CHICAGO (670 The Score) -- The first step out of the batter’s box for White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal shifted his momentum, and soon he was running along the infield grass after hitting a grounder to first base.
Did Grandal realize what he was doing? Because shortly after, Astros first baseman Yuli Gurriel's throw home brushed Grandal's left arm and ended up behind home plate instead of in catcher Martin Maldonado's glove to perhaps cut down a run at the plate.
That allowed Chicago center fielder Luis Robert to slide in safely in what proved to be a defining moment of a win-or-go-home contest for the White Sox, who rallied from an early four-run deficit to earn a 12-6 win against the Astros in Game 3 of their American League Division Series on Sunday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The White Sox trimmed their deficit to 2-1 in the best-of-five series, which will continue Monday afternoon in Chicago. Of course, there may not have been a tomorrow on the South Side had Grandal not helped change the game on a play in which the Astros wanted interference called after he ran several feet inside the foul line and ended up in Gurriel's throwing lane.
“I know what the rule is,” Grandal said. “I wish it would have been a heads-up play on my part. It just so happened to hit me."
The controversial sequence came with the White Sox leading 7-6 and runners on the corners with no outs in the bottom of the fourth. After the umpires conferred, the run stood, extending the White Sox's lead to 8-6 as Astros manager Dusty Baker expressed his displeasure with the call. The White Sox tacked on another run in the inning to take a 9-6 lead after they had trailed 5-1 early.
“They gave me an explanation,” Baker said. “What good is an explanation at that point?
“Especially him being a catcher. He knows what he’s doing. It was a smart play on his part.”
White Sox manager Tony La Russa disagreed with Baker’s assertion.
“I guarantee there was no intent to interfere with that play,” La Russa said. “I can guarantee you."
In their first home playoff game in 13 years, the White Sox called for a blackout of Guaranteed Rate Field, and at the vast majority of 40,288 fans followed suit. It provided an atmosphere the ballpark hadn’t had since the 2008 AL Central tiebreaker game against the Twins.
Inside the home dugout, the White Sox felt it. It wasn't just when left fielder Eloy Jimenez hit an RBI single in the first inning for a 1-0 lead or when utilityman Leury Garcia hit a three-run in the third inning to give Chicago a 6-5 advantage.
The White Sox also soaked in the collective belief of their fan base with each out recorded by relievers Michael Kopech, Ryan Tepera, Aaron Bummer, Craig Kimbrel and Liam Hendriks. The roars grew louder, and the White Sox and their fans saw a series potentially shifting.
“I can’t tell you the impression that left on our ballclub,” La Russa said of the fans.
A White Sox bullpen built for success in October lived up to its billing after struggling in the first two games of this series. The five White Sox relievers combined to go 7 1/3 innings and allow three runs, all of which were charged to Kopech, and strike out 14 batters. They also retired the last 16 Astros batters in order to back a White Sox lineup that produced a dozen runs and 16 hits.
At the end of a long night, the fans stood as Hendriks shut the door and chanted with belief: Sox in five! Sox in five!
One controversial play helped to reshape a must-win game for the White Sox, and now they're brimming with confidence and belief.
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.