HOUSTON — The battle of wits between Tony La Russa and Dusty Baker never was going to decide this American League Division Series, no matter the made-for-media storyline of two legendary managers and longtime antagonists going head-to-head in October.
Like every postseason series since the beginning of time, it will come down to which players come through in the moments that matter most.
And after two games of the ALDS, the Houston Astros have come up big whenever the situation called for it, putting the Chicago White Sox on the brink of elimination after Friday’s 9-4 loss in Game 2.
The Astros clearly have been the superior team in all phases, so the Sox might need a mini-miracle if they hope to climb out of this 2-0 hole and win the series.
“Let me ask you a question,” La Russa said to a reporter after the game. “How many hits did we get? We get 11 and they get 10? So they’re a good hitting club. We’re a good hitting club. They made a lot of good defensive plays. We made a lot of good defensive plays.
“The score to me is very misleading.”
La Russa went on to concede the Astros played a little better than the Sox: “Just enough.”
But “just enough” is still enough, which is all that really matters, especially in a best-of-five series in which every win is magnified.
Now the Sox come home with TBA scheduled to pitch in Game 3 on Sunday. La Russa said he would announce his starter Saturday, joking that he’s giving reporters something to write about on the off day. The two candidates are right-hander Dylan Cease and left-hander Carlos Rodón, who has pitched eight innings in two starts over the last month because of “soreness.”
The Sox appeared to be in good shape Friday after scoring three in the top of the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. Starter Lucas Giolito wasn’t at the top of his game, but if he could’ve gotten through the fifth unscathed, La Russa could’ve employed a stretched-out Michael Kopech for the sixth and seventh, Craig Kimbrel for the eighth and Liam Hendriks to close it out.
Instead, it all went haywire. Giolito issued a pair of walks and was replaced by Garrett Crochet, who had thrown an inning Thursday in Game 1. Crochet pitched on back-to-back days only twice this season — Aug. 26-27 and Sept. 26-27 — and on both occasions he was scored upon on the second day. On Friday he issued a leadoff walk to Yordan Alvarez and a game-tying single to Yuli Gurriel on an 0-2 fastball. Both runs were charged to Giolito.
After Astros right fielder Kyle Tucker made a perfectly timed leap on the run to rob Yasmani Grandal of a potential go-ahead extra-base hit in the top of the seventh, La Russa turned to lefty Aaron Bummer, who gave up three ground singles to hand the Astros a 5-4 lead.
That prompted La Russa to call on Kimbrel, who continued his struggles since arriving from the Chicago Cubs in the trade-deadline shocker of shockers.
Carlos Correa lined a two-run double over the glove of Leury García, who had moved to right after César Hernández pinch-hit for defensive-minded outfielder Adam Engel in the top of the inning. Garcia looked like he was playing Twister by himself as the baserunners scored.
Tucker followed with a two-run home run on a knuckle-curve that Kimbrel hung to make it a five-run inning. In the immortal words of former Cubs manager Joe Maddon: “Poom-poom. Two shots to the jaw.”
The Sox were down for the count.
Kimbrel was a lights-out closer with the Cubs in the first half after losing the closer role in 2020. He came to the South Side thinking the Sox would use him not only to set up, but also to give Hendriks a break as closer once in a while. He quickly learned that was not the game plan and has not been the same dominant pitcher since.
Because of MLB’s COVID-19 rules that restrict the media from clubhouse access, Kimbrel was unavailable for comment, like all other players who weren’t invited to the podium.
But La Russa defended Kimbrel’s performance, saying his resume “speaks for itself.”
“I hate doing it; you can take it however you want to,” La Russa said. “It’s my explanation. Not making an excuse, but he’s a closer at heart. That’s not his situation, but he willingly got ready and has come in there to pitch.
“It’s a different situation (before the ninth). So, he is his resume. I hope we’re ahead on Sunday and you’ll see what he’s (been) doing his whole career.”
Hendriks pitched the ninth just to get some work in, and Kopech still hasn’t been used. La Russa said Kopech can pitch Sunday, when he likely would relieve Mr. TBA for multiple innings.
“He could’ve pitched an inning today and still been available (for Game 3),” La Russa said. “But he’ll be more available.”
And if the season ends Sunday, he’ll be even more available in 2022, when he’ll presumably replace Rodón in the rotation.
In the end, Baker won another battle in his long-running duel with La Russa and is one win from going back to the AL Championship Series. He’s not celebrating yet, and for good reason. It has been 18 years since the 2003 Cubs, but the memories still linger.
He also knows the Sox are difficult to beat at home, and their offense did knock out 11 hits in Game 2. They were all singles again — giving them 18 singles and no extra-base hits in two games — but at least they showed some life.
Baker was giddy afterward, saying, “I feel like 15 (years old) during these games.”
Baker is not 15, not by a long shot. He probably has shoes in his closet that are 40 years old. He ended his news conference with a sigh.
“OK, I got to go to Chicago,” he said, sounding as though it was a death sentence.
In truth, the ones on life support are La Russa’s Sox, who have to find a way to stop the Astros hitters.
The fat lady ain’t singing. But her mask is off.
