MLB Recap · April 8, 2023

Chicago White Sox at Pittsburgh Pirates: Final Score & Recap

CWS11
Final
PIT5

Line Score

Team123456789RHE
CWS01401050011141
PIT1010200015100

The Story

The Chicago White Sox handed the Pittsburgh Pirates an 11-5 defeat at PNC Park on April 8, 2023, erasing a pre-game home win probability of 54 percent according to the DiamondIQ model's estimate and leaving the Pirates with a zero percent chance of winning by the final out. Chicago scored in six of nine innings, building their lead methodically before a five-run seventh inning put the game fully out of reach.

The decisive shift in momentum came in the third inning, when Tim Anderson's double off Vince Velasquez opened the door for a four-run frame. Yasmani Grandal followed with a single that registered the largest single win-probability swing of the night, adding 21.8 percentage points to Chicago's chances and serving as the clear turning point of the contest. Pittsburgh briefly applied pressure in the bottom of the fifth when Carlos Santana connected for a single off Mike Clevinger, a hit that added 13.8 percentage points to the Pirates' win probability and represented the home team's best moment of the evening, but the White Sox answered with five runs in the seventh to close the door entirely. Oscar Colás and Grandal each delivered singles in that seventh-inning rally, with Grandal adding a double as well, each swing worth 6.6 percentage points.

Grandal finished as the game's most impactful offensive player by the DiamondIQ model's accounting, posting a combined WPA of plus-27.1 and an RE24 of plus-3.3. Santana was the second-most valuable bat on the evening at plus-18.2 WPA and plus-2.4 RE24, while Colás contributed plus-8.9 WPA. On the mound, Joe Kelly was the most effective reliever for Chicago, contributing plus-9.9 WPA, with Chase De Jong adding plus-1.9 in support.

Analysis generated by DiamondIQ's model.

Win Probability

755025CWS bats firstFinalPIT win %CWS win %
DiamondIQ model home win probability across the game (pre-game 54% → final 0%).

Biggest Plays by Win-Probability Added

Yasmani Grandal Single
Top 3rd · off Vince Velasquez
+21.8%
Carlos Santana Single
Bot 5th · off Mike Clevinger
+13.8%
Oscar Colás Single
Top 7th · off Rob Zastryzny
+6.6%
Yasmani Grandal Double
Top 7th · off Rob Zastryzny
+6.6%
Tim Anderson Double
Top 3rd · off Vince Velasquez
+6.4%

Top Batters by WPA

Yasmani Grandal+27.1%+3.3 RE24
Carlos Santana+18.2%+2.4 RE24
Oscar Colás+8.9%+0.9 RE24

Top Pitchers by WPA

Full box score, pitch data, and the play-by-play timeline
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