Tim Anderson again shining on big stage for White Sox

CHICAGO — Whether he’s slugging game-ending location runs successful an Iowa cornfield oregon piling up hits successful the postseason, Tim Anderson keeps showing a flair for the biggest moments.

Chicago’s exuberant prima did it again. And the White Sox kept their play going for astatine slightest different day.

Anderson singled 3 times and scored doubly successful different large playoff show arsenic the White Sox bushed the Houston Astros 12-6 Sunday to debar a three-game expanse successful their AL Division Series.

He has 16 hits successful six vocation playoff games, the astir by immoderate large leaguer implicit a six-game postseason span. He is 16 for 29 successful that stretch, with 7 hits successful this bid aft collecting 9 successful past year’s wild-card nonaccomplishment to Oakland.

“I conscionable consciousness similar I’m different,” Anderson said earlier the game. “You know, I privation to beryllium successful those moments. The camera is on. People are present to ticker you. So, I mean, it is simply a show, truthful you conscionable effort to spell retired and springiness radical a show.”

There volition beryllium astatine slightest 1 much enactment for the AL Central champions aft Anderson delivered different virtuoso show successful their archetypal location playoff crippled since 2008.

“When Timmy goes, we go,” catcher Yasmani Grandal said. “That’s conscionable the sanction of the game. He tin bash things with the bat, helium tin bash things with his legs. Very astute player. He knows what helium wants to do. He knows however helium wants to bash it. That’s wherefore he’s our leadoff guy. If helium goes, we go. And we’re gonna travel him each the mode through.”

Anderson said it felt similar a “normal day” to him adjacent though the White Sox were facing elimination. He definite looked chill and calm retired there.

Anderson lined a leadoff azygous successful the archetypal inning against Rookie of the Year campaigner Luis Garcia and scored connected Eloy Jiménez’s two-out basal hit. With the crippled tied astatine 6, the White Sox scored 3 successful the fourth. And, nary surprise, Anderson had a manus successful that.

He singled to shortstop Carlos Correa starring disconnected against Yimi Garcia, moved to 2nd connected Luis Robert’s deed and came astir connected Jose Abreu’s basal deed of Zack Greinke, putting Chicago connected apical 7-6. He added an RBI azygous during a three-run eighth, helping the White Sox bump their pb to 12-6.

That Anderson continues to travel done successful large spots is hardly a surprise. He delivered the eventual Hollywood ending with his winning homer successful the “Field of Dreams” crippled against the New York Yankees, 1 of the highlights of Chicago’s tally to its archetypal AL Central title since 2008.

With his theatrical bat flips and fun-loving attitude, the 28-year-old Anderson conscionable mightiness beryllium Chicago’s astir marketable star. He won a batting rubric successful 2019 and made his archetypal All-Star squad this year. And now, helium is delivering successful the biggest spot.

“I don’t truly get nervous,” Anderson said. “You know, these are the moments you privation to beryllium in. You know, you enactment truthful hard passim the offseason and passim the people of the play to get to these moments, truthful wherefore get tense erstwhile you get here?”