Crazy 8s: Nova pitches eight scoreless, White Sox score eight in Tiggers trouncing

Face of the franchise: Tim Anderson is having fun, and we should be too. | Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

And STICK TALK spoke loud: TA goes 4-for-4 with a walk and three runs

The Chicago White Sox did it all during today’s series victory over the Detroit Tigers, crushing them 8-1 to take a series win on Wednesday. Above and beyond pitching, offense and defense paved the way to back-to-back series wins. The Sox are trending upward, and there is a lot to be excited about for the future.

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The Good Guys found the scoreboard early in the game. With one out in the first, Tim Anderson banked a base hit off of pitcher Tyler Alexander. José Abreu followed with a single of his own, which found its way to right field. Ex-Tiger James McCann doubled Tim home for an early 1-0 lead!

Remember Stick Talk? With two outs in the second, Ryan Cordell crushed a solo blast to left-center field, doubling the lead to 2-0.

Iván Nova found himself in a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the bottom of the second. However, a 5-4-3 double play — courtesy of Jordy Mercer — allowed Nova to escape the inning unscathed.

For the third inning in a row, the Good Guys scored a run. Anderson reached base on an infield single, and two outs later, McCann reached on an E-6. Welington Castillo doubled TA7 home for a 3-0 lead!

In back-to-back innings, Nova perfected his escape act, cajoling another 5-4-3 double play, this time off of Miguel Cabrera’s bat.

The Good Guys were quiet in the fourth, but that didn’t last for long. The hit-and-run parade continued into the fifth inning. For the third time, Anderson singled. For the third time, Anderson was doubled home. Pito did the honors this time around, to increase the score to 4-0. Then McClutch grabbed his second hit of the game, a single up the middle. Abreu scored, which gave the Sox a 5-0 lead.

With that, Tyler Alexander was bid adieu, and Eduardo Jiménez came into the game. Alexander pitched 4 ¹⁄₃ innings; he gave up five runs (four earned) on nine hits, with six strikeouts and one walk.

Nova threw into his third double play in the bottom of the fifth, and he has absolutely cruised his way through the game.

With two outs into the sixth, Leury García grabbed an infield single, extending a sweet second-half streak.

My man Anderson stayed perfect on the day, at 4-for-4, with his fourth consecutive single. (It is so nice having Timmy back in the lineup!)

Once again, Abreu notched an RBI, with a base hit to left field. (It’s almost as if he’s reading some SSS commenters drizzling some soil on his premature grave.) And in the top of the eighth, Eloy Jiménez singled Cordell home and McCann singled home Abreu for his third RBI of the game. The crazy eight hit the scoreboard: 8-0 Sox!

Nova continued his dominance through the eighth inning. At 107 pitches, the big righty exited, falling short of his second complete game this season. Nonetheless, Nova improves to 3-0 in his last four starts. Today, he gave up zero runs, surrendering five hits and three walks. With three double plays and a strikeout, job well done, Super Nova!

And for the Good Guys on offense, who often seem very all-or-nothing with at-bats, there’s something spectacular brewing:

Jimmy Cordero pitched the ninth, and with two outs gave up a walk and an RBI triple to end the shutout. However, the White Sox won 8-1, taking three of the four games in Detroit. They have also won back-to-back series!

Nova improved to 7-9 with a 4.80 ERA, and the White Sox making a run at single-digits under .500 at 51-62! The Good Guys return home after pocketing a 5-2 road trip, rewarded with an off-day tomorrow!

Best of all, it is sunglasses emoji time!

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