The White Sox just smashed the Twins 10-1 on Sunday, but honestly, it was their bullpen that truly brought the heat. Seriously, this wasn’t just some solid outing; it was a full-on masterclass that should make any opposing lineup sweat.
This Bullpen Came to Play, No Joke
Manager Will Venable had a plan, and man, did it ever pay off. They rolled out Bryan Hudson, Jordan Hicks, Hagen Smith, Grant Taylor, and Tyler Davis in a planned bullpen game, and those five arms combined to allow just one single run. One! They piled up a ridiculous 15 strikeouts against Minnesota batters and gave up only one walk. Venable nailed it, “The plan worked. Everyone did a great job. They came out, they executed, got the outs we needed. The line for the bullpen speaks for itself.” The only tiny speed bump was when Grant Taylor gave up a leadoff homer and a walk in the seventh, but he locked it down immediately, retiring the next three guys and striking out the side in the eighth. Talk about flipping the switch! Hagen Smith was a beast, too, bridging those crucial middle innings with three perfect frames and four strikeouts. Sam Antonacci, a guy who knows talent, was hyped, saying it was “probably the best I’ve ever seen him throw.” When your relievers look this good, it’s easy to start seeing how they could absolutely shut down opponents when the games really matter.
Offense Explodes, But the Achilles’ Heel Remains
Here’s the wild part: even with their big boppers, Miguel Vargas, Munetaka Murakami, and Colson Montgomery (all 30-homer guys), being mostly quiet, the White Sox still put up 10 runs! Sam Antonacci crushed three doubles from the leadoff spot, Tristan Peters went 3-for-5, and Kyle Teel and Randal Grichuk blasted eighth-inning dingers. Antonacci was stoked, “[I’m] just excited and happy to produce for my team. Felt like I haven’t done that in a while, so to be able to help them out and ultimately come out on top tonight is September baseball.” That offensive depth is legit.
But here’s the kicker, the one stat that keeps you up at night: the starting rotation. While the bullpen is flashing absolute brilliance, the starters rank 26th in baseball in ERA. Worse, they’re dead last in innings pitched, by almost 30 innings! That’s a massive problem, putting tons of pressure on the bullpen down the stretch and into any potential postseason. Kyle Teel sees the potential, though, saying nights like this “really show what we’re capable of. As a pitching staff and as a team.” If starters only need to go four innings in the playoffs, that bullpen could be a secret weapon.
Right now, the Guardians are only 2.5 games back, and Venable joked they’re “always winning,” walking off the Tigers right before the Sox game. They’ve won three of four in Detroit. The White Sox *have* to keep winning just as often. Next up: a crucial three-game series against those same Guardians in Cleveland. This is where the rubber meets the road. Can that bullpen keep bailing out the rotation? Can the offense stay hot? This series is going to tell us everything.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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