The Ruberriest Rubber Match of them all! The White Sox and Guardians follow up Tuesday night’s walk off with one final matchup this season (that is, if they don’t face each other in the postseason) on Wednesday afternoon. Unfortunately for the Guardians, the season Tie-Breaker isn’t up for grabs anymore, as Chicago secured that Monday night. However, 1st place in the division could finally switch hands for the first time since July 4th! So, would Cleveland take advantage of the recent momentum and reclaim 1st place? Or would Chicago take 2 in a series for the 4th of 4 matchups this season?
Going for Cleveland is Parker Messick, the steadiest arm in the Guardian rotation this season. Parker has had some solid success against the White Sox this year, throwing for 19.2 IP and only giving up 5 ER. That’s good for a 2.28 ERA. The only problem with that is how he’d be up against. Did Chris Sale return to Chicago? Did Crochet or the ghost of Freddy Garcia?
Anthony Kay (L) would take the mound for Chicago, and if that doesn’t annoy you, then you haven’t been paying attention to the Cleveland Killing JAG of the year.
Kay in his 3 previous appearances vs Cleveland;
6ip, 3H, 3 BB/HBP, 8 K, 0 R
4ip, 1H, 2 BB/HBP, 2 K, 1 R
6ip, 6H, 2 BB/HBP, 4 K, 2 R
For those who aren’t mathematicians, a guy with a career 4.90 ERA and just a 4.50 ERA this season came into this matchup with a 1.12 ERA over 16 Innings against Cleveland this year. To those who follow me on X, this isn’t much of a surprise as I ~love~ to highlight the obscure Cleveland killers. Kay, to this point, has run away with the award for top Killer of the Year.
Through 2, both Parker and Anthony Kay were off to their typical starts (considering the opponent). It was in the 3rd inning when the Guardians broke through. Yes, some help was provided by the defense, but with 2 outs our new best bud Jo Adell came through with a 2 run single, putting the Guardians in front for the second day in a row.
Messick would run into a little trouble over the next two innings. And while he was able to work his way out of a bases loaded jam in the 4th, Tommy Pham would make him pay in the 5th, depositing a 3 run Homer into the bleachers.
So the Sox take the lead, everyone pouts, vents on Twitter and goes home in the 5th, right? Right?
What about these Guardians tells you to give up so quickly? I WOULD NEVER (I did, even as recently as last night) give up on them with so many outs to go!
And it’s a good thing you don’t either. Later in the 6th- with Anthony Kay already done for the day- Hagen Smith (L) came on for his second inning of relief work. He would get two outs but also walked two in the process, resulting in a pitching change, this time to a, you guessed it, Lefty in Sean Newcomb.
For what it’s worth- Sean Newcomb was on my radar all winter as a legit LHRP option to slot between Sabrowski and Herrin on the depth chart. When the Sox got him I just knew he was gonna come up big this season. And right I was…
Newcomb came in with some obvious struggles. First 3 pitches wide before a get me over Fastball. And on the 3-1 pitch, known Slugger Petey Halpin launched one to the deepest part of the park for a 3 run Homer of his own, putting the Guards back on top.
The Guards would add on another after two 2-out walks and a double by Jose (still alive!), to take a 6-3 lead into the 7th inning. And with 86 pitches and a long layoff in the 6th, Steven Vogt decided to go from Parker Messick to, gulp, Hunter Gaddis.
Hunter might be leading the team in Love/Hate this season. While his numbers on the surface look solid, some have pointed out that it ~feels~ like he always struggles with the game on the line (last night was a prime example). And while to some extent I do agree that he unravels when we can LEAST afford it (first pitch swinging in every jam he’s ever entered usually leads to a run or more, I have said), I also see him get the job done time and time again.
After 20 pitches last night, I was worried we might see a lawn chair out there today. But Gaddy held his own, giving up a double but nothing else. It was actually Erik Sabrowski that would run into some trouble with 2 walks in the 8th. Very frustrating since last night, it was the walks that did in the bullpen and I vented that the message to all relievers next year should be simple: “attack him, don’t walk him” (as my semi-professional wrestler cousin told me last night- walks are like lost dogs; they always find their way home- and I kinda agree).
So with 2 on and 2 out in the 8th, Vogt treated today like he did yesterday: like a playoff game. Cade Smith was coming in for multiple innings of work. Would pinch hitter Sam Antonacci redeem last night’s bad route to the final pitch?
Nope. Not this time.
Cade Smith would do his thing. Make quick work of all 4 batters securing his 37th Save of the season… and as my good friend Carrie would say, and just like that, like our lovely Samantha Jones, the Guardians would be back on top like they always are.
At 78-75, the Cleveland Guardians are, somehow, in 1st place in the AL Central with just 9 to play. But there’s no time to rest- the Sox play tomorrow with a chance to tie for the lead, and with that tie breaker, would put us back a spot again.
The Guardians are off tomorrow before their final home series of the regular season this weekend, when they welcome the A’s to town. The White Sox will be in Detroit for a 4 game series. Both teams will be off on Monday then 6 straight to end the season.
So buckle up, because it’s a sprint to the finish line!
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