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 The White Sox catcher went 3-for-3, drove in three runs and
scored twice in Chicago's 5-3 victory against the Texas Rangers at
U.S. Cellular Field, finishing a double short of hitting for the
cycle in a rain-shortened game that lasted seven innings.
"That was the last thing on my mind," Flowers said of losing his
cycle bid. "I really didn't think about it until the other guys
started giving me a hard time."
Flowers had big hits each of his first three trips to the plate. He
tripled and scored in the third inning, hit a solo homer to start
the fifth and singled home two runs with two outs in the sixth in
what turned out to be the decisive rally.
Flowers is hitting .458 with six doubles, three home runs, a triple
and 13 RBIs in his past 14 games, raising his average from .213 to
.252.
"I actually felt terrible (at the plate)," he said. "Baseball's a
funny game. I felt awful and I had a really good game."
The White Sox (55-58) ended a two-game skid.
The Rangers (43-69), who own the worst record in the majors, dropped
their fourth straight. Once again, they had trouble getting Flowers
out. He's now hitting .500 (7-for-14) against Texas this season.
"I look back on the past two years, and Flowers has certainly been
doing well against us," Rangers manager Ron Washington said. "He may
not have been hitting home runs against everyone else, but he finds
a way to hit a ball out of the ballpark against us some kind of way.
Tonight, he hit the ball off the wall, then he catches a hanger (for
a homer) and then we hang another breaking ball and he just snaps it
into right field."
Flowers even got it done defensively, throwing out Jim Adduci trying
to steal second to end the top of the sixth.
Meanwhile, right-hander Hector Noesi (6-8) made a quality start for
the White Sox against his former team. In seven innings, he allowed
three runs (one earned) on four hits and struck out six. The White
Sox claimed Noesi off waivers April 25, after they tagged him for
seven runs in one inning of relief just five days prior.
What is the biggest difference between then and now?
"Well, with the Rangers I was in the bullpen and they never gave me
the opportunity to start," Noesi said. "(The White Sox) gave me the
chance and they believed in me, so I had to make an adjustment for
that."
Texas right-hander Nick Martinez (1-8) lasted five-plus innings and
gave up five runs on eight hits and three walks.
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Flowers wasn't the only offensive hero for Chicago. Rookie first baseman
Jose Abreu, chosen the American League's Player and Rookie of the Month
for July earlier in the day, went 2-for-3 and lined a two-run single in
the third for the White Sox's first two runs.
The Rangers took a 1-0 lead in the first. Shortstop Elvis Andrus singled
with one out in the first, extending his hitting streak to 11 games, and
third baseman Adrian Beltre singled him home. Texas made it 3-0 in the
second by capitalizing on an error by Noesi, who dropped a throw while
running to cover first on a grounder.
His next pitch was hit over the fence in right by second baseman Rougned
Odor.
Chicago responded with two runs in the third to make it 3-2 on Abreu's
single with the bases loaded. The White Sox tied it 3-3 in the fifth on
Flowers' homer.
"We just didn't execute our last pitch (in the sixth), and Flowers, who
was the star of the game tonight, took advantage of it," Washington
said. "We started putting runs on the board, but we have to find ways to
continue, and we just didn't do it."
NOTES: White Sox 1B Jose Abreu was selected the American League Player
of the Month and Rookie of the Month for July. The Cuban-born Abreu, 27,
is the first rookie in major league history to win a league player of
the month honor twice. He hit .374 with 11 doubles, six home runs and 19
RBIs in July with a .432 on-base percentage and .667 slugging
percentage. He also hit safely in 24 of 25 games. ... Chicago purchased
the contract of RHP Maikel Cleto from Triple-A Charlotte and added him
to the bullpen. ... White Sox manager said RF Avisail Garcia has a
bruised triceps muscle in his left arm after being hit with a pitch
Sunday in the third game of his rehab stint with Charlotte. ... Mike
Carp started at first base for the Rangers a day after being claimed off
waivers from the Boston Red Sox. He went 0-for-2 with a walk.
[© 2014 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
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