Week of August 9-15, 2021

August 9—Luis Robert activated from rehab

August 9—In/Outfielder Gavin Sheets optioned to Charlotte Knights (AAA)

August 9—Outfielder Luis González released (Claimed by Giants on 8/11)

Three-Game Series at Minnesota Twins

Twins win series 2-1

DEFENSE: Lucas Giolito dominates across 8.0 IP, in another 2-hit gem (1 R/ER, 0 BB, 8 SO). Garrett Crochet retires 3 and walks 1 (2 SO), in the 9^th. OFFENSE: The White Sox open the series with a shock-and-awe 1^st inning: for the second night in a row, Tim Anderson leads off the top of the 1^st with a solo HR (12), Eloy Jiménez–DH fires off a 2-run HR (4), bringing in César Hernández (walked), and Luis Robert reaches on an E3, scoring Brian Goodwin (doubled). In the 2^nd, Eloy Jiménez–DH outdoes himself with a 3-run HR (5), bringing in Tim Anderson (singled) and César Hernández (walked again). Luis Robert RBI 2B brings in Yoán Moncada (singled), in the 5^th. Brian Goodwin sac fly, brings in José Abreu (singled), in the 7^th. Tim Anderson RBI 1B, brings in Leury García (walked), in the 8^th. And finally, Yoán Moncada slams a solo HR (10), in the 9^th. Watch game highlights at mlb.com:

DEFENSE: Dallas Keuchel started off shaky, giving up 2 R on 1 H and 3 BB in the 1^st, then was fairly solid in the 2^nd through the 6^th, before giving up a costly 2-run HR with 2 outs in the 6^th (4 H, 4 R/ER, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 1 SO on 6.0 IP). Ryan Tepera retired 3 out of 4 (2 SO) in the 7^th. Aaron Bummer allowed 1 H, issued 1 BB and struck out 3 in the 8^th. OFFENSE: After a productive 3^rd inning, in which Adam Engel 2-run HR (7) brings in César Hernández (singled), and José Abreu smacks a solo HR (22), the bats go silent. Watch game highlights at mlb.com:

DEFENSE: Notified just today that he would be starting, in place of the originally scheduled Lance Lynn, Reynaldo López goes 1-2-3 in the 1^st, allows a lead-off 2B and retires the next three in the 2^nd, then issues 2 BB, picking off one of them, in the 3^rd (1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 SO on 3.0 IP). Reliever Garrett Crochet goes 1-2-3 (2 SO), in the 4^th, then gives up a 1B and issues a BB with two outs, in the 5^th. Both runners advance on a pickoff E1, but Crochet works himself out of the jam with a swinging strikeout to end the inning—4 SO on 2.0 IP. In the 6^th, José Ruiz gives up the only run—a solo HR—to Jorge Polanco (1 BB, 2 SO). Matt Foster goes 1-2-3 (1 SO) in the 7^th. Craig Kimbrel allows a 3B by Jorge Polanco on two outs, but retires the fourth batter, to end the 8^th (1 SO). OFFENSE: Twins starter Bailey Ober allows 6 hits (1 BB, 1 SO) on 5⅓ IP, and the Twins bullpen allow none, collectively striking out four more White Sox to complete the shutout. Watch game highlights at mlb.com:

Yasmani Grandal to Rehab

Carlos Rodón to Injured List

Three-Game Series vs. New York Yankees

Yankees win series 2-1

Thursday, August 12, 2021 at 6:15 pm CDT
Field of Dreams – Dyersville, Iowa
Lance Lynn, LHP vs.
Yankees / Andrew Heaney, LHP

W, 9-8, 68-48 (.586), W1 | WP: Liam Hendriks (7-2, 3.08) | Game 116

➤ MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred commits to returning to the Field of Dreams next season.

➤ The game is managed by bench coach Miguel Cairo, as Tony La Russa misses the game to attend the funeral of his sister’s husband.

DEFENSE: In what was a magical night for baseball and for the nation (5.9 million viewers), Lance Lynn throws a nice start against a tough Yankees lineup—4 H, 4 R/ER, 2 BB, 7 SO on 5.0+ IP. Lynn gives up a solo HR to Brett Gardner and walks Joey Gallo before he is relieved by Michael Kopech, in the 6^th. Kopech retires the next three. In the 7^th, with one out and a man on (bunted single), he walks DJ LeMahieu, after an unfavorable call that would have meant a SO. Too visibly enraged to continue, Kopech is relieved by Aaron Bummer, who gets the last two outs, giving up a BB in the process. In the 8^th, Craig Kimbrel goes GO, BB, then 2 SO. Finally, in the 9^th, Liam Hendriks delivers his sixth blown save of the season. Tyler Wade singles on Hendriks’ first pitch. He strikes out the next two. Then Aaron Judge slams a 2-run HR—his second of the night—making it 7-6 White Sox. He walks Joey Gallo, before giving up another 2-run HR to Giancarlo Stanton. Yankees lead 8-7. Hendriks strikes out Luke Voit for the last out. Courtesy of Tim Anderson, it will be the fourth blown save of the season that results in a win for Hendriks. OFFENSE: José Abreu solo HR (23), in 1^st, earns him the distinction of hitting the first HR in Iowa in MLB history, and puts him in third place on the White Sox career homers list, with 222 career HRs, behind Frank Thomas (438) and Paul Konerko (432). Tim Anderson RBI double and Eloy Jiménez 3-run homer (6), in 3^rd. Seby Zavala 2-run homer (4), in the 4^th. White Sox bats go quiet until the bottom of the 9^th, when Tim Anderson saves the day with a glorious 2-run walk-off HR—the eighth home run scored in the picture-perfect game. The series resumes on Saturday in Chicago. Watch game highlights at mlb.com:

TA’s walk-off smash

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DEFENSE: Dylan Cease pitches a solid 5-inning no decision (4 H, 3 R/ER, 0 BB, 6 SO), before Tony La Russa burns through six relievers to finish out the game (10 innings)—Garrett Crochet (1 BB, 4 SO on 1⅔ IP) and Ryan Tepera (1 BB, 1 SO on ⅓ IP) give up no runs in the 6^th and 7^th. Craig Kimbrel gives up a solo HR (0 BB, 1 SO), in the 8^th. Matt Foster preserves the 4-4 tie (1 BB, 1 SO), in the 9^th. In the 10^th, Liam Hendriks gives up a 1B to Aaron Judge, who scores the automatic runner, followed by a 2-run HR to Joey Gallo, making it 7-4 Yankees with no outs. Hendriks retires the third batter, before José Ruiz steps in to deliver the last two outs, in order. OFFENSE: Eloy Jiménez RBI ground out scores Tim Anderson (singled, advanced to 3B on José Abreu double), in the 1^st. Luis Robert solo HR (2), in the 2^nd. Eloy Jiménez sac fly scores César Hernández (singled, advanced to 3B on José Abreu double), in the 3^rd. José Abreu solo HR (24), in the 9^th. Luis Robert RBI 1B scores the automatic runner, and three are stranded, in the 10^th. Watch game highlights at mlb.com:

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DEFENSE: Lucas Giolito labors against the Yankees lineup. He faces 22 batters in 4.0 IP, allowing 6 H, and giving up 3 R (2 ER), with 3 BB and 8 SO. He is relieved by Ryan Tepera, in the 5^th. Tepera walks Giancarlo Stanton, who steals 2B on a wild pitch. He strikes out Kyle Higashioka, who reaches on a passed ball by Seby Zavala. But Tepera makes it through the inning without giving up a run (2 SO). José Ruiz issues 2 BB and retires 4 (2 SO) on 1⅓ IP. Aaron Bummer issues 2 BB (1 intentional–Aaron Judge) and retires 5 (3 SO) on 1⅔ IP. In the 9^th, Matt Foster gives up a 2B, a 2-run HR, and a 1B, then retires the next three. César Hernández makes 3 errors—2 throwing and 1 fielding. OFFENSE: Yankees left-handed starter, Nestor Cortes, Jr., pitches 6.0 strong innings against the White Sox (7 H, 1 R/ER, 1 BB, 7 SO). Andrew Vaughn solo HR (14) in the 6^th. In the 9^th, Zach Collins RBI 2B scores Yoán Moncada–DH (walked), and Tim Anderson RBI 1B scores Luis Robert (singled), before César Hernández hits into a game-ending double play. Tony La Russa is ejected in the 8^th, following a rather subdued confrontation with the HP umpire regarding a third strike called on Eloy Jiménez. Watch game highlights at mlb.com:

Leury García Injured