Suspended game walk-off winner for White Sox

CHICAGO -- It took parts of two days and two long rain delays, but the White Sox were able to break a three-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over the Royals on Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field. That victory marked the culmination of Monday’s suspended game, which was called in the bottom of the fifth.

Yolmer Sanchez’s one-out single to center off of reliever Kevin McCarthy scored James McCann with the White Sox fourth game-ending hit of the season and the fifth in Sanchez’s career. It came against a five-man infield employed by the Royals, and followed Sanchez’s game-tying hit in the fifth some 25 hours earlier.

“No, I think that’s first time in the history of the game,” said Sanchez of the oddity of his two hits. “I think I’m making history today.”

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Sanchez, who is known for his walk-off celebrations, tried to outrun the Gatorade bath that awaited him, but got doused by his teammates regardless.

“We just had 30 minutes before the second game,” a smiling Sanchez said. “So, I just tried to go inside and get ready. But they got me.”

The bottom of the fifth inning took approximately 26 hours to complete, after the game was suspended due to unplayable field conditions Monday with the game tied at 1. Sanchez was on second with two outs and a 2-2 count on Ryan Cordell when play resumed Tuesday. The Royals started that frame Monday with Homer Bailey, then brought in Brian Flynn to pitch during the brief window of partially clear weather and then finished the frame Tuesday when Scott Barlow struck out Cordell.

Ivan Nova allowed one run over five innings with two strikeouts to his credit. His 59-pitch effort was done Monday, with Aaron Bummer starting the day Tuesday. The left-handed reliever hurled two scoreless innings with two strikeouts, with Alex Colome earning the victory thanks in part to long fly balls from Adalberto Mondesi and Hunter Dozier getting knocked down by the wind in the top of the ninth.

The White Sox completed their first suspended game since July 24, 2016, vs. Detroit, with the game on July 23, 2016, suspended due to rain. Adam Eaton hit a game-ending single on July 24 in the suspended game, and Melky Cabrera hit a walk-off single in the nightcap. This marks the ninth suspended game in franchise history.

“Bases loaded, I don’t try to do too much,” said Sanchez of his game-winning hit. “Just get a good pitch and hit it hard.”

“It was nice to be able to close that one out,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. “We were fortunate to have some chances. We got that chance there in the ninth, and Sanchy with a nice at-bat.”