Six Pack of Stats: Twins 3, White Sox 2 (doubleheader nightcap)

a series win against a competitive team who is not the Guardians? c’mon now, what were you thinking?

While his lack of overpowering strikeout stuff might be worrying, old-school ace Drew Thorpe threw another terrific game on Wednesday night, piling up six innings of two-run ball. Still, the bullpen mastery of just one game ago could not hold all day (to be fair, one run over three innings is nothing to panic over), and the White Sox had to settle for a doubleheader split.

Big Swing/Top Play

The biggest momentum swing and the top play of the game was Carlos Correa’s solo homer in the sixth, tying the game and putting a dent in Drew Thorpe’s masterful start. The WPA swing of Correa’s home run was 16.2%, while the total WPA value of the play was 17.0%.

On the White Sox side, the biggest WPA play came when Andrew Benintendi opened scoring with an RBI double in the second inning, an 11.9% WPA value.

Top Performer

Jhoan Duran closed out the game for Minnesota in the ninth, in a high-leverage outing that earned him a game-high 19.4% WPA. For the White Sox, and placing fifth overall in the game, Chad Kuhl earned 9.3% WPA in his middle relief effort.

Hardest Hit

It is rarely this close a race, but Minny’s Brutus, Matt Wallner, had a single that edged out teammate Carlos Correa’s home run, 110.1 mph to 110.0.

Weakest Contact

This happens more often than you would think, but the near-winner today for hardest hit, Carlos Correa, owned the weakest contact of the nightcap as well, with a flatulent, 40.8 mph tap out to first base in the first inning.

Luckiest Hit

Lenyn Sosa had a push single to in the second that carried just a .210 xBA. Deliciously, that weak hit would sting the Twinkies, as Sosa would come around to score the first run of the game.

Toughest Out

Tommy Pham hit it hard (101.0 mph) but right at Carlos Correa for a first inning line out. Getting retired on a .660 xBA play is something that is certain Pham handled with calm and grace.

Longest Hit

Carlos Correa’s home run went 405 feet, the only hit of this game to cross the 400 mark. The no-doubter would have been a home run in every major league park.

Futility Watch

White Sox 2024 Record 27-68, worst 95-game start in White Sox history (4 1⁄2 games worse than the next-worst, 1948 White Sox) and tied for 23rd-worst start all-time
White Sox 2024 Run Differential -165, tied for 60th-worst 95-game start in MLB history
White Sox 2024 Season Record Pace 46-116 (.284)
Race to the Worst “Modern” 162-Game Record (2003 Tigers, 43-119) 3 games better
Race to the Worst “Modern” Record in a 162-Game Season (1962 Mets, 40-120) 5 games better
Race to the Most White Sox Losses (1970, 106) 10 games worse
Race to the Worst White Sox Record (1932, 52-109-1*) 6 1⁄2 games worse
Race to the Worst American League Record (1916 A’s, 38-124*) 8 games better
*record adjusted to a 162-game season

Glossary

CSW called strikes plus whiffs
Hard-hit is any ball off the bat at 95 mph or more
LI measures pressure per play
pLI measures total pressure faced in-game
Whiff a swing-and-miss
WPA win probability added measures contributions to the win
xBA expected batting average