Anderson looking to have more fun after rejoining Chicago White Sox
Tim Anderson had to wait 33 days for his sprained right ankle to heal before coming off the injured list and rejoining the Chicago White Sox.
He'll have to wait a little long to start enjoying himself.
Anderson was really hoping to get the ball rolling early Tuesday night, but starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard and the Mets had different ideas in a 5-2 interleague victory over the Sox in 11 innings at Guaranteed Rate Field.
With the White Sox trailing 2-1 in the ninth, Anderson managed to tie it with a sacrifice fly to move the game to extra innings. New York score 3 runs in the 11th on back-to-back homers off reliever Josh Osich, a 2-run shot by Jeff McNeil and solo rocket by Michael Conforto.
Before rejoining the Sox after playing five rehab games with Class AAA Charlotte, Anderson talked about how difficult it was being away.
"Hearing from some of the guys, they missed me," Anderson said. "I'm excited to be back and ready to get back with the guys and keep competing at a high level, just being able to bring that energy to the ballclub."
The White Sox are in desperate need of the energy Anderson provided over the first three months of the season.
They managed just 1 unearned run on 5 hits through 7⅓ innings off Syndergaard, who also had 11 strikeouts and has been prominently mentioned in trade rumors leading up to Wednesday afternoon's deadline.
Anderson is hoping to get back to the more competitive - and entertaining - days of the first half of the season.
"I want to have a lot more fun," he said. "Just watching it from the bench, I appreciate the game a lot more. I'm ready to get back out there."
With the loss to the Mets, the Sox are 4-14 since the all-star break.
"It's the nature of the business, the nature of the beast," manager Rick Renteria said. "Unfortunately for us, we feel it. We don't like losing."
Eloy Jimenez (elbow) returned from the IL on Sunday. With Anderson also back, the White Sox's moribund offense should start perking up. Over their last 21 games, the Sox are 29-for-154 (.188) with runners in scoring position.
"Having those guys in the lineup picks us up," Renteria said. "Everyone else has done an admirable job out there trying to keep us moving along, but when you miss two key pieces like that, it helps to get them back."
The Sox did lose their hottest hitter, Yoan Moncada. He exited Tuesday's game in the bottom of the first inning with right hamstring tightness and is day to day.
Reynaldo Lopez was 1-1 with a 1.71 ERA in his first 3 starts of the second half. The right-hander wasn't quite as sharp against New York, giving up 2 runs on 6 hits and 4 walks in 5⅓ innings while throwing 103 pitches.
"He was working through a lot of traffic," Renteria said. "But he minimized the damage and kept us there. We had opportunities but just fell a little short."