Jack Mayfield, Jose Rojas carry Angels over White Sox

[September 17, 2021] Jack Mayfield drove in four runs to lead the visiting Los Angeles Angels to a 9-3 win against the Chicago White Sox in the rubber game of their three-game series on Thursday afternoon.

Luis Rengifo and Jose Rojas homered, and Shohei Ohtani and Jared Walsh contributed two hits each for the Angels (72-74), who finished 4-4 on the eight-game road trip.

White Sox manager Tony La Russa and reliever Mike Wright were ejected in the 9th inning after Wright hit Ohtani with a pitch with two outs.

Angels right-hander Alex Cobb threw five shutout innings in his first appearance since July 23 after sitting out because of right wrist inflammation. Cobb (8-3) allowed two hits, struck out five and walked two.

Jose Abreu drove in two runs to give him 109 RBIs on the season, and Luis Robert had two hits and an RBI for the AL Central-leading White Sox (83-63).

Chicago starter Reynaldo Lopez (3-3) allowed seven runs (six earned) and seven hits in four innings. He struck out seven and walked one.

Rengifo provided the Angels a 2-0 lead with a two-run home run in the second inning.

The Angels then scored five runs in the fourth.

Max Stassi led off the fourth with a line drive over the head of left fielder Eloy Jimenez, who held Stassi to a single. Walsh followed with another single before Rengifo hit a hard one-hopper to Tim Anderson at shortstop. He had time to start a double play, but bobbled the ball instead and the Angels had the bases loaded. Mayfield then grounded an 0-2 pitch into the left-field corner for a double, scoring all three runners for a 5-0 lead. Mayfield took third on an error by Jimenez.

Los Angeles Angels second baseman Luis Rengifo (2) rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Chicago White Sox during the second inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

After getting a single in his first major league at-bat since July 10, Rojas homered to deep right to cap the inning and make it 7-0. Rojas was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake on Wednesday after outfielder Jo Adell was placed on the injured list with a left abdominal strain.

Los Angeles tacked on two more runs in the fifth on an RBI single by Walsh and a run-scoring groundout by Mayfield for a 9-0 lead.

Abreu broke up the shutout with an RBI single in the sixth inning.

Chicago tacked on two more runs in the seventh on an RBI single by Robert and a sacrifice fly by Abreu to make it 9-3.

--Field Level Media

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