Star trio helps White Sox run win streak to 6

There’s a different feel around the 2020 White Sox, noticeable in just 11 games and especially noticeable during their 3-2 victory over the Brewers on Tuesday night at Miller Park.

With one of the best offenses in all of Major League Baseball, the White Sox certainly can outhit opponents. But this group also believes it can win the playoff-like games doing the little things as they have the last two nights in Milwaukee, extending their winning streak to six games and running their overall record to 7-4, good enough for second place in the American League Central.

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"Just grit and determination. We have that belief now that I think was kind of missing the last couple of years that we trust how good we are,” said White Sox starter Lucas Giolito, who evened his record at 1-1. “We trust our talent and we know that if the game's close, we have a very good chance of winning it, no matter what inning or situation or who's pitching for them. I think that we just carry that belief that we can go out and win a ballgame no matter what."

“They're going about doing their business and trying to do everything they can,” manager Rick Renteria said. “And you're seeing a different cast of characters contributing. That's a good sign of a team."

Giolito worked six strong innings, striking out nine among his 103 pitches. The White Sox Opening Day starter once again went with a four-seam fastball/changeup mix, per Statcast, as he threw 52 four-seamers and 43 changeups. The only issue for Giolito came in the fifth, when Logan Morrison doubled and Ben Gamel hit a long two-run home run.

That lead didn’t last long for the Brewers. Yasmani Grandal singled to open the sixth in a nine-pitch at-bat against Milwaukee starter Brandon Woodruff, who was equally as impressive against this potent White Sox attack, and Eloy Jiménez blasted a 428-foot home run to tie the game.

“I feel much better, more confident at the plate. Last year, I tried to do too much, but this year, go out and enjoy [it]. That pretty much helped me,” said Jiménez, who also had a pair of singles before his two-run homer. “I was looking for something soft, because the first at-bat he threw me a fastball first pitch and I was looking for a breaking ball and hit it good.”

José Abreu’s seventh-inning RBI single stood up as the game-winning hit, with Danny Mendick reaching on a two-base error, then moving to third on a wild pitch and coming home on Abreu’s two-out knock to left. Mendick was in the game because Nick Madrigal, the White Sox No. 4 prospect per MLB Pipeline, departed in the third inning with a left shoulder injury that he sustained on a slide when he tried to go from first to third on a Luis Robert single. Designated hitter Edwin Encarnación also left the game early with left shoulder soreness.

But much like playoff baseball, this finish wasn’t an easy one for the White Sox. Jimmy Cordero put the first two men on in the eighth, only to induce Keston Hiura’s double-play grounder and get Christian Yelich on a called third strike. Alex Colomé then retired Gamel with runners on second and third to close out the eight-game, nine-day trip at 6-2 for the White Sox.

Renteria’s crew returns to Chicago tied for the third-best record in the AL.

"After our rough start to the season, we didn't even have to talk about it,” Giolito said. “That last game against Cleveland, we knew that we had to go in and do our job, and then from there, going into Kansas City, it was all about taking care of business.

“Coming [to Milwaukee], just continuing to ride that momentum. Kind of what I touched on earlier, just what we have as a team right now, we're cohesive, we're a unit. We have our minds -- our collective mind -- on the prize. This season's so short. Every single game counts. I just think that we're playing very, very solid baseball.”