White Sox relieved after snapping 5-game losing streak
How happy was manager Tony La Russa about the White Sox snapping their five-game losing streak Wednesday?
"I did an Ozzie Smith somersault when we got that last out," La Russa said after the Sox edged the Pirates 4-3 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, ending a five-game slide.
"Yeah, we got a win. Sometimes when you're getting beat, it's hard to win one."
It was very hard - the White Sox took a 4-2 lead in the fifth inning on Yasmani Grandal's 2-run double and had to hang on.
But with a day off Thursday before opening a homestand Friday against the Seattle Mariners, the Sox should be able to settle down and get back to playing winning baseball.
"Coming out with the win is huge," starting pitcher Dylan Cease said. "We were able to stop the bleeding. Every team's going to go through a stretch like we just did. It's more about how you battle back, and we were able to do it today."
Cease pitched well over 5⅔ innings, but he made 2 errors on the same play in the third that wiped out the White Sox's 2-0 lead.
After muffing a bunt by Pittsburgh starter Chase De Jong, Cease followed with a wild throw to first base.
"The first thought was, 'Man, that was terrible. I can't believe you just did that,' " Cease said. "And then I let it go and got back to focusing on executing pitches."
After the bullpen fell apart in Tuesday's loss to the Pirates, Aaron Bummer stepped up to help the Sox split the short series.
Coming on in the seventh inning with runners on first and second and one out, Bummer retired Colin Moran and Gregory Polanco to keep the White Sox's lead at 4-3.
Bummer came back in the eighth and retired the side in order before Liam Hendriks did the same in the ninth inning to earn his 19th save.
"We've got a good pen," La Russa said. "We've got so many weapons out there. Bummer was the star. But if anybody wants to think about the role of the closer with what we had at stake after losing some games and only one up and you've got the good pinch hitter (Phillip Evans) and then the top of the lineup, you see just how special Liam is and how important a true shutdown closer is.
"That was a much needed save, and he got the win for our starting pitcher, who was just outstanding."
Banged up and tired of getting beat, the White Sox figured out a way to get back in the win column in Pittsburgh.
"You don't want to take it too serious, but this is what you do for a living," La Russa said. "It's been kind of miserable five straight days. We'd have taken a win anytime in there to ease the misery. The fact is that we got one today."