How good was shortstop Tim Anderson in the White Sox’ home opener Friday?
Not good enough to get him off diaper duty.
“No, I’m heading to it right now,” Anderson said after the Sox’ 10-8 victory over the Mariners.
Anderson and his wife, Bria, welcomed their second daughter, Paxton Karter, into the world on Monday — more than three weeks before Bria’s due date, Anderson said. He was happy that the Sox pushed back their home opener one day due to inclement weather because it allowed him more time to be with his family.
In his first game back since he went on paternity leave, it’s safe to say the 25-year-old made his little girl proud.
Anderson — who told the media before the game that he was well-rested despite having a newborn in the house — had his best performance of the season so far, going 3-for-4 with a walk and three RBI.
Anderson capped off his day by hitting his first home run of the season, a solo shot to left field in the eighth inning. The force of Anderson’s swing was so strong it caused him to do a 360-degree spin. Once he regained his balance, he smiled and pointed toward his teammates in the dugout before running around the bases.
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“It’s for the guys,” Anderson said. “It gets them going. It definitely was a huge home run and gave us a little cushion.”
Anderson, who is now 7-for-16 on the season with four RBI, also put his speed on display. In the seventh inning, he outran the throw to second, sliding in safely to avoid a forceout.
“That was huge in the game,” he said. “I was able to finish it.
“A lot of exciting things happening. I’m a dad, I had a good game today. It’s a special week for me, and I’m having fun.”
Along with Yoan Moncada, Anderson showed Sox fans how far the team has come since last season.
What’s the biggest difference between this team versus last season’s?
According to Anderson, “everything.”
“I’m not going to say what we can do or what we can’t do,” Anderson said, “but we can play hard. And I think we’ve got a chance to do something better than what we did last year.”
And the proof is on the field, he said.
Holding a commanding 6-1 lead after the second inning, the Sox faltered, and the Mariners took the lead for a bit. But the Sox managed to bounce back.
“Same thing kind of happened last year, and we weren’t able to come back,” Anderson said. “It says a lot about this team, and we continue to fight, and we were able to get the win.”
