at a certain point everything that could go wrong does go wrong
A monumental collapse against a putrid Marlins team — the White Sox were up, 4-1, with six outs left to get — dropped the South Siders to 40 worse than .500 for the second time this season. Despite getting Miami down to its final strike, Michael Kopech blew another save in the most fantastical way possible, culminating in Old Friend Jake Burger obliterating a 99 mph fastball up and away for a no-doubt game-winner.
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Baseball Savant
Believe it or not, Burger’s blast wasn’t the biggest momentum shift of the game, because by the time he stepped to the plate the Marlins were in decent shape to win the game, in the ninth or eventually. Josh Bell’s game-tying double, at 44.4% WPA, was both the biggest play and biggest swing of the game. The ball sailed just over Tommy Pham on a mistimed jump, so Josh should buy Tommy dinner next time the two hitters face off.
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On the strength of that ninth-inning clout, Josh Bell takes Game MVP honors with 41.7% WPA. Danny Mendick was tops on the White Sox, and third in the game overall, with 23.8% WPA.
Andrew Vaughn greeted Miami reliever JT Chargois with a 112.2 mph single to left-center to open the ninth. The White Sox were unable to add an insurance run despite the bright start to the final frame.
The softest non-bunt in the game came in the fifth, when Jazz Chisholm Jr. managed just a 48.8 mph grounder back to Sox starter Jonathan Cannon.
Korey Lee had an infield single to second base, to lead off the fourth inning. That’s normally a routine out, given Lee’s .080 xBA on the grounder.
The White Sox had continued luck at second base in the game, as Nick Fortes lined out to Lenyn Sosa in the fourth inning; the ball wasn’t drilled, but the defensive positioning managed to squelch a .630 xBA hit.
Yup, Jake Burger drilled his sayonara homer 431 feet to win it for Miami.
White Sox 2024 Record 26-66, worst 92-game start in White Sox history (4 1⁄2 games worse than the next-worst, 1948 White Sox) and tied for 20th-worst start all-time
White Sox 2024 Run Differential -164, tied for 52nd-worst 92-game start in MLB history
White Sox 2024 Season Record Pace 46-116 (.283)
Race to the Worst “Modern” 162-Game Record (2003 Tigers, 43-119) 3 games better
Race to the Worst “Modern” Record in a 162-Game Season (1962 Mets, 40-120) 5 games better
Race to the Most White Sox Losses (1970, 106) 10 games worse
Race to the Worst White Sox Record (1932, 52-109-1*) 6 1⁄2 games worse
Race to the Worst American League Record (1916 A’s, 38-124*) 8 games better
*record adjusted to a 162-game season
CSW called strikes plus whiffs
Hard-hit is any ball off the bat at 95 mph or more
LI measures pressure per play
pLI measures total pressure faced in-game
Whiff a swing-and-miss
WPA win probability added measures contributions to the win
xBA expected batting average
