Skip to content

White Sox rookie Yoan Moncada carted off field in 7-6, walk-off win over Blue Jays

CHICAGO — After White Sox rookie second baseman Yoan Moncada was carted off the field in the sixth inning Monday night, a groan rang out at Guaranteed Rate Field as the crowd viewed a replay of his ugly outfield collision with right fielder Willy Garcia.
7931070_web1_170731-RDA-M-170801-RDA-Sports-White-sox-Blue-Jays-ouch
Chicago White Sox second baseman Yoan Moncada, top, and right fielder Willy Garcia, bottom, collide on a double hit by Toronto Blue Jays’ Darwin Barney during the sixth inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 31, 2017, in Chicago. Both players had to leave the game. (AP Photo/David Banks)

CHICAGO — After White Sox rookie second baseman Yoan Moncada was carted off the field in the sixth inning Monday night, a groan rang out at Guaranteed Rate Field as the crowd viewed a replay of his ugly outfield collision with right fielder Willy Garcia.

During a 7-6 walk-off victory over the Blue Jays, Darwin Barney doubled to short right field, and Moncada and Garcia both charged the ball. As Garcia slid to try to make the catch, Moncada hit Garcia in the side of the head with his right knee and tumbled to the ground.

Both Garcia and Moncada stayed on the ground for several minutes as Sox staff checked on them. Moncada didn’t put any weight on his right leg as teammate Jose Abreu helped him climb on the cart. Garcia walked off the field himself.

The Sox announced Moncada was diagnosed with a bruised right knee after X-rays were negative, and they designated him as day to day. Garcia was diagnosed with a bruised head and will be re-evaluated Tuesday.

If Moncada’s injury isn’t any more serious than the initial diagnosis, it will be a relief for the Sox.

Ranked the top prospect in baseball this year, Moncada is one of the centerpieces of the rebuilding project that is well underway on the South Side.

One of the return players in the Chris Sale trade, he was called up from Triple-A Charlotte for his Sox debut July 19, and Monday was his 12th game with the team. He is 4-for-38 with a double, a triple, a homer, six RBIs, six walks and 16 strikeouts.

The Sox trailed the Blue Jays 3-0 at the time of the collision, and the bases were loaded when Barney hit James Shields’ fastball. Three runs scored before play stopped and the Sox rushed to check on their teammates.

Shields gave up three solo home runs in the first four innings as the Blue Jays took the lead.

Josh Donaldson hit the first solo shot to right-center field in the first. Russell Martin homered to open the fourth and Justin Smoak hit one with one out in the fourth.

The Sox came back from a six-run deficit to win it.

Abreu’s RBI double and back-to-back homers from Matt Davidson and Yolmer Sanchez cut the Blue Jays’ lead to 6-5 in the eighth.

In the ninth, Adam Engel beat out the throw to first for a one-out infield single, and Blue Jays closer Roberto Osuna hit Leury Garcia with a pitch.

Abreu then hit a two-out RBI single to tie it at 6, and Davidson hit a walk-off single to center field, his second straight walk-off hit.

Davidson hit a walk-off homer Sunday for just the Sox’s second win in 16 games.

“We came off a really nice win last night,” Sox manager Rick Renteria said before the game. “I can surmise right now the guys are feeling pretty good because victories have that way of calming the waters a little.”