Another clutch moment against Cleveland, but White Sox can’t finish sweep

Day after day, series after series, it's just a matter of time.

Eventually, something magical will happen for the White Sox. As long as the game is played at Rate Field, anyway.

With a chance to sweep a three-game series against Cleveland on Wednesday, the Sox made a costly error, walked in an important run, but still nearly pulled off a miracle.

Trailing 3-1 and down to their final out, Braden Montgomery and Randall Grichuk drilled dramatic back-to-back home runs to tie the score in the bottom of the ninth.

But that's where the thrill ride came to a stop. The Guardians got a couple of groundball singles to score in the 10th, then the Sox loaded the bases with one out but couldn't bring home the tying run and lost 4-3.

Heading into Wednesday's action, the White Sox had gone 22-4 at Rate Field since April 27, with 12 of those wins coming by a single run, including the first two against Cleveland.

So tough result, but all this clutch hitting is promising in the big picture, maybe?

“It says that we're not rolling over for anybody,” Montgomery said.

Added pitcher Erick Fedde, “There's no reason to not believe when we're in the ninth, just the way this team has been.”

The clutch lore was enhanced by the Sox rallying twice this week against Cleveland closer Cade Smith, who had converted 21 consecutive saves until blowing a 1-run lead on Monday.

With his four-seam, splitter, sweeper mix, Smith has one of the highest whiff rates in MLB. Smith started the ninth inning with a flyout and called third strike, leaving it up to a rookie with one career home run.

Montgomery's first home run was a 2-run walk-off against Atlanta. This time, he sent a Smith fastball over the center-field fence. So what's the key to coming through in the clutch?

“I'd say it's more finding how you can give yourself the best chance to be successful in each moment,” Montgomery said. “Things that make those moments hard are heart rate speeding up, letting the atmosphere get to you.”

Now trailing by a run, it brought Grichuk to the plate, and he sent a first-pitch sweeper deep into the left-field seats. After the game Grichuk said he was craving the opportunity.

“I wanted to go deep,” Grichuk said. “Honestly, I was thinking about it the whole inning before. Somebody get on and let me try to do it, if somebody doesn't do it before me. (Smith) is one of the best. We put together a couple good ABs on him.”

The 10th inning didn't work out for the Sox. They started by bunting the runner to third, then Kyle Teel and Colson Montgomery walked to load the bases. Chase Meidroth grounded to short on a 3-1 pitch, and the Guardians threw home for the force play. Braden Montgomery grounded out to first to end it, with Cleveland's Kyle Manzardo diving to the bag to beat the runner by a step.

The series concluded with the White Sox and Guardians tied for first place in the AL Central. These teams play a four-game series in Cleveland next week, and road trips have been a very different story for the Sox.

Maybe the Sox just need to believe they can win on the road, the same way they're confident about ninth-inning comebacks at home.

Grichuk's been in the game for 13 years, and he arrived on the South Side May 4. Is he surprised how often this young White Sox team delivers in important moments?

“I'm going to say yes, because baseball is hard,” Grichuk said. “No, from the standpoint of I know the heart, I know the competitors that are in here, and I know the talent that's in here.

“Even 3-1 in the eighth, the energy's there, rallying, talking to the guys about the pitcher, pumping guys up. Again in the ninth as well. So yeah, the energy's there. There's no lack of that, that's for sure.”