DETROIT — The White Sox have become adept at the late-game rally.
The Sox trailed by a run in the seventh inning before right fielder Will Robertson tied the game on an RBI single. Then, in the eighth with the bases loaded, the Sox took a two-run lead after an RBI single by first baseman Lenyn Sosa.
This weekend, the Sox were able to continue their hot offensive stretch and take two of three against a first-place Tigers team after Sunday’s 6-4 win. The Sox won six games on their seven-game road trip.
“Our offense feels inevitable at this point,” starter Davis Martin, who allowed four runs (two earned) on two hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Martin didn’t have his best stuff, but given how timely the offense has been of late, he did just enough to ensure the Sox had a chance.
“Just grind it out, because the offense is coming eventually,” Martin said.
The Sox’ series against the Tigers was the perfect test for a Sox team that has played inconsistent baseball in the second half. Grabbing a series win against a team that’s looking to clinch a playoff spot has to be satisfying.
The Tigers, who are in first place in the American League Central, can be seen as somewhat of a blueprint for the Sox. The Tigers’ rebuild centered around a core group of position players — Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson and Dillon Dingler. They drafted lefty Tarik Skubal and watched him blossom from a ninth-round draft pick to an ace.
Despite not having playoffs to play for, how the Sox finish the season is critical going forward. Most of the roster is comprised of players the Sox hope will become the next core.
The Sox started sloppily on Sunday, loading the bases with no outs. After inducing a fly out to Torkelson, center fielder Brooks Baldwin made an errant throw home that skipped past Teel, allowing two of three runs in the inning.
Manager Will Venable was impressed that his team was able to “recollect ourselves there after that and get focused.”
This stretch was challenging as the team dealt with nagging soreness that comes with playing this deep into the season and constant bullpen and rotation flux.
“We’ve talked about how important finishing strong is for us,” Venable said.
Outside of Saturday’s blowout when the team couldn’t get a hit off Skubal — who threw seven shutout innings with six strikeouts and one walk — the Sox offense was able to keep pace with the Tigers.
The defense also was a standout against the Tigers on Sunday. With the Sox trailing 4-3 in the sixth, Robertson robbed Torkelson of a homer with a spectacular leaping catch at the left-field wall, prompting Martin to tip his cap to the outfielder.
“That’s probably the highest I’ve ever jumped in my life,” Robertson said.
The Sox’ play was uneven over their 17 games in 17 days, but they finished with a 10-7 record over that span.. They thoroughly handled a beleaguered Twins team, notching comeback wins in all four games as they enjoyed their first four-game sweep over the Twins in club history.
Next season is going to be a fresh start, but the clubhouse believes that finishing this season strong will propel them into next year.
“To sweep any series is tough, especially a four-game series against a division component is huge,” Robertson said. “And then coming here against the best team in our division, and being able to handle them like we did was really cool.”