LDN - Sports

Big eighth helps White Sox pound Padres

[May 15, 2017] CHICAGO -- San Diego Padres manager Andy Green's youth inevitably serves as a conversation starter in baseball circles.

Green is green, in a manner of speaking. At 39, he typically enters games with less dugout experience than his counterparts.

Still, Green has experienced enough baseball to see absolutes, and the top of the eighth inning his club endured in a 9-3 loss to Chicago White Sox on Sunday afternoon certainly qualified.

"It's one of the ugliest half-innings I've ever seen in baseball," Green said, "especially at the major league level. There's no excuse for so many things that happened out there that inning.

"Walks are going to happen from time to time. Our pitchers are out there battling. But you couple that with the way we played defense, yeah, it was disgusting baseball."

Chicago (17-18) rallied for eight runs in the eighth, sending 14 batters to the plate and seizing control of the interleague matinee to win the three-game weekend series.

Sure, San Diego (14-25) issued five walks and hit one batter. But the White Sox collected four hits in the inning, too.

"The guys were patient, and then got some pitches they could hit. We squared them up and were good," White Sox shortstop Tyler Saladino said. "That was huge, especially to put a good amount of runs up to give us a good cushion there. That was really important."

Melky Cabrera's broken-bat, pinch-hit, two-run single past diving Padres first baseman Wil Myers gave Chicago a 4-3 lead. But that hardly was the end of it as the White Sox awoke a once-scuffling attack behind savvy baserunning and timely hitting.

The outburst included White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier scoring from third base on a fielder's choice after the Padres had turned their backs after catching a popped-up bunt to first base.

Leury Garcia added a two-run double before Yolmer Sanchez (three hits) capped the scoring on an RBI single one pitch later.

The Frazier play delighted most in the crowd of 22,518, illustrating alert hustle at a vital juncture. The White Sox trailed 3-1 after seven innings, and they are just 2-17 in that scenario this season.

"Always keep your head up until the play is completely dead. ... That's instinct for him," White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. "You always want to get ready for the next play, and that's an example of it."

Myers, meantime, wished for a mulligan.

"It was just a good read by Frazier right there," Myers said. "I felt like I could have been more aware of what was going on and make sure I checked him instead of turning my back to him."

Padres left-hander Ryan Buchter (2-2) allowed four runs (two earned) in one-third of an inning, walking three. Chicago's Michael Ynoa (1-0) struck out two in a scoreless eighth to earn the victory.

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Bullpen struggles mounted for San Diego in a game that was 1-0 in Chicago's favor entering the seventh inning. The Padres fell to 0-8 in games right-hander Jered Weaver has started this season.

Weaver turned in a rebound effort nonetheless and stood as the would-be winner after Hunter Renfroe smacked a go-ahead, three-run homer against Chicago left-hander Jose Quintana in the seventh inning, San Diego's seventh homer of the series.

Weaver allowed one run on five hits, two walks and a hit batter in six innings. He struck out three and lowered his ERA from 6.81 to 6.05.

Chicago loaded the bases with none out in the first inning but managed only one run after Avisail Garcia hit into a run-scoring double play. Frazier ended the inning with a groundout, stranding a runner at third base.

It ultimately stood as a squandered opportunity for the White Sox against the previously struggling Weaver, who effectively located his pitches down in the strike zone.

"He's crafty," Frazier said. "Not overpowering, but he mixes pitches up well, so you have to be patient, get the pitch you want, and don't try and steer away from that, because he'll dominate you."

Quintana took a no-decision, spacing five hits, three runs, five strikeouts and four walks in seven innings. Yangervis Solarte walked and Austin Hedges singled before Quintana allowed the home run to Renfroe, a 347-foot shot to right field.

"He kept us in the ballgame, threw a lot of strikes," Renteria said. "I know he worked a lot of heavy counts early, but he continued to pitch."

Chicago also had an eight-run inning in an April 24 game against Kansas City.

"Just probably the will to get it done, you know," Saladino said. "We just focused and got it done."

NOTES: The White Sox improved to 40-27 all-time against National League West competition. The Padres are 25-39 against the American League Central. ... Padres manager Andy Green on using the designated hitter in American League parks for the past five games: "It's been a nice reprieve for some of these guys in the middle of a grind." ... White Sox SS Tim Anderson missed his third successive game to attend his close friend's funeral. He is expected to rejoin the club Monday when it opens a 10-game road trip against the Los Angeles Angels.

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