Thanks to my 2018 SoxMath title Melky Cabrera Jersey , I got to do some really cool things during the home opener"WhiteFanposts FanpostsFanshotsSections AnalysisGame RecapsGamethreadsMinorsOffbeatFull ArchiveExclusives South Side Sox Hall of FameCard of the MonthDeep DiveDigitsFlashbackFranchise FactsKnow Your EnemyMost Essential White SoxRace to the BottomSix Pack of StatsSouth Side SnapSouth Side StumperSSS Literary SupplementSuper Stats PackThe Game I’ll Never ForgetTwitterpatingUnder the RadarView From the Other SideWhite Sox on SB Nation HomeStoriesScheduleRosterStatsWhite Sox on Yahoo! HomeDepth ChartTransactionsMasthead MastheadMeet the Players!Links White Sox Web LinksSouth Side Sox standardsCommunity GuidelinesOdds Shop StubHub 鉁昉lay #SoxMath, folks ... you never know what might happenNew,5commentsThanks to my 2018 SoxMath title, I got to do some really cool things during the home openerCDTShareTweetShareSharePlay #SoxMath, folks ... you never know what might happenAdditions to the team: Joe (with his proud pops, Steve, far left) celebrated his title by taking a victory lap with Benetti and Stone in the TV booth on Opening Day.At this year’s SoxFest, I was invited to compete in the first annual SoxMath Championship. And won.Those who had at least four wins (there were 11 of us) during the 2018 season were invited to play in a preliminary round, during the last series of the year. The SoxMath winner for each of those last three games advanced in the playoffs, and were invited to SoxFest.I was one of three finalists, and the other two (@jlazowski14 and @WhiteSox_Jack) were stiff competition all year. At SoxFest, the three of us were asked a long series of questions, far longer than the questions on broadcasts. Those questions led to one answer, and I managed to pull out the win by having the closest answer. Don’t believe me? Man, I get a headache even watching this replay:The good news is that the biggest SoxMath victory I’ve ever had resulted in the biggest reward. And mercy Justin Verlander Jersey , it was a good one.On the field for the first time since I ran the bases as a kid.The biggest highlight was the trip to the booth and getting to see a bunch of things that happen behind the scenes. Jason Benetti and Steve Stone are the best commentary duo that this league has to offer, and it was a pleasure to witness them in action.One of Benetti’s many positive qualities as a play-by-play announcer is his application of analytics to what is going on during games. After seeing his setup, it became easier to understand how he finds some of his talking points. For example, he had live pitch data for both teams open on Baseball Savant. Here is an example, from Carlos Rod贸n’s start against the Rays on Monday.I was not surprised, but still quite impressed by Benetti’s multitasking. That guy does everything during broadcasts; the pitch data was just one of many tabs he was keeping track of. With his multiple screens (and tabs on each screen), I was left to wonder how he does not get inundated. On top of it, Jason was paying close attention to his scorecard, updating it after each batter. As odd as this may sound, watching Benetti gave me similar vibes to watching Michael Kopech pitch live last year. The White Sox really hit a grand slam by hiring him, and the reasons for that go far beyond his creation of SoxMath.Then there’s Stone, who is an excellent complement to Jason. While Steve is not as focused on the analytics that I have grown to love, he adds a great deal of baseball experience and insight that most commentators simply cannot provide. The combination of an analytics play-by-play announcer and a former player generally works well, thanks to them filling in for what the other lacks. These two pull it off better than any duo I have seen.It was a bonus having them talk about me after Benetti introduced the SoxMath question for the day. I was not allowed to play this fun game that day, but that does not take away from the visit. Plus Houston Astros Jersey , their banter about my disqualification made up for it.As for the game itself, it was probably the most exciting White Sox game of the season so far. Despite Seattle’s rally after I returned to my seat, the Sox got the victory.Play SoxMath, folks. You never know what might happen. CHICAGO (AP) — It’s purely about the math for Anthony Rizzo and the Chicago Cubs.A three-game lead is better than a one-game advantage, and that was all that mattered Wednesday.Rizzo homered, drove in three runs and stole two bases in his return to the cleanup spot, and Chicago beat the Milwaukee Brewers 8-4 to strengthen its hold on the NL Central.The Cubs bounced back nicely from their 7-0 loss in the opener of the two-game series, improving to 9-4 against the Brewers this year. But they have six more games left in the season series and St. Louis is gaining quickly, so Rizzo and company coolly packed up their three-game advantage over the second-place Brewers and got ready for a six-game trip.It’s just about the numbers in the middle of August.“I think early on we knew it was going to come down to the wire,” Rizzo said, “so I don’t see us or any team pulling away like crazy. Winning games versus our division is always big, and this one was nice.”Jason Heyward added three hits and two RBIs as Chicago moved 19 games over .500, matching its season high. David Bote had two hits, scored twice and made a terrific barehanded play at third base in his first action since he hit a game-ending grand slam in Sunday night’s 4-3 victory over Washington.Kyle Hendricks (9-9) struck out eight in six-plus innings on his bobblehead day, providing a lift for the Cubs after Jon Lester and Jose Quintana struggled in recent starts.“Psychologically http://www.astrosfanproshop.com/authentic-justin-verlander-jersey , I mean obviously there was a lot of folks that would have been running for the hills had we lost,” manager Joe Maddon said. “The fact that you win the game, it settles down that method. There’s still a long way to go.”Milwaukee had a chance to inch closer to Chicago, but instead lost for the fourth time in six games. Junior Guerra (6-8) lasted just 3 2/3 innings, and first baseman Eric Thames committed an error that helped set up a run.“It was definitely a hard game,” Guerra said. “Some of the things just didn’t go our way today.”The Brewers, who are in position for a wild card, also lost left fielder Ryan Braun and catcher Manny Pina to injuries. Braun departed with tightness on the right side of his rib cage, and Pina hurt his left shoulder when he collided with Javier Baez while he was diving back to second in the seventh.Pina stayed in after the play and scored on Mike Moustakas’ single. But Erik Kratz took over behind the plate in the bottom half of the inning.“We’re going to take him to Milwaukee for tests tomorrow, but he was adamant about staying in the game,” manager Craig Counsell said. “It’s just kind of precautionary. So we’ll get some tests and we’ll see.”Braun is considered day to day. He got hurt trying to make a sliding catch on Heyward’s RBI double in the third.“I don’t anticipate making a quick move with this one, but if it lingers, we’re going to have to make a move,” Counsell said.Rizzo, who had been leading off Hector Rondon Jersey , drove a 0-1 pitch from Guerra into the basket in left for a two-run shot in the first. The big first baseman also blooped a run-scoring single into center in the Cubs’ three-run fourth, helped by a partly cloudy sky that made life difficult for each team all afternoon.The Brewers closed to 7-4 on Hernan Perez’s RBI single in the seventh. But they wasted a chance for more when Travis Shaw popped out and Jonathan Schoop lined to left with the bases loaded, ending the inning.Albert Almora Jr. then led off the bottom half of the inning with a line drive into the bleachers in left . It was his first homer since June 28 and No. 5 on the year.MINOR MOVESThe Cubs acquired minor league outfielder Terrance Gore from Kansas City for a player to be named or cash. He was assigned to Triple-A Iowa.The speedy Gore is 0 for 11 in 49 major league games. But he has scored 14 times and swiped 21 bases.TRAINER’S ROOMBrewers: RHP Jimmy Nelson is unlikely to return this season after he had shoulder surgery in September, according to Counsell. … RHP Zach Davies, who is coming back from an inflamed right rotator cuff and tight lower back, could make another rehab appearance after he starts for Triple-A Colorado Springs on Thursday.UP NEXTBrewers: Following a day off, RHP Freddy Peralta (5-3, 4.47 ERA) faces Cardinals RHP Luke Weaver (6-10, 4.66 ERA) on Friday night in the opener of a big weekend series in St. Louis. Peralta was tagged for seven runs in three-plus innings in a 10-1 loss at Atlanta on Friday night.Cubs: Lester (12-5, 3.89 ERA) pitches Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series at Pittsburgh. He is 0-3 with a 10.32 ERA in five starts since the All-Star break. RHP Ivan Nova (7-6, 4.42 ERA) gets the ball for the Pirates.