Chicago White Sox’s Gavin Sheets embraces Baltimore homecoming in opposition to the Orioles: ‘It’s lots of enjoyable coming again right here’

Gavin Sheets hit a grounder to brief with the bases loaded within the seventh inning Wednesday in opposition to the Baltimore Orioles.

Jorge Mateo ranged to his proper, went to his backhand to subject the ball, jumped and made an off-balance throw to first.

Sheets raced down the road. If he’s out, the inning can be over. If he’s protected, it might be an insurance coverage run for the Chicago White Sox.

“Once I saw Mateo going to his right for the backhand, I knew I had a chance to beat it out,” Sheets stated. “So once I saw that, I ran as hard as I could. That basically sums it up. As soon as I saw him go backhand, I knew he couldn’t go to second. I knew it was going to be a race between me and him.”

Sheets beat the throw for an infield single and RBI, his third of the sport.

The outfielder/first baseman from Lutherville, Md., about 15 miles from Camden Yards, grew up attending Orioles video games and has had a productive go to to the park this week with 5 hits within the first two video games of the sequence. He additionally singled in his first two at-bats Thursday.

“I didn’t get to enjoy it as much last year because it was only my second or third week in the big leagues,” Sheets stated of the homecoming. “This year I’ve taken it all in, embraced it a little bit more, enjoyed it a little bit more. It’s been awesome. Having family and friends here who you grew up with and in a stadium you grew up in is awesome.”

Sheets had two hits in Tuesday’s 5-3 loss and went 3-for-5 with the three RBIs in Wednesday’s 5-3 win.

“The hometown boy, it’s awesome,” teammate Andrew Vaughn stated earlier than Thursday’s sequence finale. “Phenomenal hitter, puts great swings on balls. He came up clutch for us.”

Sheets’ father, Larry, performed for the Orioles (1984-89), Detroit Tigers (1990) and Seattle Mariners (1993).

Asked how typically he went to the Camden Yards rising up, Sheets stated, “A lot.”

“It’s a lot of fun coming back here,” he stated.

Sheets was heating up earlier than the homecoming.

Entering Thursday, he slashed .347/.340/.510 with 5 doubles, one homer and 9 RBIs in his final 18 video games. He had 4 multihit video games throughout that stretch, together with a career-high 4 hits Aug. 18 in opposition to the Houston Astros at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Sheets is slashing .251/.301/.407 with 16 doubles, 9 dwelling runs and 33 RBIs in 89 video games.

Sheets batted sixth and fifth within the order the primary two video games of the Orioles sequence. He was moved to the No. 2 spot as a part of a reconfigured lineup Thursday. Manager Tony La Russa inserted Vaughn within the leadoff position.

“Vaughn can hit anywhere,” La Russa stated. “We’ll see how long this lasts. But mostly I like 3-4-5 (Luis Robert, José Abreu and Eloy Jiménez, who rested Wednesday while recovering from being hit by a pitch in the left elbow Tuesday). Gives our run producers a chance to hit with runners on base, and Andrew is one of the best at doing that.”

Vaughn recalled batting leadoff whereas in school for California “a couple of weekends.” He had two at-bats within the prime spot this season after coming into for an injured AJ Pollock on April 9 in Detroit.

“Everybody steps in the box the same way,” Vaughn stated of the task. “It’s the same thing as hitting three, four, five, six or seven. You’re just starting the game off and once that happens, the lineup just keeps rolling.”

He homered on the primary pitch Thursday, and Sheets adopted with a single. Vaughn additionally doubled off the left-field wall within the third.

Sheets was glad to have the chance to make an impression in entrance of many acquainted faces.

“My dad is sitting right behind (the plate), so I can hear him the whole at-bat,” he stated. “I can see (family and friends) all throughout the stadium. Especially going out to right field, I’ve got a bunch of friends out there. Just being able to enjoy it a little bit more this year, embrace it a little bit more has been a lot of fun.”

During last season’s games in Baltimore, mates made shirts with the title “Sheets” on the again. He went 1-for-10 with two walks and two runs within the three-game sequence, hitting a house run.

This season, followers had been noticed within the Camden Yards stands with Sheets Sox jerseys.

“It’s fun to see that going around and my friends doing that,” Sheets stated. “Bunch of messages from people I didn’t even know were here. It’s been a great week.”

Leury García, Yasmani Grandal set for rehab assignments

La Russa stated infielder/outfielder Leury García and catcher Yasmani Grandal left the group Thursday for rehab assignments with Triple-A Charlotte.

García went on the 10-day injured listing Aug. 17 with a decrease again pressure. Grandal went on the 10-day IL on Sunday with a left knee strain.

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