MLB world reacts to crazy White Sox-Orioles finish

Heading into Thursday’s series finale, the Chicago White Sox were 63-61, while the Baltimore Orioles were 64-59. While those records may not seem that different, the attitude around the two teams is night and day. The way Thursday’s game went was a perfect reflection of the way the season has gone for both.

Chicago seemed to have the game won. In fact, the White Sox literally had the game in the palm of their hands. Leading 3-2 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, the game was seemingly over when Chicago closer Liam Hendriks got Baltimore’s Kyle Stowers to hit a fly ball down the left field line. Adam Engel — a late-inning defensive replacement — sprinted over and had plenty of room to make the catch. Only, he didn’t.

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The Orioles got one more chance. But since it was a foul ball, that drop didn’t spell doom for the White Sox. That came two pitches later, when Sowers picked a heck of a time to hit his first Major League home run.

Hendriks retired Austin Hays to send the game into extra innings. The White Sox couldn’t take advantage of the courtesy runner in the top of the tenth inning. But when Joe Kelly pitched out of a jam in the bottom of the frame, Chicago was again given new life. The top of the 11th, though, was no better for the White Sox, who recorded three non-productive outs.

That was the last chance they would get.

Adley Rutschman led the bottom of the 11th for the Orioles off with a single, sending courtesy runner Cedric Mullins to third. That brought up Santander, who hit a ball to center, well over the head of a drawn-in Luis Robert. With that, Mullins came in to score the winning run.

Long ago, viewers of ABC’s Wide World of Sports heard Jim McKay’s famed line, “The thrill of victory, and the agony of defeat.” The reaction from the MLB world following this game brought that classic phrase to life.

The loss dropped the White Sox to 63-62, four games out in the American League Central and five games behind of the third Wild Card spot in the American League. There’s still time for Chicago. But this team was 93-69 last year and ran away with the division title. This season has been a disappointment.

Baltimore, meanwhile, is 65-59. A division title is unrealistic, as the Orioles are 11 behind the New York Yankees. But a Wild Card is well within reach, as Baltimore is only 2.5 games out. Even if that doesn’t happen, though, the Orioles averaged 111 losses a year in the previous three full seasons (and were 25-35 in 2020’s COVID-19 abbreviated season). This is not a team that was expected to be remotely close to a playoff spot in the final week of April, let alone August.

Both teams have defied expectations in 2022. For one team, that’s great. For the other, not so much. Thursday’s game was very much emblematic of both.

[Mr Matthew CFB, Baltimore Orioles, Follow @BarnHasSpoken2]