Today in White Sox History: August 9
Rockin’ Robin walks off the O’s
1977
In a game at Comiskey Park, the White Sox crushed Seattle, 13-3. The South Side Hit Men clouted six home runs, three in the third inning alone. Third baseman Eric Soderholm homered twice in the game. The homers tied the all-time franchise mark held at the time.
1996
Robin Ventura played a delayed hero’s role in a 4-3 win in 10 innings vs. the Orioles. With the White Sox trailing, 3-2, with two outs in the seventh Lyle Mouton singled in the tying run; with runners on first and second, Ventura then popped out to extinguish the threat.
However, when the sweet swinger stepped to the plate to lead off the bottom of the 10th, he took a 1-0 pitch from Randy Myers deep to right-center and out to end the game.
2000
The White Sox buried the Mariners, 19-3, at Comiskey Park. Pitcher Mike Sirotka was the recipient of the onslaught and got the easy win. Frank Thomas went 3-for-4 on the night, with two home runs and five RBIs.
The 19-run output ties for 12th all-time in White Sox history.
2021
One night after White Sox outfielder/DH Eloy Jiménez homered twice and drove in five runs at Wrigley Field, he did it again at Target Field in Minnesota as part of an 11-1 win. Jiménez became the first player in franchise history to have at least two home runs and five RBIs in consecutive games. The pair of long balls also brought Jiménez to 50 in his career, in just 187 games — fastest in team history.
Also on this day and in this game, Tim Anderson hit a leadoff home run for the second consecutive game. Such a feat had only been accomplished three other times in team history.
2022
The White Sox injury situation, gutting the team for seven years running, turned from the sublime to the ridiculous: Between games of a doubleheader in Kansas City, the club announced that All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson would miss six weeks, in the middle of a divisional race, after he suffered a sagittal band tear on the middle finger of his left (non-throwing) hand and would need surgery.
He suffered the injury on a checked swing in Texas a few days before, in his last at-bat, in an 8-0 blowout loss. Anderson, one of the most talented players in the game, just hadn’t been able to escape injuries — going on the injured list every season he’d been with the team, oftentimes more than once a season.