“If they add a couple players this winter, they’ve got a shot to compete,” the veteran scout offered up right around this time last year. There were prospects of note, too — both homegrown and acquired in recent trades — who would soon be in a position to contribute.
The team in question was on its way to a 102-loss season, a significant improvement from the MLB-record 121 losses it suffered the year prior. Still, what kind of turnaround would it take to constitute competing in Chicago?
I thought of that scout’s assessment earlier this season — on the first Sunday in May, in fact, while in the upper deck of Petco Park and surrounded by little leaguers. Winners of five straight at the time, the White Sox were in search of not only a sweep of the Padres but a return to .500.
A loss deferred that dream temporarily, but the Sox found level ground a week and a half later and haven’t dipped below since. In a diluted division, their modest pace has proven good enough to lead the AL Central every day since the Fourth of July. Moreover, in a lackluster league where the three best records belong to teams in the East, Chicago currently controls the American League’s second seed.
And they say the American dream is dead.
The White Sox nearest pursuers, the Minnesota Twins, opened a three-game set against the Padres last night in an interleague matchup between two teams on the Wild Card cut line. At 63-65, the Twins entered the day tied with the Rangers for the final AL Wild Card spot. The Padres, meanwhile, have used a 18-7 stretch to reenter the playoff picture, battling their division rivals in Arizona for the final spot.
The recent resurgence of Fernando Tatis Jr. has helped propel the Padres hot second half. The team’s depth, often tested and sometimes exposed over the last few years as trades have depleted the pipeline, will also determine if San Diego can hold off the D-backs — or even catch the Phillies.
Sometime around Opening Day, former big leaguers Kevin Pillar and Cody Allen launched their podcast “To the Majors.” Pillar, the former outfielder best known for his time in Toronto, and Allen, who collected 149 saves with Cleveland, are in no hurry with their guests. The conversations sometimes extend beyond three hours, going deep into baseball, parenting, relationships, and the intersection of all three.
Episodes have featured the likes of Cole Hamels, Noah Syndergaard, Vernon Wells, and Chris Davis. But the conversation that hooked me was with Buck Showalter. I highly recommend it.
Deep into the conversation during which Showalter has been generously sharing his wisdom, the manager says: “If I’m gonna look at your club… I’m gonna look at your fourth and fifth starter, your non-closer, non-setup relievers, and your seventh, eighth, and ninth hitters.” That’s what allows for longevity, Showalter says. It’s a terrific point, providing a different perspective on regular-season games.
With the Twins sending rookie Connor Prielipp to the mound against Randy Vasquez, baseball fans were treated to a Showalter Special.
A six-pitch top of the first set the pace for a game played in a quick two hours and nine minutes. With two outs in the bottom of the first, Manny Machado reminded everyone what a great pure hitter he is with a soft liner into left field. Prielipp threw a 1-1 changeup towards the outer edge at the knees, and Machado covered the plate and served the ball safely onto the outfield grass.
Two pitches later, Ty France hammered an 0-1 fastball into the front row of the second deck in left field. The home team, dressed in their Friday finest with City Connect colors of “bone, obsidian, marigold, aqua, fireberry, and Padres gold” (the team’s description, not mine) had an early two-run lead. Buck Showalter liked the White Sox chances of holding off challengers.
Back-end starters rarely start postseason games these days. Often, they’ll be relegated to bullpen roles or left of the roster entirely. Vasquez, clearly behind Michael King, Robbie Ray, and Casey Mize in the rotation, will force the Padres to find an October role for him if he continues to pitch as he has lately.
Through three innings last night, Vasquez located his fastball on the black at will. As game progressed, he got more of the plate, but his cutter and sinker each moved enough to mitigate grave danger.
Spend enough nights at the ballpark or even in front of the TV, and you’ll observe games when a team’s energy feels high and others when it feels particularly low. It’s doesn’t seem like a coincidence that the Padres’ vibes are rising alongside Tatis’ scorching second-half performance (.306 / .406 / .636 with 10 homers).
In the bottom of the third, Tatis lined a first-pitch curveball into left field that forced Trevor Larnach towards the line. Tatis was thinking extra bases on contact and slid in safely at second.
Luis Rengifo, who began the season with the Brewers and didn’t join the big league Friars until July, seems to contribute to the collective energy. He has been part of the solution to the team’s depth problems.
Similarly, Austin Hays joined the team only two weeks ago and has offered a jolt. (He homered in his first at bat with the Padres.) Last night, he sparked a four-run fifth inning by legging out an infield single. At 6-2 after five, it felt like the Twins — fresh off a three-game sweep of the Braves — were at the mercy of the home team.
The game rushes by.
I check the scoreboard, and it’s aflame. I consult my scorecard. It’s still 6-2. In a non-save situation, manager Craig Stammen summoned to the Reaper.
Enter: Mason Miller.
Twenty-seven Twins came to bat through eight innings. Vasquez was magnificent in his starting role, throwing six perfect innings while wedging a two-run, two-hit inning (with a hit batter) in the middle. Buck Showalter wants to know who your fourth and fifth starters are. Vasquez’s performance tonight — and recently — suggests one key piece of the Padres’ longevity is in place.
With two outs in the ninth, Miller missed wide with his 2-1 fastball to Josh Bell. Catcher Freddy Fermin instantly challenged it. I’ve seen this move before — it’s of the smoke-’em-if-you-got-’em variety. With both ABS challenges remaining, there’s no use in the catcher keeping them in his back pocket. Besides, the clubhouse staff hates it when unused challenges go through the wash.
Under other conditions, Fermin wouldn’t have tapped his helmet. What I wonder is if savvy catchers see this surplus challenge as a free timeout. Fermin bought his pitcher extra time before the 3-1 offering and also sent a signal that he’s not missing by much. Bell battled the closer but finally succumbed on the eighth pitch of the at bat. The game was over. The vibes are high. The Twins will try again on Saturday, this time with Dean Kremer, a back-end starter in a depleted rotation.