With the Chicago White Sox trailing the Cleveland Guardians by two in Wednesday's rubber match between the AL Central foes, Tommy Pham delivered a clutch swing in his return from the injured list.
But if not for a chance meeting with general manager Chris Getz on Tuesday night and a quite literal elevator pitch, Pham might not have been in the lineup at all.
Pham, who was acquired by the White Sox in a late August trade with the Philadelphia Phillies, had been rehabbing a left calf strain in the minors in recent weeks, with Chicago planning to activate the veteran outfielder for its upcoming series against the Detroit Tigers.
But Pham and Getz shared an elevator ride on Tuesday night, during which the 38-year-old assured his GM that he was ready to return to the majors as soon as possible.
And it’s a good thing Getz listened, as Pham’s three-run blast in the fifth inning put the White Sox on the board and briefly gave them the lead.
"That's a true story," Pham said during an in-dugout interview on the ESPN broadcast about his meeting with Getz. "I saw Chris last night when we got off the bus. We were on the elevator together, and I told him I could play today. I said, 'I'm ready.'
"I went right to the source, man. Our trainers were trying to wait a couple more days, but I can't sit back right now in the middle of this race when I feel like I can."
Chicago entered the afternoon contest with a half-game lead over Cleveland in the AL Central standings, so Wednesday’s winner would leave the teams’ final meeting of the season with a slight edge in the division race.
Pham's blast was his first hit of the season after previously spending time with the New York Mets and in the minors with the Baltimore Orioles and Phillies.
In just 10 major-league games on the year, he was 0-for-14 with one walk.
1:31
