In the grand scheme of things where cancer and a kids’ game intersect, it did not matter what Liam Hendriks did on the baseball field Monday night.
Forty-five days after his last chemotherapy treatment for stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Hendriks donned a black “Southside” uniform, received a pregame kiss behind home plate from wife Kristi and became a member of the White Sox again.
It was the second time Kristi Hendriks, Liam’s rock throughout an ordeal no one can ever prepare themselves for, saw her husband cry in two days. The first was Sunday night when he watched a Sox video showing teammates welcoming him back.
“And he has not cried in this journey at all,” Kristi said.
The only thing missing was a lights-out performance from Hendriks, who pitched the eighth inning and allowed two runs in the Sox’ 6-4 loss to the Angels at Guaranteed Rate Field. Hendriks entered to a thunderous ovation from a holiday crowd of 23,599 and paused numerous times to gather himself.
“It was definitely emotional,” Hendriks said. “It was nerve-racking going out. Humbling and sobering seeing people in my shirts and holding signs.”
Before he threw his first pitch, after chanting his name, holding signs and cheering some more as Matt Thaiss stepped out of the box, the crowd became quiet. The tension was “unspeakable,” broadcaster Jason Benetti said.
With the Angels leading 4-3, Thaiss opened with a single to center, stole second on a wide throw from catcher Yasmani Grandal and advanced to third on a grounder to first baseman Gavin Sheets with Hendriks making the putout at first. Hendriks, touching 95 mph with his fastball, walked Jared Walsh, then gave up a sacrifice fly to Zach Neto.
After Mickey Moniak blooped a double on the left-field line, Mike Trout lined an RBI single off the glove of leaping shortstop Tim Anderson, making it 6-3.
“I didn’t have the killer instinct that I’m used to with two strikes,” Hendriks said. “It’ll come.”
All of it didn’t matter, really, considering the journey that began with the revelation on Dec. 7 that Hendriks had cancer. When Hendriks, 34, was announcing his diagnosis on Jan. 8, Kristi had no doubts he would live to see a day filled with tears and chills.
“He said, ‘I’m going to play again if it takes me four rounds, if it takes me six rounds. . . . I’m going to do that because I need to do that for myself,’ ’’ Kristi said.
“And then when all the fan support got behind him, it was 100% a moment of ‘I’m doing this for the city of Chicago.’ ’’
To a standing ovation, Hendriks walked from the dugout to the bullpen after the Sox cut the Angels’ lead to 4-2 on Andrew Vaughn’s seventh homer.
The plan was for Hendriks to pitch late but not the ninth, allowing him to ease his way back to his customary closer’s role.
“[Hendriks] looked strong tonight,” manager Pedro Grifol said. “I’m sure he’ll look stronger the next time out.”
“I’ll never be satisfied with mediocrity or not being at the back end of the bullpen,” Hendriks said. “That said, I have to earn it. I don’t want handouts. I will get there.”
Sox right-hander Michael Kopech, unscored on in his previous two starts, gave up back-to-back homers to Brandon Drury and Thaiss after walking Trout and hitting Shohei Ohtani with a pitch on the shin in a four-run Angels first before completing 4⅓ innings with no more damage and 10 strikeouts.
“It’s heartwarming, motivating what [Hendriks has] gone through,” Kopech said.
Romy Gonzalez homered off Griffin Canning in the fifth to cut the Angels’ lead to 4-3.
Eloy Jimenez hit the Sox’ third homer, a solo shot leading off the ninth.
And Hendriks, unhappy with the results of a game that dropped the Sox to 22-34, thought about Tuesday.
“If the phone rings tomorrow, I’ll be ready,” he said.
