Tribe tops ChiSox 7-1, half-game out in wild card

[September 16, 2013]  CHICAGO (AP) -- Nick Swisher homered from both sides of the plate for the 13th time, Asdrubal Cabrera hit a three-run homer and the Cleveland Indians beat the Chicago White Sox 7-1 Sunday to pull within a half-game of Tampa Bay and Texas in the AL wild-card race.

In a game that started after a rain delay of 4 hours, 28 minutes, the Indians achieved a franchise first by sweeping a four-game series from the White Sox for the third time in a season.

Zach McAllister (8-9) allowed one run and six hits in 6 2-3 innings with five strikeouts and a walk.

Last-place Chicago has lost six in a row, and at 58-91 is 33 games under .500 for the first time since finishing 1976 with a 64-97 record, according to STATS.

Chris Sale (11-13) gave up six runs and nine hits -- including three homers -- in 5 2-3 innings and dropped to 6-11 following a 5-2 start. He has an 8.61 ERA in 23 innings against the Indians this season.

Matt Carson put Cleveland ahead in the second with an RBI single, starting only the second three-hit game of his major league career. His solo homer in the fifth was his first home run since Sept. 26, 2010, for Oakland.

Swisher, batting right-handed, homered leading off a four-run sixth, and Cabrera's home run made it 6-0.

Josh Phegley singled in a run for the White Sox in the seventh.

Switching around to the left-hand side against right-hander Ramon Trancoso in the ninth, Swisher hit his 20th home run of the season. His 13 games with home runs from both sides tied former New York Yankees teammate Mark Teixeira for the most in major league history. Swisher has 20 career multihomer games.

NOTES: The White Sox have not been 34 games under .500 since finishing 1970 at 56-106, according to STATS. ... The 12 consecutive losses against Cleveland ties the White Sox record for most against one opponent, set against the Boston Red Sox from Aug. 5, 1921, to May 15, 1922. ... Chicago CF Avisail Garcia was scratched from the starting lineup to be with his pregnant wife. Leury Garcia replaced him. ... The White Sox offered fans with tickets to Sunday's game a free ticket to an April 2014 home game excluding opening day and the series against Boston (April 15-17). ... Indians manager Terry Francona hasn't been able to determine why reliever Vinnie Pestano has struggled this season. Pestano has a career-high 4.19 ERA, allowing 35 hits in 34 1-3 innings. "I don't know if you can pinpoint one. We've tried so hard to figure it out. How do we make it better? --that's the goal," Francona said. "I think it's the lack of finish on his fastball, think he's tried to find that. It's probably cost him some location. It's been tough. I know he's frustrated."

[Associated Press]

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