Guaranteed Rate Field emptied in the ninth inning of a playoff game Wednesday, a sight once reserved for Los Angeles Dodgers fans. With the White Sox trailing the Cleveland Guardians 3-8 in the top of the ninth on Wednesday, Guaranteed Rate Field began emptying despite the game still having an inning left to play.
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The White Sox had entered Game 3 with a chance to close out the series after winning the first two, only to watch the Guardians turn the contest into a comfortable 3-9 victory and force a Game 4. By the time the ninth inning arrived, however, many Chicago fans appeared convinced the ending was already written. Viral footage of fans taking the stairs may suggest baseball’s newest home-field phenomenon.
“Why are people leaving? This is a playoff game?” Barstool Sports quoted a fan at the Guaranteed Rate Field wondering about the stands getting empty.
The scoreline was 3-8 at the top of the ninth when the clip was shot. The Guardians added another while the White Sox had a scoreless last inning. Still, Wednesday was not the first instance when Chicago fans chose to leave the ballpark early.
Back in 2018, Rate Field hosted a minuscule crowd that braved freezing weather in a game against the Tampa Bay Rays. As the temperature dropped further, the few hundred fans in attendance steadily trickled out long before the final pitch. Still, that was a regular-season game, and the weather conditions were harsh.
Wednesday was different, with a temperature of around 25°C and sunny weather. Yet fans still left early, a choice driven entirely by the White Sox’s collapse on the field.
The White Sox’s offense crumbled first, striking out 19 times to Cleveland’s pitching staff. White Sox batters struck out 19 times, an MLB postseason record for a nine-inning game. First baseman Munetaka Murakami personified these struggles, going 0-for-4 with 3 strikeouts. “Guardians struck out 19 White Sox in ALDS Game 3. That’s an MLB record in a nine-inning postseason game,” Talkin’s Baseball reported.
Then it was Chicago’s pitching staff. The bullpen walked nine batters, including three in the third inning alone. In the third, Bryan Hudson and Hagen Smith combined to walk three batters, setting up a crushing, bases-clearing three-run triple by Jo Adell.
Sean Newcomb started for the White Sox well, pitching the first two scoreless innings. Once the bullpen entered in the third inning, runs poured in. The fans still waited till the ninth only to see Davis Martin give up on the very last chance.
Martin walked the Guardians’ first two batters. Angel Genao then cracked a double to left field, driving in Nathaniel Lowe. Brayan Rocchio followed up with a single, driving in Halpin to push the Guardians’ lead to 9-3. Enough for the White Sox to have their patience anymore.
Those who had left the stadium at the top of the ninth were spared from witnessing how Cade Smith closed out the game by striking out Colson Montgomery, Sam Antonacci, and Miguel Vargas.
All this means the ALDS is on, and the White Sox have Game 4 to conclude the series one game early. Still, their bullpen may be the only weapon for their next outing.
The White Sox may be betting on a reliever-heavy Game 4
The White Sox’s bullpen struggled in securing a first postseason series in the last 120 years at home. That chance will again be on Game 4, and the bullpen will again be on the line.
While names like Bryan Hudson, Hagen Smith, David Sandlin, and Davis Martin all struggled on Wednesday, the team could now have their high-leverage relievers for the next game. For reference, Grant Taylor will be available for a multi-inning role in Game 4.
Taylor had a 12-out save in Game 1 and a 4-out save in Game 2. He was missed in Game 3, but as he hasn’t pitched since Monday, a rejuvenated Taylor will certainly take the mound in the next.
“We’ll evaluate where we are with the capacity for some of these guys,” Will Venable said. “[Noah] Schultz was part of the plan today and did a nice job in the middle to cover some ground. [It] puts us in a spot where we’re able to collect ourselves and reevaluate where we’re at.”
The White Sox maintained their postseason trend of not announcing the starter before the game. Hence, an all-bullpen game, a primary starter, or an opener could start Game 4. Let’s now see what awaits when a 120-year-old record is at stake.