Tim Elko hits a clutch three-run home run to help the South Siders secure the series
What a game, and what a day, as the vibes are high on the South Side after a 4-2 Mother’s Day win against the Miami Marlins. This win also helped the team secure yet another series at home and their 12th win of the season.
Between Nancy Faust being back at the ballpark and the rook Tim Elko delivering his first MLB hit in clutch fashion, this was a solid game all around.
The broadcast made sure to introduce Faust, and give her an interview.
Early on it seemed that this game would be a pitchers’ duel between starters Sean Burke and Sandy Alcantara. The South Siders started off the scoring in the bottom of the third inning as a Michael A. Taylor single and Josh Rojas walk led the way for Andrew Vaughn to smash a single to left. Seems like all Vaughn needed was some playing-time pressure to start picking it up.
The Marlins quickly answered in the top of the fourth inning, as back-to-back singles by Connor Norby and Matt Mervis put runners on with no outs. Burke got the next two hitters, but allowed a seeing-eye single to Xavier Edwards to sneak up the middle and tie it up at 1-1.
Luckily, Matt Thaiss had a good play at third to end the inning on a pick-off at third base. He caught three runners total on the day.
From there, both teams went back and forth but came up with nothing. Burke would go four innings with four hits, one run, five walks, and two strikeouts. His high pitch count due to walks would force the team to turn to the bullpen the rest of the way out.
The wildest action we saw with the game tied was in the bottom of the fifth inning, as hitting coach Marcus Thames and manager Will Venable argued a terrible strike call/zone, and were both ejected. This was be Venable’s first as a manager, and maybe that was just the spark the team needed for a rally.
The Marlins kept Alcantara in beyond 100 pitches, which led to the big White Sox moment, in the bottom of the sixth inning. Thaiss started off with a single, and Joshua Palacios reached on a one-out single as well. Tim Elko stepped to the plate for the biggest moment of the day, and the biggest moment of his pro life.
There it is. The three-run bomb to left was not only the first hit of Elko’s career, but also the go-ahead, clutch hit to put the White Sox up 4-1. To top if off, for the first time in 15 years we heard Nancy Faust’s “Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye)” echo through the ballpark as Elko rounded the bases. Sometimes baseball has a funny way of reminding us why we love the team we root for, and this moment was something that shows me things are finally looking up. We’ve had some memorable Mother’s Day moments at Rate Field, and now we can put this one up there as well.
The Marlins added one more in the top of the seventh inning on Edwards single, steal, sacrifice ground out, and hustle home on an infield dribbler, but that would be all for the rest of the day.
Shout-out to Mike Vasil, who went three innings in relief, allowing just three hits, one run, and one walk. His ERA is now at 1.88.
Cam Booser closed it out 1-2-3 in the top of the ninth, and everyone went home happy.
Of course, Elko was showered in Gatorade in the postgame interview, with his family watching from the stands.
The vibes are high going into the off-day, and for the first time in a while I can confidently say it feels like this team might be getting a spark back. After what we went through as fans last year, it feels good to feel like this again after a win. Plus, I think I already have covered more wins than all of last season, and it’s only May.
We will be back on Tuesday to start a series in Cincinnati against the Reds, as Jonathan Cannon will take the mound at 5:40 p.m. CT.
Last but not least, Happy Mother’s Day to my mom Natalie, who has always supported me in my sports career and sports fandom. It wasn’t easy to convert to a White Sox after growing up as a Cubs fan in her family, but I am glad she did, even if she just goes to the game for the food and drinks now. (You can’t beat food at the Rate, so I don’t blame her.) Happy Mother’s Day to everyone out there, and see you on Tuesday!
Futility Watch
White Sox 2025 Record 12-29, tied for the second-worst start in White Sox history and tied for 43rd-worst start in baseball history. A 12-29 record projects to 47-115 over a full season. A year ago, the record-breaking White Sox also were 12-29.
All-Time White Sox Record (1901-2025, 19,247 games) 9,606-9,641 (.4991). It’s been 86 games since the White Sox had an all-time winning record.
Record Since the New Pope Was Revealed as a White Sox Fan 2-1
- Race to the Worst “Modern” 162-Game Record (2024 White Sox, 41-121)
- Race to the Worst “Modern” Record in a 162-Game Season (1962 Mets, 40-120-1, finished three percentage points worse than the 2024 White Sox)
- Race to the Most White Sox Losses (2024, 121)
- Race to the Worst White Sox Record (2024, 41-121)
6 games better, in all cases
Race to the Worst Post-1899 Record (1916 A’s, 38-124 adjusted to 162 games) 9 games better