ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. — Chicago White Sox reliever Craig Kimbrel walked Manuel Margot on four pitches to begin the eighth inning Friday against the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field.
Kevin Kiermaier came to bat representing the tying run. Kimbrel threw three straight balls before tossing his first strike of the inning. He got Kiermaier to line out to second baseman Cèsar Hernández on the next pitch.
Kimbrel struck out Mike Zunino, but that would be the last batter he faced as the Sox made a pitching change. It was a decision manager Tony La Russa regretted, not because it didn’t work out but because of the message he thought it sent Kimbrel.