White Sox rally to avoid elimination in Game 3 originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Tim Anderson had a straightforward answer when asked what about the White Sox’ performance in the first two games of the American League Division Series made him optimistic about Game 3.
“All the hits,” he said.
Sure enough, on Sunday the White Sox avoided elimination with a 12-6 win against the Astros and plenty more hits. To be exact, 16.
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To Anderson’s point, the White Sox logged seven hits in a 6-1 Game 1 loss and 11 hits in a 9-4 Game 2 loss this past week. All 18 base knocks were singles. But, with a raucous home crowd behind them on Sunday, the White Sox overcame a short start from Dylan Cease to claim their first win of the series.
Just like Game 2 at Houston, the White Sox struck first, Anderson scoring on Eloy Jiménez’s RBI single in the first inning.
The Astros then rallied in the second and third innings for five runs. This time, however, the White Sox erased the Astros’ lead with a pair of multi-run homers in the bottom of the third inning.
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Yasmani Grandal’s two-run blast was the White Sox’ first extra-base hit of the playoffs this year. Then, Leury García gave the White Sox a 6-5 lead with a three-run shot to center.
The fourth inning marked the real turning point in the game. The White Sox batted through the order, with five hits and three runs.
Anderson led off with a single, and Luis Robert and José Abreu followed suit. Then, Grandal hit a ground ball up the first base line, and the throw home glanced off Grandal’s arm as he ran on the edge of the infield grass on his way to first. Robert scored on the fielder’s choice. Jiménez topped off the no-out rally with an RBI single of his own.
With the win, the White Sox forced a Game 4. First pitch is scheduled for 2:37 p.m. CT on Monday.
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