It appears as if the ability to emerge in key situations simply runs in the Thompson family.
The father, Mychal Thompson, was critical to the Los Angeles Lakers' championship runs in 1986 and 1987, and the older brother, Klay Thompson, helped lead the Golden State Warriors to their first NBA title since 1975 this past June.
Now, rookie right fielder Trayce Thompson is making a name for himself with the Chicago White Sox.
With a 3-for-4, three-RBI showing Tuesday night in a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox, Thompson rose his average this season to an admirable .522, driving home the game-tying and go-ahead runs with a two-RBI double to left field off of Boston starter Wade Miley in the seventh inning to conclude an unforgettable night for the 24-year-old.
Despite holding a 4-2 lead entering the bottom of the seventh inning, Miley (L, 10-10) and the Red Sox were unable to stave off a Chicago comeback, dropping their third game of the last four. In 6.2 innings of work, Miley allowed five runs on 13 hits, the three runs he yielded in the seventh is not indicative of the solid start he was enjoying prior to his collapse.
In addition to Thompson, left fielder Melky Cabrera went 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI, second baseman Carlos Sanchez went 2-for-4 with an RBI single, and third baseman Gordon Beckham enjoyed a 2-for-4, one-run outing for the White Sox, who snapped a two-game skid with the victory.
Chicago starter Jose Quintana earned a no-decision in the bout, going six innings while letting up four runs (three earned) on seven hits, striking out six. Besides center fielder Mookie Betts (2-for-4, two runs, one RBI) and second baseman Josh Rutledge (2-for-3, one run), not a single Boston batter garnered multiple base hits on the night.
The White Sox jumped ahead first against Miley, capturing a 1-0 advantage in the second inning. With one-out, Thompson knocked a controversial triple to deep right, with instant replay determining that the rookie was safe at third. He would later be thrown out at home on a fielder's choice grounded into by shortstop Alexei Ramirez, however, after a single by catcher Geovany Soto moved Ramirez to second, he scored on a subsequent RBI base knock by Sanchez.
This lead was short-lived, however, as, with two outs in the third inning, Rutledge singled to precede an RBI double to left by Betts. Attempting to nab Rutledge at the plate, Ramirez fired an off-target relay throw to home, allowing Betts to continue running all the way to the plate for an old-fashioned "Little League home run," giving Boston a 2-1 lead.
An RBI single by Thompson in the fourth inning knotted up the score at two runs apiece, however, the Red Sox were quick to recapture the advantage once again in the top of the sixth inning. After Betts singled to begin the stanza, third baseman Pablo Sandoval laced an RBI double to right, providing his team with a one-run advantage.
After a single by shortstop Xander Bogaerts moved him to third, Sandoval then scored on an RBI fielder's choice by first baseman Travis Shaw following a strikeout by designated hitter David Ortiz, an intelligent piece of hitting which gave Boston a 4-2 lead.
With Miley performing impeccably, the advantage seemed insurmountable. However, Chicago rattled the left-hander in the bottom of the seventh inning, beginning with a single by Beckham. A groundout by center fielder Adam Eaton moved Beckham to second, and he soon reached third on a wild pitch. Cabrera then knocked an RBI single to center, slicing the White Sox deficit in half.
After a passed ball by Red Sox catcher Ryan Hanigan allowed Cabrera to waltz to second, a strikeout by first baseman Jose Abreu and a walk issued to designated hitter Avisail Garcia set up the defining blow of the night for Thompson. Facing two outs and a 1-0 count, Thompson ripped a Miley offering past the outstretched glove of Sandoval into left field.
The surging grounder then skated by Boston left fielder Hanley Ramirez, allowing both runners to score and providing Chicago with a lead they would not relinquish.
White Sox reliever Jake Petricka (W, 4-3) pitched a scoreless seventh inning for the victory, while reliever Zach Duke (H, 21) and closer David Robertson (S, 26) combined to strike out five of Boston's final six batters to clinch the victory for Chicago.