gave the White Sox a 6-1 record on the homestand. After being swept by the Yankees before coming home the White Sox needed to bounce bag. Taking two of three from the first-place Cardinals, then taking four in a row against the Orioles qualifies as just that.
