The Chicago White Sox (11-28) put an end to a four-game slide on Friday night, securing a 6-2 win against the Miami Marlins (14-23). Despite being outhit by the Marlins, who tallied seven knocks, Miami’s dismal 1-for-15 showing with runners in scoring position and 11 men left on base sealed their fate.
Adding to the positive news, first baseman Tim Elko is finally making his way to the majors. As reported by Vinnie Duber shortly before first pitch, Elko will join the team Saturday after dominating in Triple-A Charlotte, where he posted a 1.101 OPS through 31 games. He’s among the top hitters in the International League, tied for first in home runs (10), and has become a fan favorite even before his debut. Elko’s promotion has been long anticipated, and he could be a much-needed boost to the lineup.
Bryse Wilson, now regularly filling the fifth starter role despite originally being a reliever, delivered a serviceable outing. Over five innings, he gave up three hits and one earned run, with two walks and one strikeout. A bit of early chaos in the first inning, including a walk and an errant throw on a pickoff attempt, allowed Miami to jump ahead. Both walks came against Xavier Edwards, who stole second in the fifth and later scored on a Jesús Sánchez single, putting the Marlins up 1-0.
The White Sox answered quickly in the second. Andrew Vaughn evened things up with his fourth home run of the season, and a few batters later, Brooks Baldwin reached base after being hit by a pitch. Michael A. Taylor followed with a sharply hit double to center, bringing Baldwin home to give Chicago a 2-1 lead.
Jordan Leasure took over in the sixth and faced a tough stretch of Miami’s lineup. He surrendered a double to Agustín Ramírez, but managed to escape the inning unscathed, recording two key strikeouts.
Caleb Freeman struggled in the seventh, giving up a game-tying homer and only managing one out before Cam Booser was called in to contain the damage. Booser succeeded and eventually earned the win for his efforts.
The offense kicked back into gear in the bottom of the seventh. Josh Rojas led off with a single, and Lenyn Sosa roped a double to set up second and third with nobody out. Baldwin brought in the go-ahead run with a deep fly to left that nearly left the park. The highlight of the inning was a well-executed squeeze bunt by Jacob Amaya, who added an insurance run while also nudging his batting average up slightly to .103. The Sox capped off the inning with a bases-loaded walk by Matt Thaiss, extending their lead to 5-2.
Steven Wilson took the mound in the eighth and found trouble by issuing two walks, but managed to escape by inducing a groundout with the tying run at the plate. Brandon Eisert was ready in the bullpen but wasn’t needed—yet.
In the bottom of the eighth, Rojas reached again via an error, and Sosa continued his hot night with a single to right. That sequence led to a wild pitch that allowed Rojas to score, giving Chicago a four-run cushion. The duo accounted for half of the team’s hits and runs, playing pivotal roles in the offensive breakout.
Eisert came in to close the game in the ninth. He didn’t allow any hits, though he did issue a walk and hit a batter, adding a bit of late drama. Ultimately, he got the job done, sealing a much-needed win and putting an end to the South Siders’ four-game drought.