You win some, you lose some as Sox go down 3-2 in Game 1, but come out victorious, 8-2, in Game 2

The Chicago White Sox dropped a tight 3-2 decision to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 1. This contest was marked by missed opportunities and timely Brewers offense.

Martín Pérez cruised through the first inning, retiring the Brewers in order, but they took the early lead off him in the top of the second. After a leadoff double, Pérez settled in to get two outs, but Andruw Monasterio blasted a two-run home run to left field, putting Milwaukee ahead 2-0. The Brew Crew added to their lead in the third on a throwing error by catcher Korey Lee, giving the Brewers a 3-0 advantage.

Chicago’s No. 1 prospect, Noah Schultz, took the mound in the top of the fourth but had a rough start, issuing a five-pitch walk to begin the inning. After another free pass and a strikeout, Schultz managed to get a double play on a 94.1 mph sinker, escaping the inning with minimal damage. His 17-pitch frame included just seven strikes. The southpaw returned in the fifth for another inning of work, walking the first batter but bouncing back to induce a double play. A 15-pitch inning saw Schultz throwing nine strikes, demonstrating significantly better command.

Hagan Smith took over in the sixth and issued a five-pitch free pass to Rhys Hoskins but dodged the threat of the dreaded leadoff walk. Even though a successful bunt moved Hoskins over, Smith induced a line-drive double play to end the inning. Smith came back out in the seventh, striking out Eric Haase to start the frame before walking Monasterio. The lefty then picked off Monasterio and hit the next batter but ended the inning by getting a force out from Luis Lara.

Justin Anderson and Brandon Eisert finished off the game, tossing an inning each and holding the Brewers scoreless.

The White Sox offense did not get their first baserunner until the bottom of the fourth when Mike Tauchman was hit by a pitch. However, he was left stranded after no one could move him past first.

The Good Guys finally broke through to score in the bottom of the fifth with back-to-back singles by Lenyn Sosa and Matt Thaiss. Sosa advanced to third, and Joey Gallo drove him home with a single to make it 3-1. However, Haase threw Thaiss out at third. This cost the White Sox an opportunity for more runs as Jacob Amaya followed with a single, moving Gallo to third, and then Tauchman came through with an RBI single to pull Chicago within striking distance, 3-2. That would be it, though, for the South Siders, despite outhitting the Brewers 8-4. They were 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.

It was a close game, closer than most so far this spring. Despite another strong outing by the pitchers, the offense could not capitalize on key moments, and the Brewers held on for the win.

The Chicago White Sox erupted for an impressive 8-2 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 2. A late offensive explosion in the eighth inning fueled the win. After falling behind early, the Good Guys battled back and put together a commanding offensive performance to secure the win.

The Brewers struck first, as Bryse Wilson gave up back-to-back doubles to start the game. Christian Yelich then plated a run with an RBI groundout, giving Milwaukee a 1-0 lead.

The Brew Crew added another run in the sixth when Garrett Mitchell doubled off Gus Varland to start the frame. Varland then hit Tyler Black and threw a wild pitch to move both runners into scoring position. Another wild pitch allowed pinch-runner Brewer Hicklen to score, giving Milwaukee an insurance run and extending their lead to 2-0.

The White Sox threatened to score a couple of different times, getting leadoff men on in the first, second, fourth, fifth, and seventh innings. Unfortunately, they couldn’t capitalize on any of them. That was until they mounted a stunning comeback in the eighth. Nick Maton singled to start the rally, followed by a two-run homer from Tristian Gray off former old friend Deivi García, tying the game at 2-2.

Up next, William Bergolla reached on an error, and Cal Mitchell followed with a single. Bruce Zimmerman issued a free pass to Adam Hackenberg, loading the bases. A walk to Braden Montgomery forced Bergolla home, giving the Sox their first lead of the game, 3-2.

After a balk sent Mitchell home, making it 4-2, Kyle Teel stepped up and blasted a three-run shot to put Chicago ahead 7-2. Maton, who had led off the inning with a single, then capped off the eight-run frame with a solo dinger, upping the score 8-2.

Again, the pitching was key here for the South Siders. The staff of Wilson, Justin Dunn, Varland, Jonathan Heasley, and Dan Altavilla combined to surrender only two runs on five hits with five walks and five strikeouts.

The dominant offensive outburst and the solid pitching ultimately helped the Sox secure the come-from-behind win.

Also, don’t forget to tune in tonight at 6:00 p.m. CT to the MLB Network’s 30 Clubs in 15 Days series, where Greg Amsinger and Mark DeRosa will walk through a comprehensive analysis of this year’s White Sox team. This hour-long show includes on-field demonstrations, player and staff interviews, and discussions with top prospects.