Beckham's big hit lifts White Sox to 4-3 win over Reds
The White Sox beat the Reds on Sunday at U.S. Cellular Field, but they didn't exactly follow the expected script.
The game appeared to be over when new closer David Robertson came on in the ninth inning with a 3-1 lead.
In his first 12 appearances with the Sox this season, Robertson pitched 12 scoreless innings, allowed 6 hits, struck out 21, issued only 1 walk and was 5-for-5 in save conversions.
Against Cincinnati, Robertson gave up consecutive singles to Devin Mesoraco and Brayan Pena to open the ninth, and after catcher Geovany Soto was charged with a passed ball, Zack Cozart hit a 2-run double off Robertson to tie the game.
"You're not going to normally see that from Robbie," White Sox manager Robin Ventura.
The bottom of the ninth was another unusual sight.
With hard-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman on the mound for the Reds with the score tied at 3-3, Jose Abreu struck out and Adam LaRoche grounded out.
It looked like bonus baseball was on the way, but Avisail Garcia kept the inning alive with a single, Alexei Ramirez extended it with another single, and things really got interesting when both runners moved up a base on Chapman's wild pitch.
That brought Gordon Beckham to the plate.
"I wasn't trying to do too much," Beckham said. "I was trying to really just put the barrel of the bat on the ball because you can't really wait around with a guy like that. Just try to hit it and hopefully it finds some grass."
On a 2-2 count, Chapman threw a 100-mph fastball and Beckham dropped it into right field to score Garcia from third base and lift the White Sox to a 4-3 win.
"He brings it," Beckham said. "It's not fun to hit against."
Chapman had not allowed a run since Aug. 17 of last season. The left-hander had not allowed 3 hits in a game since May 3, 2013.
"I was just so happy I don't even remember," Robertson said of the blown save. "I was more laughing about it. (Beckham) was running across the field being hilarious."
The Sox were understandably fired up after Sunday's unusual win, and starting pitcher John Danks deserves a lot of the credit.
With the bullpen in bad shape following Saturday's doubleheader, Danks ate up 7 innings and allowed 1 run on 6 hits. The 30-year-old made an adjustment that paid off - being quicker to the plate.
"We've been trying to do certain things just to give me a better chance," Danks said after lowering his ERA from 6.20 to 5.12. "Messing up timing's one of them. I think it's very effective. We're going to continue to work on things, but it's basically doing whatever you've got to do to get that guy out, and fortunately it worked."
Now, the White Sox have to figure out how to win on the road. As they head to Milwaukee, they are 10-5 at home and 2-11 away from U.S. Cellular Field.
"We obviously have to start sooner than later, but we're playing good ball," Beckham said. "We just have to keep focusing on that and not really how we've played in the past. You can't focus on anything but the present, so just do that."
White Sox vs. Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park
TV: WPWR today; Comcast SportsNet Tuesday-Wednesday
Radio: WSCR 670-AM
Pitching matchups: The Sox' Jeff Samardzija (2-2) vs. Wily Peralta (1-4) today at 6:20 p.m.; Chris Sale (2-1) vs. Mike Fiers (1-4) Tuesday at 7:10 p.m.; Jose Quintana (1-3) vs. Jimmy Nelson (1-3) Wednesday at 7:10 p.m.
At a glance: Samardzija is back in the rotation after serving his five-game suspension, and so is Sale. Samardzija is a lifetime 0-5 with a 4.50 ERA as a starter vs. the Brewers. The White Sox play Milwaukee for the first time since 2012, and they play at Miller Park for the first time since '09. The Sox have won 10 of their last 12 games vs. the Brewers. Zach Duke, who pitched for Milwaukee last season, has pitched 9 straight scoreless innings of relief for the White Sox.
Next: Oakland A's at O.co Coliseum, Friday-Sunday
- Scot Gregor