OK, despite their 1-3-8 record going in, the White Sox should have won this one, and it shouldn’t have been so close that an umpire wanting the long, long game to be over with and deciding not to call a balk on Felix Paulino to tie it up in the ninth saved the day.
After all, the Sox started almost their entire Opening Day lineup, and the Angels started a collection of scrubs, low minor leaguers and hot dog vendors. The one regular to appear was Shohei Ohtani, and he was pitching, not hitting — though he pitched like he should have been DHing.