White Sox use cart, shaving cream to celebrate Pedro Grifol originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The White Sox defeated the Houston Astros on Opening Day at Minute Maid Park, 3-2. Grifol, in turn, became the first full-time White Sox manager in 25 years to win his debut game. Jerry Manuel was the last to do it in 1998.
The team celebrated by shoving Grifol in a cart, pushing him into a shower and dousing him in shaving cream. Grifol described the experience to reporters after the game, saying "It was fun."
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Dylan Cease was certainly a highlight, pitching 6.1 innings and striking out a White Sox record 10 batters on Opening Day. He allowed just two hits and zero runs.
MORE: Dylan Cease ties White Sox Opening Day record
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It was Andrew Vaughn's two-run double late in the game that sealed the deal for the White Sox. He scored Tim Anderson and Luis Robert to take over the game.
Reynaldo Lopez earned his closer stripes by securing his first career save. He was the first to come from the White Sox' closer committee/ The team will run multiple closers as they await the return of Liam Hendriks, who is receiving cancer treatment for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Lopez, while allowing a home run to Yordan Alvarez to allow the Astros back within one run, impressed in his first outing of the season. He threw multiple 100 mph fastballs and a nasty slider to strike out Yainer Diaz to end the game.
Could he become the team's go-to temporary closer?
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Grifol showed his veteran baseball knowledge, despite his rookie status as a manager, against the defending world champions.
He made substitutions, switching out Romy González for Oscar Colás. He yanked Cease at a reasonable time after the wheels started to fall off after 86 pitches. Grifol brought energy in the clubhouse, yelling in excitement after Lopez struck out the final batter.
The Astros are a perennial White Sox crusher and they have three games left in the series.
