Week of July 12-18, 2021

All-Star Week 2021

Monday, July 12

The matchups (with season-to-date home runs, through July 6) are:

#1 Shohei Ohtani (31) vs. #8 Juan Soto (10)
#2 Joey Gallo (21) vs. #7 Trevor Story (11)
#3 Matt Olson (20) vs. #6 Trey Mancini (15)
#4 Salvador Pérez (20) vs. #5 Pete Alonso (15)

Round 1

• Trey Mancini (24 HR) edges out Matt Olson (23 HR).
• Trevor Story (20 HR) edges out Joey Gallo (19 HR). Story slams one 518′, beating the previous Home Run Derby record of 513′ (Aaron Judge).
• Defending Champ Pete Alonso (35 HR) beats Salvador Perez (28 HR).
• After tying the match at 22, then tying the tie-breaker at 28, Juan Soto wins in the “swing off” with 31 total HRs to Shohei Ohtani’s 28. Soto launches a 520′ bomb, breaking the distance record that Story had just set. Ohtani hits all of the highest-velocity drives of the night at 117 MPH.

Semifinals

• Mancini (13) beats Story (10).
• Alonso (16) beats Soto (15).

Finals

Both sluggers go into their bonus time with 17, but Alonso slams 6 more to Mancini’s 5 to win his second consecutive Home Run Derby.

Highlights from mlb.com

Tuesday, July 13

The American League wins 5-2, its eighth consecutive win and fifteenth win across the past eighteen All-Star Games. Japanese-born Angels starter Shohei Ohtani—who qualified for the ASG as both pitcher and hitter—books the win. Australian-born White Sox closer Liam Hendricks makes the save. Canadian-born/Dominican-raised Vladimir “Vladito” Guerrero, Jr. earns MVP, delivering a 468′ solo home run in the 3^rd and a run-scoring groundout in the 5^th. Vladito and his father, Vladamir Guerrero, Sr. (2006), are the third father-son duo to hit home runs in All-Star Games, along with Bobby (1973) and Barry (1998) Bonds, and Ken Griffey, Sr. (1980) and Jr. (1992). Watch game highlights from mlb.com:

Eloy Jiménez Rehab Progress

July 15—Aaron Bummer activated from IL

Three-Game Series vs. Houston Astros

White Sox win series 2-1

July 16, 1:10 pm—At six hours before the start of Game 1, the White Sox have not yet announced probable pitchers for any games in the series. Update, 2:30 pm—Probable pitchers for the series have been posted.

➤ Tim Anderson extends his hitting streak to 13 consecutive games.

Dylan Cease pitches well, striking out 10 across 5 ⅔ innings (6 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 HBP), but Lance McCullers, Jr. pitches even better, allowing just 2 hits and striking out 10 in 7.0 IP (1 ER, 2 BB, 1 HBP). In his first appearance since being activated from the IL (yesterday), Aaron Bummer whips his first pitch at the head of Michael Brantley (missed), then lets Brantley single, then allows Brantley to steal 2B and 3B on two wild pitches, then manages to hit Abraham Toro in just ⅔ of an inning. Tough day at the office! Wearing the all-black City Connect uniforms, the White Sox start strong. Dylan Cease pitches a 1-2-3 first inning, striking out both #2 Michael Brantley and #3 Yuli Gurriel, then retires #3, #4, and #5 in the Astros lineup on swinging strikes in the 2^nd. Lead-off batter Tim Anderson triples on the first pitch in the bottom of the 1^st, and Yoán Moncada (#2 in the lineup) bats him in on the first pitch with a double. But the offense was all downhill from there. The White Sox score just 1 R on 3 H. Watch game highlights from mlb.com:

Jake Lamb to Rehab

➤ Tim Anderson extends his hitting streak to 14 consecutive games.

LUCAS F’ING GIOLITO!!! Giolito commands and controls all night, retiring 27 of 30 Astros for a complete game (3 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 8 SO). After throwing a scoreless, one-hit 7 ⅔ innings, he gives up the Astros’ only run to Abraham Toro (HR) in the 8^th. World class!!! Tim Anderson goes 3 for 5 with a solo HR (7) in the 3^rd, an RBI 1B in the 4^th, and a 2B in the 6^th. Zack Collins scores a solo HR (4) in the 3^rd. Newbie Jake Burger–DH (called up 7/2) steps up with an RBI 2B in the 4^th and a solo HR (career first) in the 7^th. Newbie Gavin Sheets (called up 6/29) contributes a 2-run HR (4) in the 5^th. Hitting a 3-run HR (16) in the 6^th, José Abreu ties Carlton Fisk for fourth place in career home runs (214), in the franchise record book. Watch game highlights from mlb.com:

➤ Tim Anderson extends his hitting streak to 15 consecutive games.

Another championship-level gem from Carlos Rodón—0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 10 SO, on 7.0 IP. Michael Kopech (1 SO) and Liam Hendriks (2 SO) pitch a 1-2-3 inning each to shut out the Astros. Danny Mendick RBI 1B in the 2^nd. Yoán Moncada–DH solo HR (6) in the 4^th. Tim Anderson solo HR (8) in the 5^th makes him the first player in White Sox history to record a hit and a run scored in 11 consecutive games. Adam Engel RBI 1B in the 7^th. Watch game highlights from mlb.com: