Dodgers 11, White Sox 9: Questionable decisions doom Sox

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Things were looking good for the White Sox heading into the top of the fifth inning. They were up 4-0 and had just knocked Dodgers starter Tyler Anderson out of the game. What followed was a complete meltdown.

With one out and two men on in the top of the fifth, Jake Burger mishandled a hard ground ball and the bases became loaded. After a Mookie Betts strikeout, the Dodgers notched four straight hits, including an infield single Burger probably waited too long on, plus a wild pitch to go up 6-4. All six runs were unearned. Burger tried to make up for his miscues, with a homer in the bottom half of the inning, but things then got even worse.

Tony La Russa brought in lefty Bennett Sousa to start the top of the sixth, and Sousa labored to a 7-5 score after two outs with a man on. He got Trea Turner to a 1-2 count, and then……La Russa decided to intentionally walk Turner. Max Muncy then came up, promptly homered, and Los Angeles was up 10-5 while White Sox fans and players were left shellshocked.

The team was able to get a few back in the bottom of the eighth after four straight White Sox reached base to start the inning, but Jose Ruiz gave them right back in the top of the ninth to give the Dodgers some extra distance that would eventually come back to bite the Sox. The crew mounted a late rally, but ended the game with the winning run at home plate. A wild game with a wild ending that didn't end the White Sox' way.

With the loss, the White Sox fall to 26-29 on the season and will welcome the Rangers to town over the weekend.

W: Brusdar Graterol (2-2) | L: Dylan Cease (4-3)

Statcast Leaders

Box Score

Offensive Recap:

Pitching Recap:

Notable Performances

Jake Burger: 2-3, HR (7), RBI, 3 R, BB, K

Burger keeps on mashing at the plate, but that unfortunately was overshadowed by his error that essentially cost the South Siders the game today. His bat continues to look more and more MLB-ready, while his fielding continues to be the area that requires the most improvement from him.

Dylan Cease: 4.2 IP, 6 R, 0 ER, 6 H, 3 BB, 8 k

Cease deserved to finish with a much better line than his official tally. Unfortunately, the hard-throwing righty could not weather the storm created by Burger's plays. Still, Cease looked dominant until the fifth, missing a ton of bats against an imposing L.A. lineup. It was just the final out of the fifth inning that became elusive as his pitch count rose.

AJ Pollock: 3-for-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI

Today was a very encouraging day for AJ Pollock, who has struggled throughout the season. A three-hit effort along with a go-ahead double in his first game this series are signs that, hopefully, someone like Pollock who has struggled early on is getting closer to turning it around.

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