'We are the future': Youngsters snap Sox skid
This browser does not support the video element.
CLEVELAND – An exciting 6-5, come-from-behind victory for the White Sox over the Indians on Tuesday at Progressive Field marked an especially bright night for the South Siders’ rebuild.
It was actually veteran James McCann who launched the game-tying three-run homer with two outs in the eighth off of Carlos Carrasco, who was making his first home appearance since being diagnosed with and treated for leukemia. And fellow veteran Alex Colome worked the ninth, getting through a long fly ball to right from Franmil Reyes to record his 26th save.
This browser does not support the video element.
But check out the rest of the night’s work from the team’s young core:
The right-handed Cease followed up his worst career start -- when he allowed eight runs over two-plus innings to the Twins -- with the best performance of his 11-start big league career. He finished with a career-high 11 strikeouts, although the game started rather inauspiciously, with Francisco Lindor homering as the first batter Cease faced.
Cease showed his anger in the dugout in between innings over the 14th long ball he has allowed this season, but quickly regrouped.
“It’s never fun giving up home runs,” said Cease, who threw 106 pitches over 6 2/3 innings. “Really, it’s just some of the stuff I’ve been working on finally coming together. That’s how I feel like I’m capable of pitching and what I expect. For the most part, I’m pretty pleased with it.”
This browser does not support the video element.
Per Statcast, Cease recorded 13 swinging strikes and topped out at 98.5 mph. He also made liberal usage of his changeup, throwing it 18 times.
“I threw it in warmups, and I had a really good feel,” said Cease of his change. “We threw a couple in the game and they were down in the zone. After that I felt very comfortable throwing it. Previous games it hasn’t been as much like that. It was more I threw a couple of good ones and had a good feel for it.”
“He commanded his breaking ball and his changeup early on,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “He threw it probably as much as his fastball. That made him really good. Frankie hit that fastball and he’s like, ‘I’m going to the other stuff.‘ And he commanded the heck out of it.”
The final pitching line shows four earned runs charged to Cease, who gave way to Evan Marshall after walking the last two hitters he faced. Marshall then allowed a go-ahead three-run homer to Roberto Perez in the seventh.
That Perez homer set the stage for McCann, who connected on his 16th homer of the year, shortly after the White Sox joined the Indians and their fans in cheering Carrasco’s return.
It was the rookie slugger Jimenez who delivered the game-winning opposite field blast off of Carrasco, after homering and doubling home single runs against starter Mike Clevinger. Jimenez’s two homers give him 24 for the season, making him the third White Sox rookie all-time with four multi-homer games in a season, joining Jose Abreu (2014) and Zeke Bonura (1934). But Jimenez wasn’t totally sure his second blast would clear the fence.
This browser does not support the video element.
“I don’t want to lie to you: I first thought it was maybe out on the warning track,” said a smiling Jimenez, shortly after removing his Mitchell Trubisky Bears jersey. “But when I see [Yasiel] Puig keep running, I was like, ‘Oh my god.’ When I see it’s gone, that was amazing for me.”
“He's having some really good at-bats,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “He's staying on pitches that he can manage again, that he can hit.”
Jimenez’s only other go-ahead blast in the eighth inning or later came against Pedro Strop and the Cubs at Wrigley Field on June 18. It was the Cubs who traded Jimenez and Cease to the White Sox in exchange for Jose Quintana.
Bummer, who has been a lights-out setup man for most of the season, fanned the side in the eighth to protect the one-run lead. Collins, who was part of Tuesday’s September callups, tripled and walked in four plate appearances.
This browser does not support the video element.
It was an encouraging way for the White Sox to end a seven-game losing streak.
“We are the future,” Jimenez said. “And I think seeing now how we respond in those moments, the future is going to be good for us.”