White Sox inch closer to clinch
Friday marked the 38-year anniversary of the White Sox clinching the AL West division title.
That was Tony La Russa's fifth as the Sox's manager, and he has several fond memories of guiding his first club to the playoffs.
"The team was relentless," said La Russa, who returned from a nine-year retirement to manage the White Sox this season. "We really had just excellent camaraderie. Once we got it going, the excitement level that, 'Look, we might be able to do this,' just kept building and building, just kept motivating us to keep going."
"If you saw the pictures or the TV, the fans just flooded the field, everybody climbed over the walls and joined in. You can't do that anymore, but they did it then. It really added to the enjoyment."
The Sox clinched in 1983 at old Comiskey Park.
With an 8-0 win over the Rangers in Texas on Friday night, they moved a step closer to wrapping up first place in the AL Central. Coupled with the Indians' loss to the Yankees, the White Sox lowered their magic number to 5.
They are likely to clinch their first division title early next week at Detroit.
Looking to get back on track after losing back-to-back games against the Angels at home, the Sox scored single runs in the first and second innings off Rangers starter Taylor Hearn and then broke the game open with 5 runs in the fourth sparked by Luis Robert's bases-loaded double that scored 3 runs.
"When you look at the whole game, the defense was very strong, especially in the infield," La Russa said. "The pitching, at-bats, it was a completely well-played game, It was a pleasure to watch it."
La Russa has enjoyed watching Romy Gonzalez, who joined the White Sox in September from Class AAA Charlotte.
"He's really made an impression on us with his ball off the bat and his defensive versatility," La Russa said.
A natural infielder, Gonzalez played right field in the first of three games at Texas and was 3-for-4 with 1 RBI.
"Just being here, it's a blessing," said Gonzalez, who started the season at AA Birmingham. "Now that I can contribute, showcase what I've got, relax and play ball, it's an incredible feeling."
Dylan Cease started for the Sox and labored through the first three innings while throwing 71 pitches. The right-hander lasted 5 innings and struck out 10 while allowing 4 hits and 2 walks.
"The first couple innings, I wasn't efficient and I wasted a lot of pitches," Cease said. "I just locked down and upped my focus and it finally clicked. I've got to get into a rhythm a little quicker."