Six Pack of Stats: Twins 8, White Sox 6 (11 innings)
a season-high 41 games worse than .500
At least loss No. 67 — dropping the White Sox to a season-worst 41 games worse than .500 — was a fight. The Twins move to 8-0 on the season against the White Sox, and realistically are licking their chops in anticipation of leaving town 10-0 vs. Chicago.
Big Swing/Top Play
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Baseball Savant
Once again, the biggest momentum swing and the top play of the game are one and the same: Nicky Lopez’s pop double in the bottom of the eighth to drive in Luis Robert Jr. It gave the White Sox a 6-5 lead — one they would relinquish. The WPA swing of Lopez’s double was 31.1%, while the total WPA value of the play was 30.2%.
Top Performer
Despite being on the losing end in the game, Nicky Lopez was the game MVP, with 41.8% WPA.
Hardest Hit
Somehow, the top performer in the game was not Minny’s Matt Wallner, who had the TWO biggest exit velocities in the game: A 116.7 mph home run in the seventh inning, and a 111.2 mph double in the third.
Weakest Contact
Willi Castro tapped back to Sox pitcher Chris Flexen in the third inning at just 27.1 mph managed just a 48.8 mph grounder back to Sox starter Jonathan Cannon.
Luckiest Hit
Wow, this one was a whopper: Garbage-can swinger Carlos Correa lofted what would have been a likely deep fly out in 12 MLB parks — but at Sox Park, it dropped 357 feet to left, into the shallow end of the White Sox bullpen. That’s an xBA of .110, folks.
Toughest Out
On the other hand, in the seventh inning Correa teammate Trevor Larnach decided to loft his big fly to the deepest part of the ballpark, where it was caught 404 feet away in center field for an out despite having home run distance in seven other parks and an overall .860 xBA. And yes, the play got a growl from John Schiffren.
Longest Hit
In fierce competition among three 400-plus shots tonight, Martín Maldonado’s home run to even the game, 1-1, in the third, took the honors. The shot into the left-center power alley would have been a home run in 22 other ballparks as well.
Futility Watch
White Sox 2024 Record 26-67, worst 93-game start in White Sox history (5 games worse than the next-worst, 1932 White Sox) and tied for 18th-worst start all-time
White Sox 2024 Run Differential -166, tied for 51st-worst 93-game start in MLB history
White Sox 2024 Season Record Pace 45-117 (.280)
Race to the Worst “Modern” 162-Game Record (2003 Tigers, 43-119) 2 games better
Race to the Worst “Modern” Record in a 162-Game Season (1962 Mets, 40-120) 4 games better
Race to the Most White Sox Losses (1970, 106) 11 games worse
Race to the Worst White Sox Record (1932, 52-109-1*) 7 1⁄2 games worse
Race to the Worst American League Record (1916 A’s, 38-124*) 7 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