Fourth time's a charm: Robert's big hit in ninth lifts Sox past Marlins

Luis Robert Jr. played his typical Gold Glove defense for the White Sox Friday night.

"If there's a better center fielder in this game, I'd like to see it," manager Pedro Grifol said.

At the plate, Robert wasn't good during his first three at-bats in the Sox's interleague meeting with the Marlins at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Coming up for the fourth time with one out in the ninth inning and runners on first and second in a 1-1 game, Robert came through with a clutch run-scoring single to lift the White Sox to a 2-1 win over Miami.

"Every at-bat is different," Robert said through a translator. "In one at-bat, they can try to get you with breaking balls. And the next one, you make adjustments. As a hitter, you're always trying to see what you can figure out, and the next at-bat, you don't try to think too much about the last one."

Robert did just that, and the Sox have now won six of seven.

"For any athlete, the best thing you can do is help your team win a game." Robert said. "To me, that was the most important thing, and of course it made me feel very good."

And Robert's breaking the tie gave Liam Hendriks his second win of the season.

Starting pitcher Dylan Cease still hasn't completely found the 2022 form that vaulted him to a second-place finish in AL Cy Young Award voting, but he's getting there.

Matched up against intriguing 20-year-old Marlins starter Eury Perez, Cease went 6 innings and allowed 1 run (Joey Wendle's solo homer) on 4 hits and 2 walks to go with 7 strikeouts.

"We needed a good start, and he gave it to us," Grifol said. "That's what No. 1's do."

With a 4.38 ERA this year, Cease is trying to get back to that top dog status. The 27-year-old righty had a 2.20 ERA last season.

"A good continuation of going in the right direction," Cease said. "I feel like I'm pretty close. I've got plenty to get the job done; it's reaching that next level. I still think I've got more in the tank. Really, just executing pitches is what it's all about.

"I'm getting more consistent with that, and I feel every start my confidence is growing."

The White Sox don't play the Marlins very often, and this is the first time since 2019 the two teams are matching up.

Miami is running a surprising second in the NL East despite not having many offensive weapons besides Luis Arraez and Jorge Soler.

"They've got really good pitching, so they're always going to stay in games," Grifol said. "And they seem to have adopted a small ball mentality, because they're always in games where they have really good pitching. So you've got to be fundamentally sound if you're going to beat these guys. They play hard; they do the little things well."

Arraez, acquired from the Twins in an off-season trade, came in batting .403. The second baseman is down to .400 after going 1-for-4.

"Just a tough out," Grifol said. "He has good eye-hand coordination, uses the whole field. There's not really a way to defend him because he uses the whole field. You can't just take away the singles because he'll hit some doubles. Just a good hitter all the way around. Not the guy you want to see with the game on the line."

For the White Sox, that would be Robert.