Cal Baseball: Quite a Weekend for White Sox Rookie Andrew Vaughn
The latest chapter in Andrew Vaughn’s rookie season was a wild one.
He capped a long weekend with a go-ahead, two-run home run on Monday night as the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-1 to snap a three-game losing streak.
It was the second home run in two days for the 23-year-old former Cal star.
“Andrew again is coming up huge. He’s really finding his way and it’s exciting to watch,” said Chicago manager Andrew La Russa in his first game against the team he managed to three NL Pennants and two World Series titles.
Here’s a recap of Vaughn’s past four days:
FRIDAY: In his first visit to Yankee Stadium, Vaughn hit into a triple play off Yankees ace closer Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning of a 2-1 loss.
The White Sox put two runners on base to open the ninth before Vaughn bounced into a 5-to-4-to-3 triple play. It was the Yankees’ first triple play since 2014.
“Unfortunate the way it happened with the triple play,” Vaughn said. “Something I’ve never seen, let alone been in one. So that stunk a lot.”
Not to Chapman, it didn’t. "So exciting," he said through a translator. "It's one of those plays that you don't see every day."
Gleyber Torres singled in the winning run for the Yankees in the bottom of the ninth.
Starters Carlos Rodon of Chicago and Jordan Montgomery of the Yankees made history. They combined for 24 strikeouts in the first game since 1900 in which both starters had at least 10 Ks while allowing no runs or walks, according to Stats. Rodon had 13 strikeouts, Montgomery 11 — both career-highs.
Rodon, who threw a no-hitter vs. Cleveland last month, became the first pitcher since Sandy Koufax in the opening game of the 1963 World Series to strike out the first five Yankees in a road game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
SATURDAY: Vaughn’s one uneventful game over the four-game stretch. He went 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout, extending his hitless streak to 13 at-bats and dropping his average to .213. The White Sox lost 7-0.
Andrew Vaughn celebrates his ninth-inning HR vs. the Yankees
Photo by Vincent Carchietta, USA Today
SUNDAY: Getting his revenge against Chapman, Vaughn delivered a pinch-hit, opposite-field home run to right with one out in the ninth inning to tie the score at 4-4.
“He’s got one of, if not the best fastballs in the game,” Vaughn said. “It gets on you and you’ve got to get on top of it and put a good swing on it.”
MLB.com said the pitch Vaughn hit out came in at 98.6 mph.
It was Chapman’s first blown save in 12 chances this year, the first earned run he’s allowed.
"The swing he put on him was absolutely perfect. Perfect," La Russa said of Vaughn. "We should be celebrating, but we're not.”
That’s because the Yankees won 5-4 with a run in the bottom of the ninth on a walk-off homer by Aaron Judge.
Still, La Russa liked what he saw from Vaughn.
“There is no doubt an outcome like that is going to go in his confidence tank,” Russa said. “He’s been trending up that way and it’s the latest example.”
Vaughn was struck by the feel of the series against Yankees.
“We were talking about it in the dugout, it was playoff atmosphere,” Vaughn said. “Fans, two good teams going at it. We can definitely take a lot from this. Build upon it. It’s very unfortunate we lost, but I thought we played some really good games while we were here.
“Losing is never fun. Losing stinks. Definitely not a good feeling, but we get to come at this thing (Monday). It’s why baseball is so great. It comes right back at you. Get on the plane, get home, get some sleep and be at the ballyard tomorrow.”
MONDAY: Back home in Chicago, the White Sox snapped their brief skid, thanks in part to Vaughn’s first career game with multiple extra-base hits. He collected his ninth double and his fourth home run of the season, bringing his average up to .230.
“I was just looking for a good pitch to hit,” Vaughn said of his home run off the Cardinals’ starter Kwang Hyun Kim. “It was a 2-0 count, and I got a changeup kind of in the bottom of the zone. Was able to stay through it and put a good swing on it.”
Vaughn and the White Sox are back at it in Game 2 vs. the Cardinals tonight.
Cover photo of Andrew Vaughn's home run vs. the Cardinals by Mike Dinovo, USA Today
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo