White Sox Walk Off in 10th as Angels Squander Trout’s Homer

Sometimes baseball rewards the team that refuses to quit, and Wednesday night at Rate Field belonged entirely to the Chicago White Sox. Colson Montgomery lined a walk-off single in the 10th inning to cap a wild, back-and-forth affair that saw the Angels repeatedly take the lead only to see their pitching fail them when it mattered most. The final score was 3-2, but this game felt like so much more than that.

Let’s start with what should have been obvious: the Angels had this game. They had Mike Trout, for crying out loud, and he did exactly what Mike Trout does. A solo homer in the fourth inning put Los Angeles up 1-0 and looked like it might be the difference-maker. Then Vaughn Grissom, in only his second at-bat as an Angel, crushed one into left-center for what appeared to be a go-ahead homer in the seventh. The Angels were winning 2-1 heading into the ninth. Game over. Ballgame.

Except it wasn’t.

Pitching Meltdown Costs the Angels

Here’s where this recap gets ugly for Los Angeles. Drew Pomeranz couldn’t get out of the first third of an inning, surrendering a run on just one hit with two walks. That’s the kind of performance that ends careers, let alone wins baseball games. Then in extra innings, when the Angels desperately needed someone, anyone, to slam the door, Seranthony Domínguez somehow escaped with a win despite throwing just one inning. The baseball gods were working overtime for the White Sox on Wednesday.

Sam Antonacci tied the game in the ninth with a triple that nobody saw coming. Actually, everyone saw it coming because it was a sharp line drive to right, but what wasn’t predictable was that this game had another inning left in it. The White Sox kept scratching and clawing. They refused to go away. That’s the kind of resilience that wins in October, even if this is only late April.

Montgomery’s Heroics Send Sox Home Happy

Montgomery’s final at-bat in the tenth summed up the entire evening. The Angels’ pitching was gassed. The White Sox were hungry. Montgomery, a shortstop who may not be destined for eternal fame, stepped up and delivered a line drive single through the middle that sent Miguel Vargas scampering home with the winning run. It’s the kind of moment that gets replayed at next year’s spring training as a teaching moment: this is what happens when you don’t finish teams.

Erick Fedde threw seven strong innings for Chicago, which means the White Sox’ starting pitching did its job. Mitch Farris struck out the side in the fourth. Ryan Zeferjahn struck out the side in the eighth. The bullpen was pristine until it didn’t have to be anymore. This was a complete team effort against an Angels squad that sleepwalked through most of Wednesday evening.

Mike Trout went 1-for-4 with that homer. Vaughn Grissom went 1-for-4 with his own shot. Both did their part. It wasn’t enough. That’s baseball sometimes, and it’s why this sport remains the greatest game ever played. One team does everything right and still loses to a squad that simply wanted it more down the stretch.

The Angels left Rate Field wondering what went wrong. The White Sox went home knowing exactly what went right. That’s the difference between winning and losing, and on Wednesday, it was crystal clear.