In a season full of low lights, the Chicago White Sox might have hit a new low on Thursday night.
The Sox held a 3-2 lead over the Orioles in the ninth inning, and with two outs and closer Liam Hendriks on the mound, Baltimore’s Kyle Stowers came up to the plate. Heading into the at-bat, Stowers had 23 career plate appearances in the majors, and zero home runs. (Hendriks, a 12-year veteran, entered the game second in the MLB in saves.)
On the first pitch of the at-bat, Hendriks got Stowers to pop up into foul ground, which appeared to end the game and would secure the White Sox — who are outside of the playoff picture despite entering the season as a World Series contender — a much-needed win. But, agonizingly, the ball bounced off Adam Engel’s glove.
A brutal play, but Hendriks managed to work the count to 0-2. But with victory just one strike away, Hendriks left a pitch over the plate – and Stowers launched it to center field.
Tie ballgame.
The two teams traded zeros in the tenth inning, but in the bottom of the eleventh, Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman singled to move the ghost runner, Cedric Mullins, to third. That brought up Anthony Santander, who launched a single into center field over Luis Robert’s head.
Game over.
The loss dropped the White Sox to 63-62 on the season, four games back in the AL Central and five in the Wild Card.
It’s been a hugely disappointing season on the South Side, and one full of embarrassing moments. Manager Tony La Russa has been at the center of many of them, with headlines including him choosing to intentionally walk Dodgers’ Trea Turner on a 1-2 count, and appearing close to nodding off in the White Sox dugout.
The AL Central is weak, and Chicago is still within striking distance if they can go on a winning streak.
A game like Thursday would have helped those chances, though.
