Things got testy between the Chicago White Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night, and Sam Antonacci isn’t backing away from any of it.
The flashpoint came in the bottom of the seventh inning, when Antonacci singled in the White Sox’s first run of the game. With the bases loaded and Chicago still trailing 4-1, Miguel Vargas stepped in with a chance to keep the inning alive. Instead, he grounded to Jared Triolo, who quickly fired to Brandon Lowe at second before the Pirates turned the double play at first and shut the door on the frame.
That’s where the tempers flared. Lowe took exception to Antonacci’s slide into second, believing the rookie left his feet late and got his elbow out as he tried to make the throw to first tougher. If the play had gone Antonacci’s way, Chicago would have cut the deficit to two with the corners occupied.
Instead, Lowe had words for him, Antonacci didn’t like the response, and teammates and coaches had to step in as the benches emptied. In the end, it was more chest-puffing than anything else.
The replay showed Antonacci did slide late and had his elbow extended toward Lowe, but it also showed something else: the play was straight toward the bag, and there didn’t appear to be much, if any, contact with Lowe.
After the game, Antonacci stood by it.
“A completely legal play if you go look at the rulebook or go look at what happened. You can slide as late as you want as long as you keep contact with the bag, and that’s exactly what happened," Antonacci told reporters (h/t James Fagen).
"I think a lot of times in this game, this age, people are used to just letting up on that play. They say, ‘we play 162 games, I’ll let up early, I won’t make contact with them.’
Here, we’re trying to get a run in any way we can. It’s a close ballgame, and these are playoff games.
All I’m trying to do is scratch a run there. I’m sure he’s a great guy, but he had a few choice words to say at the end and then kind of walked away after that.
When you have a problem and you walk away like that, I’m happy enough to have a conversation, but you can’t walk away. He’s a grown man.”
Antonacci added, "I'm just playing the game hard, and I think a lot of people don't see it that way, I guess," Antonacci said.
The White Sox rookie’s approach has been a calling card since spring training. He hasn’t always been the biggest bat in the lineup from night to night, but he has repeatedly delivered energy, made plays, and brought an edge that’s earned him a bigger role. Will Venable eventually moved him into the leadoff spot, leaning on him to set the tone.
Even with that, the Pirates have had the upper hand so far. They’ve won the first two games at Rate Field and are going for the sweep on Wednesday night. Antonacci, for his part, doesn’t sound like someone planning to ease up anytime soon.
In Other News...
White Sox Pitching Decision Could Change Hagen Smith's Role
Luis Castillos recent stretch has left the White Sox with a little more sorting to do on the mound. After he failed to complete five innings in each of his last four starts, Chicago pushed back his next scheduled outing, and the club has not yet posted probable pitchers for the coming series. Will Venable said Hagen Smith is expected to get the ball against the Pittsburgh Pirates, a sign that the team is still balancing immediate rotation needs with the longer-term plan for a young arm.
For now, the White Sox are still working with Castillo on his mechanics and recovery while keeping other options in play. David Sandlin and Smith are both in the mix, and the way Chicago lines up the next few games could say a lot about how the team wants to handle its pitching depth from here. The rotation picture is still fluid, and Smiths role may end up being shaped as much by Castillos progress as by his own readiness. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Made A Miguel Vargas Choice Fans Wont Forget Soon
Will Venables decision to sit Miguel Vargas for what he called a routine day off quickly became one of those choices that travels well beyond a single afternoon. The White Sox were deep enough into the season that every lineup decision invited scrutiny, and leaving a star third baseman out of the starting nine only fueled the kind of injury speculation managers usually try to avoid. Venable pushed back on that idea, but the absence still stood out because Vargas has become one of the more important bats in the lineup.
Vargas did eventually pinch hit, but the moment never turned into the kind of late-game spark Chicago needed. He grounded into a double play in a critical spot, and the White Sox lost, which only sharpened the look-back at the original decision. With the season winding down, the bigger point feels pretty simple: if Chicago wants to squeeze out meaningful wins, it needs its best players on the field as often as possible, even when the margins feel small. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Face A Bullpen Decision That Could Reveal Their Plans
The White Sox have leaned on their bullpen all season, and Sean Newcomb has been one of the more important reasons why. With free agency approaching, his place in the mix is suddenly part of a bigger offseason question for a club that may want to keep the late innings from becoming a weak spot again.
Adrian Morejon is the kind of left-handed reliever who could fit what Chicago is looking for, after turning in steady work over the past three seasons and lining up for free agency himself. The White Sox can still try to bring back Newcomb, but the broader search for a dominant lefty should tell you plenty about how they plan to shape the roster once the offseason begins. [Read more 🡒]