La Russa ties McGraw for second on all-time win list as Sox take a wild one
It looked like it was going to be one of the least stressful wins of Tony La Russa's career, and the one that would move him into a tie for second place on the all-time list.
With the White Sox holding a comfortable 7-2 lead over the Tigers after 6 innings at Guaranteed Rate Field, La Russa appeared to be a lock to join John McGraw with 2,763 wins.
He got it, but not before enduring some serious anxiety.
After Sox starter Dallas Keuchel allowed 2 runs (1 earned) while throwing 80 pitches through 6 innings, Detroit jumped on relievers Codi Heuer and Evan Marshall for 6 runs in the seventh to take an 8-7 lead.
The White Sox answered right back in the bottom of the inning with Yasmani Grandal's second solo home run of the game, and Yermin Mercedes walk-off single in the ninth gave the Sox a 9-8 win.
La Russa downplayed the historic achievement, for the moment.
"This is such a celebration of our ballclub," the 76-year-old manager said. "Talk about the guts of this team, we play 9 innings come hell or high water. I'll say something when the next one comes, hopefully sooner than later."
Mercedes was waiting quite a while for his next hit, which came at exactly the right time.
After being hit by a pitch leading off the ninth inning, Yoan Moncada motored to third base on Jose Abreu's single.
Mercedes came to the plate against Jose Cisnero in an 0-for-25 slump.
"It doesn't matter if you go 0-for-25, 0-for-26, it's going to happen," Mercedes said. "Little slump but keep working every day. Don't put you head down. Feeling great. Big-time right there."
Bothered by a sore right knee in spring training and through the first two months of the season, Grandal is starting to swing it more like his old self. The switch-hitting catcher also homered against the Tigers Thursday night.
"With the knee, I got into some bad habits," Grandal said. "Not being able to put as much torque as I wanted on the front knee. Started flying open. The league kind of noticed but now that it's getting better, that's what we are working for.
"Transfer that leg to the front side and make sure that front side is stiff and put as much torque as I possibly can put on it. We are going to continue to work on that. Once we get that going, that's the last piece."