The White Sox got what they needed Friday night, even if they had to endure a mess to get there.
Chicago jumped all over Luis Castillo in the first inning, stacking up a four-run cushion before the game had even settled in. That should have been enough to calm things down. Instead, Castillo immediately gave most of it back, allowing three runs in the first and then watching the Twins tie it in the second.
From there, the game turned into a strange back-and-forth that never really felt clean for either side. The White Sox reclaimed the lead in the third with two doubles, making it 5-4, then opened the door again in the fourth by getting their first two hitters on before grounding into a double play.
Minnesota helped Chicago out again when Ryan Jeffers let a wild pitch get by, allowing Tristan Peters to score. Jeffers later did the same thing again, giving the White Sox another much-needed insurance run.
Castillo settled enough to keep Chicago in front, but he still needed 75 pitches to get through just four innings. That meant the White Sox bullpen had to cover plenty of ground, and this time it delivered.
Grant Taylor was the biggest reason why. He was excellent over 2 ⅔ high-leverage innings and gave Chicago exactly the kind of relief work it needed to survive the rest of the night. Will Venable leaned on him hard, and Taylor came through.
The White Sox still managed to make the ninth inning uncomfortable, because that’s how these games go, but Minnesota couldn’t cash in. The Twins were shut out over the final seven innings and finished 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position. They also grounded into two double plays and left eight men on base.
After a game slowed by pitching struggles and a pile of delays, Chicago finally put it away in three hours. It was ugly, and it probably felt worse than a win should, but the White Sox did pick up an important game on the Guardians. The lead is now 3 1/2 games, and the magic number is 25.
Runners-Up
Sam Antonacci: 0-for-4, BB, SB
Tristan Peters: 1-for-4, R, K
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