In recent weeks, a lot has been made of the White Sox’s lack of energy. A Bob Nightengale report of unrest, cliques, and lack of player leadership inside the clubhouse mixed with subpar results on the field only amplified concerns.
Despite concerns Tony La Russa insisted that there was nothing wrong.
“There is nothing wrong with the guts on this team,” La Russa told reporters on Wednesday night, following the White sox 2-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians. “There is nothing wrong with the chemistry. It’s outstanding.”
A video of the locker room’s reaction to Tim Anderson’s All-Star announcement and reports that Ken Williams had to come into the locker room to give the players a pep talk said otherwise. Camera shots of the dugout were also cause for concern.
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In 2021, the White Sox thrived off on swagger and energy. In 2022 they looked lifeless and disconnected. From an outsider’s perspective, it is easy to see where those reports were coming from.
But as Steve Stone so eloquently put it during an interview on 670 The Score, “I’ve never seen great chemistry on a last-place team, and I’ve never seen poor chemistry on a first-place team. We are engaged in a game where winning trumps everything.”
That was certainly the case on Thursday night. In arguably their most important game of the season to date, the White Sox went up to Minnesota and steamrolled the first-place Twins 12-2 to extend their winning streak to three games.
Luis Robert hit a mammoth 452 blast that landed in the second deck for his first career grand slam. It was one of Robert’s three hits, including an RBI single and a double. Andrew Vaughn added a home run and a pair of RBIs, while Seby Zavala tacked on a three-run homer in the ninth inning off Twins infielder Nick Gordon for good measure.
Luis Robert's first career grand slam was a big hit.#ChangeTheGame x @DairyQueen pic.twitter.com/kFo8hAlzJk
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 15, 2022
Meanwhile, Johnny Cueto tossed six innings of one-run ball, throwing a season-high 118 pitches. Cueto has been a godsend for the White Sox this season. He has allowed only one run in 14 innings in his last two starts. Nine of his 11 starts this season have been quality.
But more importantly, the White Sox looked like they were having fun. In a season that has had a lot of “this could be the turning point” moments only to watch the White Sox go on a losing skid shortly after, this game felt different.
José Abreu is our favorite hype man. 😂 pic.twitter.com/9sImaIsvdm
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 15, 2022
Jose Abreu was sliding around in the dugout, Seby Zavala was mixing it up with Gilberto Celestino, and the overall vibe was jovial. The White Sox finally looked like the team they were projected to be before the season. It doesn’t change the fact that the White Sox are four games back of the division lead and a game under .500. But it’s a start.
“When you have success, you get more animated,” La Russa said after the 12-2 romp. “But nothing really has changed, except that we’ve got three games left now. Today, celebrate everything until midnight, and we’ve got the second game of the series. They’re in good shape. We need to accumulate wins.”
Whether the rumors of locker room issues are being exaggerated or not, a string of wins is just what the doctor ordered for this team.
