Heading into Thursday’s series finale, the Chicago White Sox were 63-61, while the Baltimore Orioles were 64-59. While those records may not seem that different, the attitude around the two teams is night and day. The way Thursday’s game went was a perfect reflection of the way the season has gone for both.
Chicago seemed to have the game won. In fact, the White Sox literally had the game in the palm of their hands. Leading 3-2 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the game was seemingly over when Chicago closer Liam Hendriks got Baltimore’s Kyle Stowers to hit a fly ball down the left field line. Adam Engel — a late-inning defensive replacement — sprinted over and had plenty of room to make the catch. Only, he didn’t.
https://twitter.com/MrMatthewCFB/status/1562983276754931712
The Orioles got one more chance. But since it was a foul ball, that drop didn’t spell doom for the White Sox. That came two pitches later, when Sowers picked a heck of a time to hit his first Major League home run.
KYLE STOWERS TIES THE BALL GAME!!! pic.twitter.com/iRumHd1PMK
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 26, 2022
Hendriks retired Austin Hays to send the game into extra innings. The White Sox couldn’t take advantage of the courtesy runner in the top of the tenth inning. But when Joe Kelly pitched out of a jam in the bottom of the frame, Chicago was again given new life. The top of the 11th, though, was no better for the White Sox, who recorded three non-productive outs.
That was the last chance they would get.
Adley Rutschman led the bottom of the 11th for the Orioles off with a single, sending courtesy runner Cedric Mullins to third. That brought up Santander, who hit a ball to center, well over the head of a drawn-in Luis Robert. With that, Mullins came in to score the winning run.
— Follow @BarnHasSpoken2 (@Baseball8754021) August 26, 2022
Long ago, viewers of ABC’s Wide World of Sports heard Jim McKay’s famed line, “The thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat.” The reaction from the MLB world following this game brought that classic phrase to life.
Throw another crushing White Sox loss on the stack.
— Scot Gregor (@scotgregor) August 26, 2022
SANTANDER!!! WALK OFF!!! ORIOLES WIN!
MUCH NEEDED SERIES WIN!!
HUGE HUGE HUGE!
ORIOLES MAGIC!!! pic.twitter.com/LLEt42lpF9
— Maryland Sports Blog (@MDSportsblog) August 26, 2022
The 65-59 Orioles are one of this season's most amazing stories. The rebuild appears to be miles ahead of schedule and the rise, very clearly, coincided with the arrival of Adley Rutschman. #Birdland
— Dan Clark (@DanClarkSports) August 26, 2022
What does it mean when bad and dumb things happen to the #WhiteSox and I don’t even care? Just play out the string of this miserable baseball season. It can’t end soon enough.
— James Fox (@JamesFox917) August 26, 2022
The 2022 Baltimore Orioles are a Good Time, don’t ever take that for granted
— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) August 26, 2022
The torment White Sox fans have been forced to go through is absurd, all things considered. Frustration and heartbreak readily available multiple games a week during the season. And bigger picture dysfunction looming over it all. They oughta get a medal or a plaque.
— M@ (@MattSpiegel670) August 26, 2022
Stowers!!
— Steve Johnson (@SJohnson831) August 26, 2022
Adam Engel on the bus after the game…#Whitesox pic.twitter.com/9bQkigJspf
— Jarrett Payton (@paytonsun) August 26, 2022
The loss dropped the White Sox to 63-62, four games out in the American League Central and five games behind of the third Wild Card spot in the American League. There’s still time for Chicago. But this team was 93-69 last year and ran away with the division title. This season has been a disappointment.
Baltimore, meanwhile, is 65-59. A division title is unrealistic, as the Orioles are 11 behind the New York Yankees. But a Wild Card is well within reach, as Baltimore is only 2.5 games out. Even if that doesn’t happen, though, the Orioles averaged 111 losses a year in the previous three full seasons (and were 25-35 in 2020’s COVID-19 abbreviated season). This is not a team that was expected to be remotely close to a playoff spot in the final week of April, let alone August.
Both teams have defied expectations in 2022. For one team, that’s great. For the other, not so much. Thursday’s game was very much emblematic of both.
[Mr Matthew CFB, Baltimore Orioles, Follow @BarnHasSpoken2]