Gamethread: White Sox at Padres

San Diego is in the playoffs, playing the string out; Chicago is not, but yeah, it’s playing the string out, too

This is a pressed into coverage gamethread, so none of the bells and whistles you get when all the cool kids give you pitch mixes and matchups. I did plan something special for Sunday, but that might get nixed if my coverage switches to tonight. I guess we’ll see.

Remember back when WIN thought it mildly controversial that I predicted the White Sox would be swept by the Padres this weekend, way back at midseason? It might not happen now, not because the White Sox are any good, but because San Diego is pretty much locked into the second wild card and traveling to Atlanta in the first round. Or, maybe my bracketology is off. I suppose there’s a chance the Padres can still fall to the third wild card spot, behind Philadelphia/Milwaukee, or all the way out of the playoffs, behind both the Phillies and Brewers. Unlikely, but ... OK, the White Sox are gonna get swept this weekend.

But you didn’t come here for betting advice or reminiscences, you came for ... well, on a late-night game, season cooling in the morgue, what is it you came for? Ah, the camaraderie and warmth of your fellow White Sox fan. Well then, welcome, friend.

Trial by fire: Mark Payton playing in-between Gavin Sheets and Andrew Vaughn in the Petco outfield. Remember when Johnny Cueto was routinely pitching seven, eight innings, because, like, he’s one-and-done with the White Sox, if not his career, burn him up. This is the rookie outfielder version of that.

If the Padres can get off their shifts at Taco Bell early enough, they’ll line up like this to face our guys:

Game time is 8:40 p.m. CT, watch it at that place that tweeted the Fresh Prince meme into existence, listen to the broadcast on AM 1000.

I’ll see you after the game, maybe in disguise, maybe playing out the string, maybe not at all ...