Today in White Sox History: September 12

Robin rocks his first career hit

1900

The White Sox beat the Cleveland Blues, 12-4, in Chicago to clinch the franchise’s first pennant. (The American League would not be recognized as an official major league until 1901, however.) Roy Patterson got the win in the game.

The season seemed to set the tone for the franchise, with exceptional pitching and defense — and just enough hitting to win games. Cleveland manager Jimmy McAleer said as much after the Sox clinched against his club: “It’s the strangest thing that ever happened. A club with no good batsman to win a flag! Why, such a thing was never heard of before. [Dick] Padden has done most of it. He has been the whole works, and has shown himself a born general. The pitchers did the rest, with special credit to that lad Patterson.”

Brett Ballantini devoted an episode of South Side Sox’s Flashback to this win, back in 2019.

1908

Ultimately, the White Sox did not prevail for the pennant, but don’t say they didn’t put up a fight. Arriving at Detroit’s Bennett Park for a five-game set against the first-place Tigers and behind by three games, the White Sox won the opener, then played four consecutive extra-inning games to finish out the series, splitting them. On this day, the White Sox got back to just two games out with a 2-1 victory in 10 innings. Frank Smith not only went the distance for his 12th win on the season, he singled in the game-winner in the top of the 10th.

The White Sox continued a three-way fight for the pennant (with Cleveland as well), and the season came down to the last day, hosting Detroit. Had the White Sox not been blown out in the finale, they would have finished tied with (but percentage points ahead of) Cleveland and a half-game in front of the Tigers for the pennant.

1976

At nearly 53 years old, Minnie Miñoso became the oldest player in major league history to get a hit, singling in the second inning of a 2-1 White Sox win over California. Angels starter Sid Monge surrendered the hit. Miñoso would later strike out and fly out to left in the game, won by the White Sox on Brian Downing’s walk-off double in the 10th inning.

Both Monge and future Hall-of-Famer Rich Gossage went the distance in this meaningless September game between teams with a combined record of 125-160.

1989

Robin Ventura made his major league debut in an 11-1 romp over the Baltimore Orioles. Ventura walked in his first at-bat and came around to score the first (i.e. winning) White Sox run. In the fourth inning, Ventura slapped an RBI single off of his 1988 Olympic teammate, Ben McDonald).

2016

The White Sox tied an unusual franchise record, as they beat Cleveland, 11-4, at U.S. Cellular Field. In the game, the Sox scored at least one run in every inning. It was only the 20th time in major league history that a team had accomplished this. The first time the White Sox scored in every inning was May 11, 1949, beating the Red Sox at Comiskey Park.

In the 2016 win, the Sox banged out 16 hits, Avisaíl García getting four of them. Six went for extra bases.

2019

All-Star righthander Lucas Giolito set a White Sox record by striking out eight straight Royals hitters from the third through the fifth inning during an afternoon game at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Of the eight, seven were swinging strikeouts, with Meibrys Viloria caught looking. The run started with Whit Merrifield to open the third, and ended with Nicky Lopez grounding out to shortstop Tim Anderson to end the fifth. Giolito finished with 12 strikeouts overall.

According to STATS, Giolito’s eight straight tied for the seventh-longest single-game MLB run at that time. But even with his brilliant afternoon, Giolito lost the game, 6-3, giving up a pair of home runs including a three-run shot that made the difference.

Carlos Rodón (Sept. 30, 2016, against the Twins) and Joe Cowley (May 28, 1986, at the Rangers) previously shared the White Sox consecutive strikeout mark, at seven.

According to STATS, Giolito’s eight straight tied for the seventh-longest single-game MLB run at that time. But even with his brilliant afternoon, Giolito lost the game, 6-3, giving up a pair of home runs — one of which was a three-run shot which made the difference.

2020

White Sox first baseman José Abreu had himself a game to remember: The slugger drove home seven runs in a 14-0 slaughter of the Tigers at Guaranteed Rate Field. (The team record is eight in a game.)

This was the second time Abreu had accomplished the mark, first driving in seven in a game in 2016. In the 2020 effort, he went 4-for-4 and scored five runs. Abreu became the first White Sox player in club history to get four-plus hits, two homers, seven RBIs and five runs in a game. It was also his 17th multi-homer game.