CLEVELAND — Chicago White Sox left fielder Sam Antonacci stood near the warning track after picking up the baseball that was just out of his diving reach.
Sox players then made the long, slow walk back to the dugout while fireworks went off and the Cleveland Guardians celebrated in the outfield.
The race for the American League Central title tightened with a walk-off, two-run double in the ninth inning by Brayan Rocchio that gave the Guardians a 7-6 win in front of 23,514 at Progressive Field.
It was a gut punch for the Sox, who were one strike away from expanding their division lead. Instead, that lead is a half-game heading into Wednesday’s series finale.
“A strike away from winning the game against an opponent that’s really hard to beat in a big game,” manager Will Venable said. “Just weren’t able to make it happen.”
The switch-hitting Rocchio, hitting from the left side against right-handed reliever Grant Taylor, got to a 100.9 mph high sinker that was out of the zone and drove it to left field.
Chicago White Sox catcher Kyle Teel, left, third baseman Miguel Vargas, center, and pitcher Grant Taylor, right, talk at a mound meeting in the ninth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Tuesday, Sept. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Antonacci described his route on the final play, over and back, as “Pretty dogs−−−, to be honest.”
“Just got to clean it up,” Antonacci said. “It’s the big leagues, you can’t make those types of routes in that position.”
Venable said of the final play: “I think he was in a good position, it was a tough play. It’s not on Sammy, that’s a tough play. Just weren’t able to make it. It’s just one of those, it’s a tough play going back to his right, Sammy works as hard as he can to make those plays.
“That obviously was a big play, but not the reason that we lost that game. Sammy’s a guy that goes out there and does everything right for us, a guy that we love having out there. Just didn’t work out.”
Tuesday was filled with ups and ultimately downs for the Sox — who have lost 11 of 16.
The Sox fell behind 3-0 in the first inning and rallied to take a 6-4 lead thanks to four runs in the sixth. They led 6-5 going into the ninth.
Taylor, working his second inning, surrendered a single to Nathaniel Lowe to begin the inning. He struck out Angel Genao, but then walked Patrick Bailey.
“When we talk about the path to beating these guys, and it’s limiting the walks,” Venable said, when asked about the walk. “Obviously that put us in a tough spot. Grant’s a guy that’s consistently pounded the zone for us. You’re asking two innings of him right there.
“Credit to Bailey for laying off some pitches. Just part of the game. That result was something that hurt us, but at the same time, you’ve got (Rocchio) 0-2, in a good spot there and just weren’t able to make it happen.”
Petey Halpin was up before Rocchio and moved the runners to second and third while grounding out to first.
That brought up Rocchio, who had hit a walk-off, two-run home run off Taylor on July 2.
Taylor started Tuesday’s at-bat with a curveball and slider for strikes.
“We’ve seen Rocchio, and even heard from him, how he’s selling out to fastballs against Grant,” Venable said. “Had him 0-2 with a couple of breaking balls. Trying to sneak one by him up in the zone. A really good hitter, made contact and we saw the results.”
Rocchio came through with the game-winning hit on the sinker. Antonacci raced after the ball, which continued slicing away. He dove, but came up empty.
“Was playing a little in there and the ball kind of going down the left-field line, taking it towards me, a little back, too,” Antonacci said. “Yeah, just got to be caught.”
Catcher Kyle Teel, when asked about the pitches in the final at-bat, said, “He’s got two strikes on him, it’s the right pitch call. Grant’s throwing 101 mph, just is what it is.
“I like the pitch call. I think Grant put it in a solid spot. If we spin him there and we throw three in a row, he can clip that one, too. Just it is what it is.”
It’s the eighth walk-off loss of the season for the Sox.
“We played a really good game,” Venable said. “Credit to Cleveland for doing everything they can. These guys just never stop playing. We’ve been in these tight games against these guys before. This one just didn’t work out for us.”
The teams have a quick turnaround, with the series finale Wednesday afternoon. The Sox look to rebound after the tough defeat.
“One, you just can’t say, ‘Oh, it’s OK, we’ll brush it off,’” said Davis Martin, who allowed two runs (one earned) on four hits in 5 1/3 innings as the bulk pitcher for the Sox on Tuesday. “I think, feel it fully tonight. It sucks. Being one pitch away, we did a lot of really good things tonight, but the game of baseball doesn’t always reward you for doing everything right.
“Just feel it as long as you want to feel it, accept it and then come back (Wednesday) hungry and ready to go.”