The White Sox returned home this week, in second place in the division standings for the first time since beating the Guardians on Independence Day.
After edging out the Tigers, 3-1 on Thursday, they’re even again with Cleveland at 78-75, and technically ahead due to the season series tiebreaker. But maybe being behind for a day wasn’t the worst thing.
“We play better when we’re behind,” Miguel Vargas told the Sun-Times. “We like being the underdog. We like to go out there when people do not believe in us.”
Beginning his career with the Dodgers as a reserve, Vargas has been on hand for a post-clinch locker room celebration in the major leagues before. Now that he’s an All-Star third baseman, pulling off crucial game-ending double plays in a playoff race, he thinks champagne would taste sweeter in the White Sox clubhouse.
“With the Dodgers, you always expect to go to the World Series every year,” Vargas said. “Here, I feel nobody believes in us. Everyone doubts us. We were supposed to be the 28th team in MLB this year [according to] ESPN. Now we’re on the way to the postseason, and being underdogs is what it’s about. I feel like that’s what makes us better, being underdogs. That’s what’s brought us to this beautiful year.”
Recent weeks have found the Sox trying to reclaim the loose clubhouse atmosphere they had while defying expectations, like the ones Vargas referenced. Now that a series loss in Cleveland has their division title odds looking shaky again, maybe they’ll embrace that feeling.
“We put ourselves in this position, and we need to clean it up,” Vargas said. “We’re going to be there in the playoffs, and kick some ass too.”
Mune shakes off slump
In the seven games since his last homer, Munetaka Murakami went 1-for-20 with 12 strikeouts, and sat for Wednesday’s series finale in Cleveland.
On Thursday, his three-run blast accounted for all the Sox’ scoring, and his triple capped his first multi-hit game since Aug. 28.
“When the season is done, I don’t want to be regretting anything at all,” Murakami said via interpreter. “Leaving everything out there is my last goal.”
Murakami entered the night slugging .299 since Aug. 1 and admitted earlier this month that his swing had become too extreme of an uppercut stroke. Manager Will Venable alluded to continued adjustments aimed at addressing his struggles. But with nine games left, Murakami isn’t trying to get too far in the weeds of his swing mechanics.
“It’s more about the attitude going in,” Murakami said via interpreter. “It doesn’t really matter how I swing at the ball and what my mechanics are at the moment. It’s just about getting that win.”
Montgomery is day-to-day
After leaving Wednesday’s game with a left wrist contusion caused by a hit-by-pitch, Colson Montgomery missed Thursday’s game. The Sox say Montgomery is day-to-day, but that day is unlikely to be Friday.
“There’s still a lot of pain involved in him swinging,” said Venable.
Castillo to the bullpen
With his 7.76 ERA in a White Sox uniform and nine games remaining, the team is abandoning the idea of trade-deadline acquisition Luis Castillo providing a boost to the rotation. Venable said Castillo’s next appearance will be out of the bullpen, and Friday’s scheduled starter David Sandlin is effectively taking his spot in the rotation.