Chicago White Sox interim manager Grady Sizemore debuted against the Chicago Cubs on Friday night. Taking over for Pedro Grifol, who the White Sox's front office fired following a 21-game losing streak, Sizemore admitted ahead of that that he wasn't sure what to expect in his first game.
Before the game, he spoke with reporters about what the past 24 hours have been like for him and the surreal feeling he had entering his first game.
“It still hasn't sunk in,” Sizemore said before the game. “I didn't get a lot of sleep last night; I was too excited and too anxious. It still doesn't feel real.”
In a 7-6 loss to the Cubs, Sizemore managed a great game. The cross-town classic against the Cubs was on pace to be a shutout loss for the White Sox before they nearly rallied back from a 7-0 hole. While holding their opponent to six scoreless innings, the White Sox scored their sixth run in the bottom of the seventh before eventually coming up short down the stretch.
Cubs hand White Sox their 90th loss of the season in Grady Sizemore's debut
The White Sox's current 28-90 record is on pace to top the 2018 Baltimore Orioles (47-115) for the worst MLB regular season in recent history. However, that's not Sizemore's main focus, and it can't be after taking over for Grifol with 44 games left in the regular season.
Instead, the interim manager praised his team's perseverance in Friday's loss. Nearly completing an epic comeback after trailing the Cubs 7-0, the White Sox didn't give up.
“That was a good one. It was awesome. That was a hard-fought game, great energy, the crowd; everything about that game was exciting. I couldn't be more proud of those guys in there,” Sizemore said after the win. “To go down early like that, to fight back, and to put it out there like that was a great effort.”
Sizemore's first game as the White Sox interim manager will likely be a vivid memory. The former MLB slugger entered Guaranteed Rate Field unsure of what to anticipate, but he was pleased with the experience overall.
“I didn't really know what to expect. I knew it was going to be a lot. I knew it was going to be different,” Sizemore added. “It was nerve-wracking. It was a little bit of everything in that game. It was a good first one.”
The White Sox will face the Cubs once more Saturday night before hosting the New York Yankees for a three-game series starting Monday.
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