White Sox hope to keep heat on wild-card-aspiring Giants.

The Chicago White Sox will draw on local pride and the inspiration of two hometown players as they continue their three-game road series against the playoff-contending San Francisco Giants on Tuesday night.

In the series opener on Monday, the White Sox took an early lead and made a late comeback attempt, but ultimately fell short in a tough 5-3 defeat.

This victory allowed the Giants to close to within 3 1/2 games of the final wild-card spot in the National League.

With their elimination from the American League playoff race officially confirmed over the weekend, the White Sox took the field on Monday aiming to influence the postseason standings during the final six weeks of the season.

The White Sox made the Giants nervous by scoring twice in the eighth inning to close the gap to two runs. They also managed to get potential tying runs on base both in that inning and again in the ninth, but ultimately fell short.

 

 

Interim manager Grady Sizemore commented, “There’s always something to play for. With many playoff-bound teams coming up, there will be great matchups, and we have the opportunity to make an impact and spoil their plans.”

Next week, the White Sox will face the New York Mets, who are currently positioned just ahead of the Giants in the NL standings, during a homestand.

A trip to San Francisco is a homecoming for Andrew Vaughn and Korey Lee, both University of California alumni, who were batting in the Nos. 3 and 4 spots in the Chicago lineup on Monday.

Lee, with a double and a single, and Vaughn, with a single, contributed three of Chicago’s 11 hits. However, their hopes for a successful return ended when both players flied out with potential tying runs on base in the ninth inning, sealing the loss.

On Tuesday, they will face Robbie Ray (2-2, 6.00 ERA). The Giants’ left-hander had a rough outing in his last game, matching the shortest start of his career by recording only two outs in a 13-2 defeat to the Atlanta Braves. He was removed after allowing three walks, hitting two batters, and giving up one hit, which resulted in five runs.

Despite having beaten 26 major league teams throughout his 11-year career, the 32-year-old has never defeated the White Sox, holding a 0-1 record with a 3.66 ERA in three starts against them.

Chicago will send right-hander Davis Martin (0-1, 3.00 ERA) to face the Giants for the first time in his two-year major league career.

The White Sox have lost all three of Martin’s starts this season, even though he allowed one run or fewer in two of those games. Chicago has been outscored 23-6 in Martin’s starts, with 18 of those runs coming after he exited the game.

Martin is likely to face the Giants without starting catcher Patrick Bailey, who was scratched from the lineup after experiencing tightness in his side during Monday’s batting practice.

Veteran Curt Casali stepped up in Bailey’s absence, delivering two hits, including an RBI single in the Giants’ crucial four-run fifth inning.

Giants manager Bob Melvin praised Casali, saying, “That’s what players like him do—stepping up when you’re not expecting to play. He made significant contributions both offensively and defensively. It’s great to have such a reliable resource.