Chicago White Sox get Pedro Grifol a win in his managerial debut after rallying: ‘Great game from the first inning to the last inning’

Andrew Vaughn struck out with the bases loaded in the seventh inning.

The Chicago White Sox first baseman got another chance in a big spot in the ninth, batting with two on and one out in a tie game on opening day against the Houston Astros.

Vaughn came through with a two-run double, and the Sox held on for a thrilling 3-2 victory against the defending champions in front of 43,032 at Minute Maid Park.

“Coming out that last at-bat, got down two strikes, and I was like, ‘Hey, I have to get it done here,’ ” Vaughn said. “It’s a good feeling. Anything I can do to help the team win.

“I know I have eight guys behind me who want to do the same exact thing.”

The Sox put together an impressive team effort, beginning with Dylan Cease and ending with clutch hitting to win in Pedro Grifol’s managerial debut.

“That was great,” Grifol said. “I wouldn’t want it any other way. That was a great game all the way around from the first inning to the last inning.

“These guys played great. They responded. They had great energy and it’s on them, the ones that play the game. That was a really well-fought game.”

Cease set the tone, allowing one run on two hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks in 6⅓ innings.

“This one and probably my (near) no-hitter game (last year against the Minnesota Twins) are 1-2, that’s about as sharp as I’ve ever been,” Cease said.

Cease used his fastball, curve and slider for strikeouts. He gave up a single to leadoff batter Jeremy Peña in the first and retired the next 19 batters, with the streak ending when he hit Yordan Alvarez with a pitch with one out in the seventh.

“The last couple of weeks (of spring training) I felt really locked in and so I just followed that process and trusted in it,” Cease said.

The 10 strikeouts matched Jack McDowell (1991) for the most by a Sox pitcher on opening day.

“He just kept pumping strikes,” Grifol said. “He had great stuff. There’s a reason why he was top two in the Cy Young last year and he showed it.”

Framber Valdez was effective for the Astros, allowing six hits and striking out four in five scoreless innings.

The Astros scored the game’s first run on a wild pitch in the seventh and the Sox tied it in the eighth on a two-out homer from Yasmani Grandal.

Tim Anderson, who had two hits, started the rally in the ninth with a one-out walk. Luis Robert followed with a single, his second hit of the game.

Then came Vaughn, who was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and one hit by pitch in his first four plate appearances.

“We can’t forget the fact that we were facing some pretty damn good pitching out there today,” Grifol said. “(Valdez) was on top of his game too. He just made really good pitches when he had to and we’ve got good hitters that make adjustments throughout the game, and (Vaughn’s) one of them.

“He got himself a good pitch to hit in a really good situation. We needed him in that situation and he did what he does. He’s a good hitter.”

The Sox were 1-for-10 with runner’s in scoring position. But it was a big one — Vaughn’s double against reliever Ryan Pressly.

“Just got to go back to what we work on all spring all offseason,” Vaughn said. “Stay simple and trust your approach and try to do the job.”

Without closer Liam Hendriks, who announced in January he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and remains in treatment, the Sox went with Reynaldo López for the ninth. He gave up a one-out homer to Alvarez and two-out walk to Kyle Tucker before striking out Yainer Diaz to end the game.

“Everybody knows he’s got talent, but he showed some grit,” Grifol said of López. “He had to battle through that tough part of the order. Those guys are pretty good hitters he faced. It was just power on power. They got him once, but he showed some grit.”

López’s first career save wrapped up Grifol’s first career victory.

“I did catch myself a couple of times saying ‘I’m managing a damn good ballclub here, guys out there that are extremely talented,’” Grifol said. “I did it early this morning when I got up. I went to the ballpark and then probably a couple times during the game, which was fun.

“Today was a fun day all around.”