Let’s be honest about this win. Andrew Benintendi did everything, and the rest of the team did nothing. According to South Side Sox, Benintendi had three hits and was involved in all three White Sox runs. The rest of the team had zilch. That is not a team victory. That is a one-man show where the opponent just happened to be the Twins.
The math is brutal. The White Sox won 3-2 and took the series, but they scored zero runs without Benintendi. As South Side Sox reported, the Twins are really bad, which explains the low score, but it does not excuse the lack of support. When your best player hits a 78 mph squib through a drawn-in infield, you need help. The help never came.
One Man vs. The Whole Team
Benintendi’s first hit was an RBI single in the first. It was a weak ground ball that went through because Bailey Ober walked two batters to start the game. Sam Antonacci took third on a fly out, and Benintendi drove him in. His second hit was a leadoff double in the fourth. He scored when rookie shortstop Kaelen Culpepper kicked around a routine grounder. That error made the score 2-2. Then Benintendi hit a homer in the sixth to win it.
The details are clear on the rest. South Side Sox noted that the White Sox drew six walks off Twins pitching but still managed just a 1-for-11 mark with runners in scoring position. The Twins were even worse, going 0-for-7 in those spots. Even with the free passes, the Sox could not cash in. Nobody could hit, except for one guy. That is not a recipe for a long season.
Errors and Relief Work
Erick Fedde gave up runs in the first and second innings to give Minnesota a 2-1 lead. Walks were key in both cases. Through the fifth inning, Fedde stabilized and pitched without allowing any runs. Sean Newcomb delivered a strong three-inning relief performance, surrendering two singles and issuing zero walks. Bryan Hudson tossed a 1-2-3 ninth for the save. The pitching was fine. The offense was non-existent.
Culpepper had a rough day. He struck out, fouled out, and ended the game on a grounder to first. Nevertheless, he executed a defensive play on a Braden Montgomery grounder with two runners on base in the seventh. As South Side Sox noted, that was his one moment of competence. It was not enough to save the team from looking bad.
Byron Buxton is hurt, and the Twins could not hit much because of it. But the White Sox offense still looked broken. They need more than one guy to show up. If Benintendi sits tomorrow, who hits? The answer is nobody. That is a scary thought for any fan watching this team. The win feels good, but the process is broken.
