Bobby Witt Jr. hit a walk-off single to cap off a hilarious comeback fueled by a comedy of errors by the White Sox in a 4-3 Royals win.
Seth Lugo dominated the White Sox in three starts last year, and while he wasn’t quite as sharp tonight he had an effective quality start. The White Sox got on the board in the fourth inning off Seth Lugo. Matt Thaiss led off with a single and advanced to second on a hit by Andrew Vaughn. Brooks Baldwin singled to score him and put the White Sox up 1-0.
They put up another run in the sixth when Thaiss again led off with a single. He advanced to second on a wild pitch and to third on a groundout. Vaughn hit a grounder to third that Jonathan India couldn’t handle, allowing Thaiss to score. Lugo would last 6 2⁄3 innings allowing just the two runs – one unearned – with three strikeouts. In his four starts against the White Sox since the beginning of last year, he has a 0.92 ERA.
Kyle Isbel finally got the Royals on the board in the sixth off White Sox starter Sean Burke with a solo home run, his third of the year. Maikel Garcia and Drew Waters each drew a walk off Burke in the seventh, causing him to exit, but the Royals stranded them. The White Sox tacked on a run in the eighth off Angel Zerpa when Josh Rojas singled home Jacob Amaya to make it 3-1.
The White Sox gave us a preview of what was to come in the eighth. Vinnie Pasquantino walked against reliever Steven Wilson, then Salvador Perez lofted a flyball that was deep, but playable. Brooks Baldwin – an infielder who has played some outfield this year – casually drifted back and…..totally missed the ball. Pasquantino scored and Salvy ended up at second with an RBI double and a one-run Royals deficit.
But the ninth was when the farce that is the Chicago White Sox was on full display. Reliever Cam Booser walked Mark Canha to lead off the inning. Drew Waters lofted a lazy pop fly on the infield and….well this happened.
BONK! That’s right, it bopped Chase Meidroth right in the noggin. Oh and then it rolled away. And when right fielder Michael A. Taylor could have made an easy throw to second for the force out, he tossed it wildly over the head of Amaya.
Freddy Fermin then lay down a beautiful bunt single – his second bunt single of the night. After a Kyle Isbel pop out (infield fly rule, he’s out even if it would have hit someone in the noggin!), Jonathan India hit a grounder up the middle, a potential double play ball.
But this is the 2025 White Sox.
Shortstop Jacob Amaya slid to stop the ball and made a poor flip to second, pulling Meidroth off the bag. Everyone was safe, allowing Canha to score to tie the game.
That brought Bobby Witt Jr. up with the bases loaded and one out. He got a fastball up in the zone and smacked it nearly 400 feet to center for a “single” (honestly, a catchable ball that Luis Robert Jr. just seemed to give up on because the game was over regardless). Game over.
The White Sox are bad, but you need to take full advantage when an opponent hands you a game on a silver platter. The Royals have now won 13 of 15 games, and improve to 21-16. They can take the series tomorrow evening when Michael Wacha takes on Jonathan Cannon at 6:40 CT.
