CLEVELAND — Kyle Teel had a two-run double and Miguel Vargas belted a two-run homer as the American League Central-leading White Sox scored six times in the sixth inning, paving the way for a 7-3 victory over Guardians at Progressive Field on Monday night.
“It’s no secret what’s on the line here, so to win the first game is huge,” pitcher Sean Burke said. “We have a team that gets excited to be in an environment like this, and to play in a game like this is a privilege.”
While Teel’s bases-loaded double and Vargas’ Statcast-projected 392-foot shot to left field were Chicago’s biggest hits of the game, the six-run inning also featured one of its most important plate appearances of the season.
Rookie outfielder Tristan Peters drew an 18-pitch walk to chase Guardians starter Gavin Williams with no outs, allowing the White Sox to open the floodgates against Tim Herrin and Daniel Espino. Peters fouled off 12 balls after falling behind in the count 1-2 on a pair of called strikes.
Peters’ plate appearance also matched Adam Kennedy for the most pitches in a walk, accomplished on June 10, 2004, for the Angels against the Brewers, and it was the longest in the Majors this season.
“It felt like I was up there for like an hour,” Peters quipped. “I was exhausted.”
So was Williams, whose pitch count reached a season-high 113 after battling with the August AL Rookie of the Month. He carried a shutout into the sixth, but was tagged with his first loss since Aug. 14 when inherited runners Peters and Andrew Benintendi came around.
“Those at-bats are frustrating, but props to him the way he did that,” Williams said. “I counted at one point, and I just stopped counting because it was getting up there. I don’t think I’ve ever gone that long in an at-bat, even in college.”
“That was an unbelievable at-bat by both of them,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “Gavin kept executing and Peters kept following them off. That was two very good players going at it, and that was entertaining to say the least. He obviously got Gavin’s pitch count way up with that at-bat.”
One batter later, Peters made a literal impact when he was struck on the back of the head en route to second base by a throw from first baseman Nathaniel Lowe. The error allowed Benintendi to sprint home with the initial run of the game, Peters to wind up on third and Colson Montgomery to reach first.
White Sox manager Will Venable praised Peters for “getting into the throwing lane,” noting it is a “baserunning fundamental” that the coaching staff teaches each Spring Training.
“When I felt the ball hit my head, it was one of the best feelings ever,” said Peters, who is batting .277 with 12 homers and 54 RBIs while playing in 145 of the team’s 150 games. “I love it. Whatever gets us fired up.”
Injured teammate Tommy Pham was the most demonstrative person in the Chicago dugout, cheering wildly for Peters. He even celebrated when Peters was hit on the forearm by a pitch from Connor Brogdon in the ninth.
“I’m not surprised,” Peters said. “He’s always getting excited by hit-by-pitches and walks.”
It was a good night for Burke (9-7), as well, who allowed one unearned run in five innings as a bulk reliever. The right-hander scattered four hits over four frames (one in each inning) after being rocked for seven runs in 1 1/3 innings against the Pirates last Tuesday.
Sean Newcomb served as Chicago’s opener for the second time in three games, working one inning. The left-hander has a 0.84 ERA in six starts, covering 10 2/3 innings.
“That at-bat by Peters was probably the most impressive I’ve seen this year in the league,” Burke said. “I don’t think [non-players] understand how difficult what he did is, especially against a guy throwing 100 mph. And when he did it was really important.”