CHICAGO – Not only was it the worst loss of the season, but it’s one that could be remembered for a little bit.
It’s not often that a team blows a six-run lead in the ninth inning, especially one that had been enjoying a great stretch of bullpen pitching. But that’s what the White Sox did on Monday as they lost an 8-2 lead, loaded the bases in the ninth and tenth but could get the winning run, then lost to the Guardians 12-9 at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Manager Tony La Russa has seen a few difficult defeats in his long tenure in the game and knew that the right balance in reaction to it had to be struck by his players
“If a game like that doesn’t bother you, we’re not going to be good enough to get by,” said La Russa. “Everybody was stung by that. But, common sense thing, if you carry that into today and you lose another game because you’re still bemoaning last night, that’s not healthy.
“So we’re turning the page.”
Over the course of nine innings on Tuesday, it looks like the White Sox did just that.
Tim Anderson, who had an error in that fateful ninth inning on Monday, delivered a pair of RBI scoring hits to continue his strong 2022 at the plate while Gavin Sheets hit a second homer in as many days. Lucas Giolito’s solid seven innings on the mound were plenty for the White Sox in a 4-1 win that puts them back over the .500 mark.
The starting pitcher allowed only one run and six hits during his time in the game with five strikeouts and just a walk. Jose Ruiz, Bennett Sousa, and Kendall Graveman combined for two shutout innings to prevent a repeat of Monday night.
Anderson broke the scoreless tie in the fifth inning with an RBI single but the game was tied when Josh Naylor hit his third homer in two days in the seventh. But Sheets’ two-run homer in the seventh and another Anderson RBI put the team ahead to stay as the shook off a bad night at the ballpark with a better one Tuesday.
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