The Chicago White Sox looked comfortably on their way to tying the AL Central Division at the top again with the Cleveland Guardians.
The Guardians were finishing off a Friday night win over the Athletics, but the White Sox were also in control, leading 8-2 against the Detroit Tigers.
That’s when everything went wrong.
And when the dust settled on Friday night, instead of a first-place tie, the White Sox are now a game behind.
White Sox Historic Collapse
This century, the White Sox held a 307-2 mark when leading by six runs or more in a home game, according to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.
That’s now 307-3.
The White Sox lost their 8-2 lead to Detroit and fell 11-8.
Chicago had allowed a run in the top of the first to the Tigers on a wild pitch, but then they rallied back with six runs in the bottom half.
Colson Montgomery’s bases-clearing double, followed by a Miguel Vargas double, were what made it 6-1.
After Detroit got one run back in the top of the third, Vargas launched a two-run homer to go up 8-2 and make it seem like the White Sox were in total control.
Trouble started in the fifth, when the Tigers loaded the bases and then Kevin McGonigle cleared them with a three-run triple to pull within 8-5.
In the sixth, Hao-Yu Lee delivered an RBI double to pull the Tigers within 8-6.
Then it was Lee again in the eighth — a two-run home run to tie the game 8-8.
The Tigers delivered the finishing damage in that same frame, too. Dillon Dingler had an RBI single for the lead, and then Riley Greene launched a two-run homer for the final margin.
The Tigers aren’t technically mathematically eliminated, and this will maintain a small bit of hope for them.
But this certainly was a brutal defeat for the White Sox in their pursuit of a division title.
White Sox Standings
The White Sox are now 78-76.
They sit one-game behind the Guardians, who are 79-75.
Both teams have eight games remaining.
The White Sox do currently sit in the third-and-final American League Wild Card spot, but barely.
They have a one-game edge on the Texas Rangers, who are 77-77 — and the Rangers are tied with the Astros atop the AL West with that record, so one of those teams will be hoping to seize that final playoff spot for themselves rather than for an AL Central club.
The Toronto Blue Jays (76-78) and Baltimore Orioles (75-79) are still technically in the AL Wild Card picture, as well.
The White Sox play two more games against the Tigers over the weekend, then they’ll have three against the Royals and three against the Rockies to close out the season. Those last two series are certainly winnable games, so the White Sox still have a shot, but they lost a great chance on Friday.
White Sox See 307-2 Scenario Go Against Them