Five-run first inning sparks win in twin-bill opener

Five-run first inning sparks win in twin-bill opener

September 13th, 2023

CHICAGO – The White Sox scored five in the first inning off Kansas City starter Brady Singer and cruised to a 6-2 victory during Game 1 of a doubleheader Tuesday at Guaranteed Rate Field.

This opening victory was a makeup of Monday’s postponement due to rain.

“That’s great,” said White Sox starting and winning pitcher of the offensive outburst in the opening inning. “Anytime you get a lead like that, it makes things simpler and easier.”

Gavin Sheets, who singled home two runs in the first, added: “It’s huge, especially when you have a guy like Dylan Cease throwing the ball. To get a good jump on Singer, who throws the ball very well as well, you get out to a big start like that, it’s huge.”

Cease (7-7) earned the win, striking out eight and walking one over 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball. Singer struggled to find the strike zone in the first, throwing 36 pitches, but finished with 79 in total over 5 1/3 innings. Every White Sox starter but Korey Lee reached base at least once and every starter but Andrew Benintendi and Lee had at least one hit, with Tim Anderson and Elvis Andrus adding two hits apiece.

These same two starters faced off on Sept. 5 at Kauffman Stadium, with the White Sox (56-88) jumping out to a 6-0 lead via five in the second and one in the third. The Royals (44-101) rallied with three homers off Cease and won in walkoff fashion via a Gregory Santos balk.

But the White Sox and Santos, who threw 1 1/3 perfect innings Tuesday for his fifth save, didn't allow the Royals to get back into the game. 

“We just did that last week over there,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “So, it was important for [Cease] to come out and get 1-2-3, which he did, and kind of keep the momentum on our side. I thought he did a really good job in almost the same game as last week. He did a really good job of keeping them off balance.”

“Even when things aren’t going well, I know it’s in there,” said Cease, whose ERA dropped to 4.87. “It’s just a matter of staying focused and try not to get too frustrated and keep working.”