'It felt good': White Sox ride 8th-inning rally to comeback victory

CHICAGO -- An argument could be made for Tuesday standing as the best night of an otherwise dismal season for the 2024 White Sox.

Chicago scored three runs in the eighth inning off two Angels relievers to claim a 3-2 victory and avoid its record-breaking 121st loss of the campaign. The White Sox remain tied with the 1962 Mets for the most losses in the Modern Era (since 1901).

And at Regions Field in Birmingham, Ala., DJ Gladney singled home Shawn Goosenberg for a 2-1 Barons victory over Montgomery and a two-game sweep of the Southern League Championship Series.

Things broke in the White Sox favor for once this season.

"We just try to go out and win every game,” said White Sox starter Jonathan Cannon, who struck out seven over six scoreless innings. “Especially this season it's kind of real easy to get caught up in just everything that's been going on. Obviously we've had a rough year, we all know that. I thought we did a good job of just going out there and finding a way to win."

“It felt good,” White Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi said. “First comeback win being this late in the season, hard to believe. But glad we got it done tonight.”

Benintendi delivered the game-winning single to left off Brock Burke, breaking the 2-2 deadlock with two outs in the eighth. The rally began with back-to-back one-out doubles from Zach DeLoach and Bryan Ramos, and then a two-out game-tying single from Luis Robert Jr.

Single, in the sense it was scored a single. Robert’s routine pop up had a .020 xBA, according to Statcast, but it dropped next to second baseman Jack López. Benintendi’s hit marked the first time the White Sox won a game this season when trailing after seven innings, after losing the first 94 in that situation.

“It’s a good feeling to get a break to go our way,” White Sox interim manager Grady Sizemore said. “Haven’t had too many of those. Guys did a good job of keeping it close and fighting until the end.”

“We finally caught a break,” Benintendi said. “It seems like we haven’t been on that side of it too many times this year. Glad it happened that way and we came through.”

Fans in attendance Tuesday, including 374 dogs, were conflicted. Their understandably disgruntled nature showed through when they cheered for Eric Wagaman’s go-ahead double in the seventh and López’s solo home run in the eighth.

There also was a crescendo of support after the White Sox completed the eighth-inning comeback. Sizemore and the players understand the fans’ reaction and their overall dismay with the 37-120 showing.

“We’re not upset with that. We get where they are coming from,” Sizemore said. “They want to see wins and they want to see them now. We want to bring those wins. Tonight was a good night for us. I think it’s going to be that much better when we turn this around for everybody.”

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“People here tonight were maybe trying to see history,” Benintendi said. “But they’re going to have to wait one more day. Maybe. … Whatever happens, happens and I think everybody in here doesn’t want it to happen. But, it’s baseball.”

A night game Wednesday and a day game Thursday wrap up the home portion of the schedule, as the White Sox try to avoid becoming the first team to lose 60 games at home in a season. Of course, avoiding the 121 losses is the bigger target, but the White Sox need five straight victories, with three to close in Detroit, after ending a five-game losing streak Tuesday behind Prelander Berroa’s first career victory.

Through the first 157 games, the White Sox have not won more than four straight.

“It’s been very trying for me personally and our staff and everyone in this organization,” said White Sox general manager Chris Getz before the team’s 12th comeback victory. “Our fans certainly don’t deserve to go through anything like this.

“They pay money to come to games and watch games. They look to watch the Chicago White Sox as a positive outlet and we haven’t been able to provide too many positive outcomes throughout the season.

“It’s certainly my job and others now to focus more so on the future,” Getz added. “Learn from the past and start building towards where the White Sox deserve to be for our fans and for everyone who works here.”