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: White Sox def. Blue Jays, 6-4
Record: 18-28, 4th in A.L. Central (9.0 GB of Twins)
W: Jace Fry (2-1)
L: Trent Thornton (2-5)
SV: Alex Colome (7)
Game summary: In a battle of aces at Guaranteed Rate Field, Lucas Giolito took on Hyun-Jin Ryu, whose six wins rank second in the American League in 2020. Both teams didn’t get the memo and were not intimated by the aces on the mound.
In the second, the Blue Jays went back-to-back off Giolito with home runs from Teoscar Hernandez and Bo Bichette to take an early 2-0 lead.
After a Yasmani Grandal sacrifice fly, the White Sox came alive in the fourth. Ryu lost some control and walked in a run, and Edwin Encarnacion followed with an RBI single to right field to score Luis Robert. The Sox took a 3-2 lead and ended Ryu's day after 3 1/3 innings and six walks. Eloy Jimenez came through with a bases loaded sacrifice fly, bringing Grandal home to make it 4-2.
MLB
Giolito found trouble in the fifth when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. drove in Cavan Biggio with a single. Rick Renteria pulled the right-hander after he allowed a leadoff double to Reese McGuire in the sixth, calling on Jace Fry, who surrended a double to Billy McKinney to knot the game up at 4.
Grandal led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run to right field. In the seventh, a Jose Abreu moonshot found the left field bleachers and gave the South Siders a 6-4 lead. Abreu’s 15 home runs rank second in the American League, one behind Mark Canha of the Oakland Athletics.
White Sox lineup:
Edwin Encarnacion: 2-3, RBI, 2 BB (.302 BA)
Eloy Jimenez: 0-3, RBI, BB (.249 BA)
Yoan Moncada: 0-4 (.249 BA)
Nick Madrigal: 0-4 (.255 BA)
Jose Abreu: 1-3, HR, RBI, BB (.270 BA)
Tim Anderson: 1-2, 2B, 2 BB (.302 BA)
Luis Robert: 0-3, BB (.234 BA)
Yasmani Grandal: 2-3, HR, 2 RBI (.259 BA)
Nomar Mazara: 0-3, RBI, BB (.222 BA)
Scoring summary:
Top second:
Teoscar Hernandez homered to left field. 1-0 TOR.
Bo Bichette homered to right field. 2-0 TOR.
Bottom second:
Yasmani Grandal sacrifice fly to right field, Jose Abreu scored. 2-1 TOR.
Bottom fourth:
Nomar Mazara walked, Tim Anderson scored. 2-2.
Edwin Encarnacion singled to right field, Luis Robert scored. 3-2 CHW.
Eloy Jimenez sacrifice fly to left field, Grandal scored. 4-2 CHW.
Top fifth:
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. singled to center field, Cavan Biggio scored. 4-3 CHW.
Top sixth:
Billy McKinney doubled to center field, Reese McGuire scored. 4-4.
Bottom sixth:
Grandal homered to right field. 5-4 CHW.
Bottom seventh:
Abreu homered to left field. 6-4 CHW.
Notable performance: Tim Anderson is on a tear as he attempts to defend his batting title. Anderson went 1-for-2 Saturday with a double and two walks. His 60 hits leads the AL, and his 14 doubles rank third. One plesant surprise is Anderson's eye at the plate. With his two walks Saturday, he now has drawn 16 free passes in 2020, eclipsing his 2019 total of 15.
Next game: Sunday, May 17 - Game 47: Blue Jays at White Sox (Ryan Borucki, 4-1, 4.45 ERA vs Dallas Keuchel, 1-4, 8.42 ERA)
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