White Sox Rally in 10th to Stun Blue Jays
CHICAGO (Interstat) — In a chaotic 10th inning that saw the winning run score on a throwing error, the Chicago White Sox snapped a three-game skid with a 5-4 walk-off victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field.
A crowd of 33,171 watched as the White Sox, who entered the game with the American League’s worst record, twice squandered leads before capitalizing on a critical Toronto mistake in the final frame to improve to 2-5. The Blue Jays fell to 4-3.
The decisive bottom of the 10th began with automatic runner Miguel Vargas on second base. After Colson Montgomery grounded out, moving Vargas to third, and Austin Hays struck out, the White Sox were down to their final out.
Pinch-hitter Derek Hill then laid down a bunt toward Toronto catcher Tyler Heineman. Heineman’s throw to first was errant, allowing Vargas to score the tying run and Hill to advance to second on the error. Tristan Peters followed by lining a single to right field off losing pitcher Jeff Hoffman, scoring Hill easily to trigger the celebration.
The frantic finish capped a game that saw Toronto rally to force extras. Trailing 3-1 since the third inning, the Blue Jays tied it in the eighth on a two-run homer by shortstop Andrés Giménez off White Sox reliever Jordan Leasure. Giménez drove a 1-1 pitch over the right-field wall, scoring Ernie Clement, who had led off the inning with a single.
The game remained deadlocked into the 10th, where Toronto pushed ahead. Automatic runner Davis Schneider moved to third on a groundout and scored when White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas committed a throwing error on a grounder by George Springer. The play was upheld after a Chicago challenge.
That set the stage for Chicago’s comeback against Hoffman, who fell to 1-1. Seranthony Domínguez earned the win for Chicago, pitching a scoreless top of the 10th.
The game’s most pivotal sequence, beyond the final plays, was the Blue Jays’ failure to capitalize with a lead in the top of the 10th. With a runner on third and only one out, they could not produce a sacrifice fly or a clean hit, instead scoring on an error. That missed opportunity to add an insurance run proved costly minutes later.
Chicago built its early lead against Toronto starter Dylan Cease, who went 4 1/3 innings in his return to Guaranteed Rate Field, allowing two earned runs on five hits while striking out six. The White Sox scored an unearned run in the first on a missed catch error by Cease, then added two in the third on a two-run single by Austin Hays.
Toronto’s bullpen provided strong work to keep the game close. After Cease exited, Braydon Fisher, Louis Varland and Brendon Little combined for 3 2/3 innings of scoreless, two-hit relief.
White Sox starter Grant Taylor navigated 5 2/3 innings, allowing one run on four hits. The lone damage against him came in the second inning when Addison Barger doubled and scored on an RBI double by Alejandro Kirk.
The Blue Jays finished with seven hits, while the White Sox collected 11. The game time was 2 hours, 57 minutes.
According to Interstat, the result was an upset. Their game simulator had projected a 7-3 Toronto victory, and their ELO system gave the Blue Jays a 68.4% probability to win. The combined nine runs went under the pregame over/under line of 7.5.
The teams continue their three-game series Saturday afternoon.