Chicago White Sox clinch first trip to the playoffs since 2008

By: Will Farlow 

The Chicago White Sox one year out of the rebuild have put the Southsiders on the map again after a historic win in White Sox history. The White Sox are heading to the MLB Playoffs for the first time since 2008 after a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Twins. The Southsiders sent right hander Reynaldo Lopez to the mound against Twin's starter Kenta Maeda in a game White Sox fans will remember for a long time. The Sox came into the Thursday afternoon game with a chance to clinch with a win after the Kansas City Royals and Seattle Mariners both lost in their respective games on Wednesday night. I feel that this White Sox win sends a clear message to the rest of the league. Here is a recap of the White Sox win along with my takes on this young team moving forward. 

Reynaldo Lopez came into the game as the Sox wanted to give starter Dallas Keuchel additional rest which in my opinion was a smart move. Reynaldo Lopez got off to a great start until White Sox killer in Twins center fielder Byron Buxton got his first home run of two in the first few innings. Jose Abreu answered with a home run of his own , and this back and forth scoring continued till the bottom of the seventh inning where the Sox trailed 3-2. This point of the victory was the best part to me as Jarrod Dyson stolen bases along with hits by Eloy and Abreu helped pave the way for a White Sox victory. I am continuing to be impressed by the talented youth in the Sox bullpen as Codi Heuer and Alex Colome got the job done in key situations .  

Bravo to Reynaldo Lopez. He gives up 3 runs in 5.1 with 6 K's. Will definitely take that.

In his previous 6 starts against the Twins, Lopez was 0-6 with an 8.87 ERA.

— Chuck Garfien (@ChuckGarfien) September 17, 2020

This to me is even more special of a victory as veterans here since the rebuild began players like Jose Abreu , Tim Anderson, Yolmer Sanchez, and Adam Engel get their first chance in playoff baseball. This White Sox team is heading into its remaining ten games being able to focus on fighting for the division championship. I like the chances for this team as each game they prove the saying that Ricky's Boys Don't Quit. This is a special moment the team should celebrate , and never forget with something important to remember. I like how veterans like Tim Anderson enjoy the moments , but the focus on a title opportunity shows this team truly has the eye of the tiger.

Eloy Jimenez on Jose Abreu: "He's really happy. He said he finally made it. He's really happy, I'm really happy. To see that he works hard every single day and now he'll make his first appearance in the playoffs."

— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) September 17, 2020

There are always questions of how a young team like the White Sox can handle the playoffs with a lack of postseason experience. I believe with this hard working team that plays good baseball with each pitch and at bat every inning makes Sox fans sure of a special 2020 postseason upcoming. I can see from the moment this team played preseason intrasquad teams that White Sox baseball was beginning to enter the next great area in the team's history. So questions of Nomar Mazara's poor hitting and pitching depth can still be solved as anything can happen in a game of baseball. Congratulations to the Chicago White Sox organization , and lets see this team do what I and other White Sox fans believe can happen.  ​

White Sox > 2020 https://t.co/WyqSLCXFyj

— Chuck Garfien (@ChuckGarfien) September 17, 2020

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