The White Sox and Nationals have been well out of playoff contention for months now, so last night’s game between the two teams didn’t matter much. But that didn’t stop the benches from clearing in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Chicago starter Mike Clevinger pitched a gem. For the first eight innings, he kept Washington scoreless, allowing just five hits. Manager Pedro Grifol left him out there for the ninth so that he could chase his first complete game shutout since 2020, and Clevinger got two quick outs to start the final inning.
That brought Dominic Smith to the plate. Clevinger was one strike away from ending the game when he left a fastball high over the heart of the plate. Smith jumped on it and crushed a homer to ruin the shutout. The White Sox were still up 6–1.
