Jimmy Lambert kept the Astros off the board and put the game back into the hands of the offense. After a leadoff walk from Eloy Jimenez and a single from Jose Abreu, Yasmani Grandal had a golden opportunity to play the hero. Instead, the 33-year-old catcher hit into a double play putting all the pressure on Yoan Moncada. Moncada hasn't done much well at the plate this season. But when he does hit, it always seems to be in critical situations. Moncada is batting just .137 with nobody on base. With men on, he is hitting .278. When runners are in scoring position, he is hitting .290. With two outs and runners in scoring position, his average jumps up to .440 with a .760 slugging percentage. Moncada has thrived under pressure situations this year. In late and close games, he is batting .353, and in high leverage situations, he is batting .306. On Monday night, he had the game-winning RBIs after a single with two outs in the eighth inning.
Nearly 24 hours later and Moncada found himself in a similar spot. Two outs and a runner at third base in the eighth inning. Astros reliever Héctor Nevis gave Moncada a 95 mph fastball, and he pounced on it. The ball nestled the ball into center field for the game-winning hit. Moncada showed a rare burst of emotion at first base, roaring in celebration. Liam Hendriks locked down the save in the ninth inning for the fourth time during the White Sox five-game win streak. After Hendriks recorded the final out, the 23,476 in attendance erupted. "That was electric," Dylan Cease told reporters. "Putting it on them late, and the crowd was going crazy, that was special." It's beginning to feel like playoff baseball on the Southside. Every game down the stretch is critical from here on out, with the White Sox just one back in the division.
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