Italian WBC player, aka Sam Antonacci, goes deep | Chicago White Sox
With most of the expected big hitters out of the lineup after yesterday’s split-squad games, some other sources made Tanner Bibee’s first inning of the spring a miserable one. For him.
No. 2 hitter Sam Antonacci started things off for the White Sox when he got a 2-0 cutter that had too much of the plate.
Antonacci knew that was gone from the start, all 107.1 mph, 416´worth. That shot was followed by Miguel Vargas and LaMonte Wade Jr. doubles, with Wade later scoring on a wild pitch for a 3-0 Sox lead.
Bibee settled down for two scoreless innings after that, but Shane Smith showed his weak first start had just been working out the kinks as he kept the Guardians off the board until one run in the third, although a sweet play by William Bergolla Jr. at short kept the damage from being worse.
Lousy Cleveland defense (see, other teams have that, too) helped the Sox to two more runs in the fifth, with Bergolla and Antonacci scoring after walking and getting hit by a pitch, the first of two HBPs for Antonacci in the game. Bergolla also had an RBI single in the sixth, making it 6-1, and Antonacci scored in the seventh for a 7-1 lead. Both players are making management decisions on which middle infielders to keep when camp breaks ever more difficult.
Three Sox relievers cruised their way to the seventh, when Tyler Davis decided the game was too much of a yawner and coughed up three runs on two hits and a walk in the bottom of the seventh. Cleveland added one more in the eighth and had the tying run at the plate, but Adysin Coffey got a three-pitch K to end the threat. Shane Murphy then had an easy ninth for the save.
The Sox only had seven hits for their seven runs as they ran their spring record to 6-4, but six walks and those two HBPs, along with bad Guardian fielding decisions, helped things out.
Next up is a rematch with the Cubs, first pitch at 2:05 p.m. Central tomorrow. It will be on ESPN 1000, but you won’t get to watch the game unless you’re on of those turncoats who get Cubs TV.
Feb 24, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson talks to referee Suyash Mehta (82) during the second half against the New York Knicks at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images
At the same time, they were on the wrong end of several critical calls that ended up costing them the game, according to the league’s Last Two Minute Report.
The league admitted that there were four incorrect calls in the last two minutes of regulation and the last two minutes of overtime. Three of the missed calls benefited Detroit and played a large role in them coming away with the win. Let’s review each of these missed calls.
First, Jaylon Tyson’s turnover with just under two minutes left that helped spur Detroit’s comeback shouldn’t have happened. A review of the play indicates that Jalen Duran fouled Jarrett Allen when he attempted to make the pass.
Here is the league’s comment for the missed call: “Duren’s (DET) hand slides off the ball and initiates contact with Allen’s (CLE) wrist, affecting his ability to make his intended pass. The illegal contact causes the errant pass.”
The Cavs were firmly in control of the game at this time, and Cade Cunningham had just fouled out. If this is called on Duran, as it should’ve been, then the game probably ends in a much more anticlimactic way.
The second incorrect call forced Allen to miss the rest of the fourth quarter and overtime. Allen was whistled for a shooting foul against Duran, which led to free throws with 48 seconds remaining.
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The report states: “Allen (CLE) makes contact with the ball and legally blocks Duren’s (DET) shot attempt at the basket.”
This missed call cost the Cavs the most. It meant that they had to play the rest of the game without their best player that evening, and the Pistons received two points in what should’ve been an empty possession. This call was the one that the Cavs’ locker room most vocally disagreed with afterward, even though Allen took the high road.
“You know, everybody’s biased, I don’t think so,” Allen said when asked afterward if he felt the block on Duren was a foul. “But obviously the refs have different angles, so I’m not going to complain about it.”
The Cavs weren’t able to challenge this missed call since they had already won two challenges earlier in the game. However, if this play had been reviewed, the officials would’ve likely overturned the call on the floor. It was pretty clear that Allen didn’t foul Duren.
The third missed call was the only one that benefited the Cavs.
Cleveland shouldn’t have been awarded the ball when Marcus Sasser knocked the ball out of Tyson’s hand shortly after he came down with an offensive rebound off of Craig Porter Jr.’s missed free throw with under 10 seconds left in regulation.
The report states: “Sasser (DET) cleanly dislodges the ball from Tyson (CLE) and Tyson is the last player to touch the ball before it goes out of bounds. Possession should be awarded to the Pistons.”
This missed call gave Evan Mobley a chance to win the game at the line. If he made both, it would’ve been a two-possession game, but he split them, giving Detroit a chance to tie the game on their final possession.
The last errant call happened at the end of overtime. Sam Merrill should’ve been awarded three free throws after Sasser closed out too hard while trying to contest a potential game-tying three with 18 seconds in overtime.
The report states: Sasser (DET) contests Merrill’s (CLE) jump shot attempt and initiates illegal lower-body contact following the release of the shot attempt.
This was the most egregious missed call of the four. I’m not sure how this wasn’t called a shooting foul at the time. Sasser wrongly went under the screen and closed out way too hard. This is a foul at every level of basketball.
It’s worth noting that the league agreed with the call on the floor that Daniss Jenkins was attempting a half-court shot when Tyson intentionally fouled him at the end of regulation. The report says that Jenkins was in the upward shooting motion when Tyson contacted him.
The Cavs had chances to win this road game, and still should’ve even though these calls went against them. However, if any of the three missed calls that went against the Cavs were called correctly on the floor, the outcome of this game would’ve been different.
