NBC Sports Chicago is simulating the 2020 White Sox season via MLB The Show during the postponement of play. The White Sox, stocked with young talent and veteran offseason acquisitions, were expected to take a big step forward in their rebuild this season. Follow along as we play out the first few months of the season.
Result: Angels def. White Sox 6-3
Record: 10-17, 5th in A.L. Central (7.0 GB of Twins)
W: Dylan Bundy (5-2)
L: Dallas Keuchel (1-2)
SV: Ty Buttrey (7)
Game summary: The White Sox were hoping a road trip would get them back on track after a 2-5 homestand. Instead, Chicago got blanked in the opener vs. the Angels and were immediately punched in the mouth in Friday’s affair.
At least the White Sox got on the board in this one. Jose Abreu hit a solo homer on a line shot to left field to put the South Siders ahead 1-0 in the first.
But Dallas Keuchel quickly gave up the advantage. Each of the first three Angels reached base in the bottom half of the inning for sure-fire Hall of Famer, Mike Trout. And though he likely doesn’t need any additional help punching his ticket to Cooperstown, the grand slam he hit off Keuchel certainly didn’t hurt.
MLB
In the fourth, Edwin Encarnacion hit the White Sox second home run of the game with an opposite field shot to right. But with few runners populating the basepaths, the long ball wouldn’t do a lot of damage for Chicago in this one.
Tim Anderson narrowed the lead further in the fifth with an RBI double that brought home Nick Madrigal. However, a one-run deficit was as close as the White Sox got in this one. They fell to the Angels 6-3, have now lost five straight and sit in the cellar of the A.L. Central.
White Sox lineup:
Tim Anderson: 2-5, 2B, RBI (.274 BA)
Yoan Moncada: 0-3, BB (.239 BA)
Jose Abreu: 1-4, HR (7), RBI, R (.261 BA)
Edwin Encarnacion: 2-4, 2B, HR (8), RBI, R (.284 BA)
Yasmani Grandal: 0-4, 4 K (.272 BA)
Eloy Jimenez: 0-4, 3 K (.184 BA)
Luis Robert: 0-4 (.210 BA)
Nomar Mazara: 1-4 (.235 BA)
Nick Madrigal: 2-2, 2 BB, R (.321 BA)
Scoring summary:
Top 1st
Abreu homered to left field. 1-0 CHW.
Bottom 1st
Trout homered to center field, Andrelton Simmons, David Fletcher scored and Anthony Rendon scored. 4-1 LAA
Top 4th
Encarnacion homered to right field. 4-2 LAA.
Top 5th
Anderson doubled to center field, Madrigal scored. 4-3 LAA.
Bottom 5th
Tommy La Stella grounded out to second baseman. Andrelton Simmons scored. 5-3 LAA.
Bottom 8th
Justin Upton homered to center field. 6-3 LAA.
Notable performance: Madrigal continues to be a bright spot in this rough start to the White Sox season. He reached base all four times on Friday with two singles and two walks. In his first nine big league games, Madrigal is hitting .321 with four homers and a phenomenal 1.210 OPS.
Next game: Saturday, April 25 - Game 28: White Sox at Angels (Gio Gonzalez, 1-1, 4.50 ERA vs Andrew Heaney, 1-2, 3.41 ERA)
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