White Sox pick up Kimbrel, hang on to beat Cubs in 10 innings
It wasn't exactly the way the White Sox drew it up, but they did manage to beat a decimated Cubs team Friday in a marathon game at Wrigley Field.
Holding a 4-1 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, the Sox had all-star closers Craig Kimbrel and Liam Hendriks lined up to finish off a Cubs lineup that started only one familiar name, Ian Happ.
Kimbrel got the call in the eighth in his first game back at Wrigley since being traded from the Cubs to the White Sox on July 30.
In 19⅔ innings at home before the deal, Kimbrel allowed only 1 run. In 38⅔ innings overall heading into the game, he allowed only 2 runs.
Kimbrel did yield a pair of singles before Andrew Romine came to the plate with two outs and hit a stunning 3-run homer to tie the game at 4.
"It happens," Hendriks said. "It happens to the best of them, to everybody."
It happened to Kimbrel, and he was lifted for Hendriks after Robinson Chirinos followed Romine with another single.
Hendriks struck out Sergio Alcantara, got three more strikeouts in the ninth and the Sox settled for an 8-6 win in 10 innings.
"We've done it before where it looks like it could be kind of devastating," manager Tony La Russa said. "I think that's one of the reasons fans understand the heart of this club is really, really strong, beating all the time, very tough. It's a shame we had to prove it today like this, but that was the difference."
Hendriks got the game to extra innings, and the White Sox sent nine hitters to the plate in the 10th. Outfielder Brian Goodwin gave the Sox an instant jolt with a 2-run homer leading off, also scoring designated runner Jose Abreu.
"I'm just blessed, blessed to be in an opportunity, blessed to be on a good team, a fighting team, a scrappy team, one that don't give up," Goodwin said. "Just keep fighting to be in the position to put my talents on display, no matter really what the situation is."
Goodwin was looking for a fastball from Cubs reliever Manuel Rodriguez and he got one.
"A guy throwing that hard, upper 90s to 100 mph, you really just want to have your foot down as early as possible," Goodwin said. "You want to be in position to hit the fastball with somebody that's fastball-reliant, which he was. Also getting your foot down helps you to be able to recognize breaking balls a little bit sooner and be in position to put a good swing on it. That's kind of where I was at, looking for the heater, but reacting to the breaking stuff."
As for Kimbrell, he is still adjusting to a new team and he also has to adapt to pitching in the eighth inning when called on.
"His numbers are so otherworldly, but you've seen it other times when you come into the ninth and it's not a one-run lead, so you fall behind," La Russa said. "But it happens when you would think that a save is going to be routine. It's never routine. And the way we're playing it now, the eighth inning is like the ninth, right? He's got to get three outs. It just shows you how difficult that job is."