Benny bangs out another sayonara slam
Rescues White Sox from two blown three-run leads for a 7-6 winner
With the score knotted, 6-6, in the bottom of the ninth, A’s reliever Hogan Harris doubled up sliders to Andrew Benintendi. His first nipped the outside of the box at a languid 77 mph; Benny didn’t bite, and fell into a 1-2 hole. Unfortunately for Harris, that next slider did not bite, turning his crafty breaking pitch into a BP fastball.
Major league hitters — even Chicago White Sox ones — don’t miss center-cut BP fastballs, ever.
Benintendi’s second walk-off home run at home this season — yep, our beleaguered “left fielder” has provided 12% of this season’s home wins (19) via sayonara homers — rescued the White Sox from what might have ended up a Top 10 horrific loss this season. The club blew not one but two three-run leads at home to a team 18 under .500.
It was another weird, weak day on offense, as the White Sox slapped out 16 hits — 14 of them singles.
The lead wasn’t lost in the ninth, despite an utter team (relief pitching, defense) meltdown, and it was solely because Oakland seemed to believe Benintendi was in left field. Note the ridiculously aggressive wave home on the strong-armed Zach DeLoach:
This is a throw I might have made successfully. I know several of our staffers could. Most of you readers, surely. Benintendi? No, Shea Langeliers is easily safe, and the ball might still not have dribbled past the plate, now, a half-hour after game’s end.
But we come here tonight not to bury Andrew Benintendi, who is storming toward [checks notes] a .700 OPS before season’s end.
Rubber match (!) tomorrow!!
Futility Watch
White Sox 2024 Record 34-115, worst 149-game start in White Sox history (14 games worse than the 1932 White Sox), second-worst MLB start all-time (a half-game better than the 1916 A’s) and 81 games below .500
White Sox 2024 Run Differential -312, 11th-worst 149-game start in MLB history
White Sox 2024 Season Record Pace 37-125 (.228)
All-Time White Sox Record (1901-2024) 9,587-9,606 (.4995)
Race to the Worst “Modern” 162-Game Record (2003 Tigers, 43-119) 6 games worse; need to finish 10-3 to end season 44-118
Race to the Worst “Modern” Record in a 162-Game Season (1962 Mets, 40-120) 4 games worse; need to finish 7-6 to end season 41-121
Race to the Most White Sox Losses (1970, 106) new record set (115 and counting)
Race to the Worst White Sox Record (1932, 52-109-1*) CLINCHED, now 13 games worse than the 1932 team’s final record
Race to the Worst Post-1899 Record (1916 A’s, 38-124*) 1 game worse; need to finish season 5-8 to finish 39-123
*record adjusted to a 162-game season