Pirates deliver early punch, defeat White Sox

[June 16, 2015]  PITTSBURGH -- After scoring only six runs in a weekend sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies, it did not take long for the Pittsburgh Pirates to break out the offense on Monday.

The Pirates scored five times in the first inning before Chicago White Sox phenom left-hander Carlos Rodon could record an out as they cruised to an 11-0 win behind left-hander Francisco Liriano.

"It was fun to watch Frank out there," manager Clint Hurdle said. "We finally scored him some runs, gave him some room to work."

Liriano worked eight scoreless innings giving up only two hits and walking one. Liriano (4-5), who carried a no-hitter into the fifth inning, struck out a season-high 12.

Even after his team staked him to an early lead, Liriano didn't let up.

"It was still early so I had to make sure I go out there and make some good pitches," Liriano said. "[I was] just trying to get a good rhythm and attack the zone and try to get ahead early."

Pittsburgh's first six hitters reached base as the Pirates scored five first-inning runs with five consecutive hits off Rodon.

Second baseman Josh Harrison led off with a walk and left fielder Starling Marte singled. The runners advanced on a wild pitch. Andrew McCutchen's single scored Harrison, and Marte came around on third baseman Jung Ho Kang's scored on Kang's single.

Catcher Francisco Cervelli tripled to right-center field to score two more, then Cervelli scored on right fielder Jose Tabata's single for a 5-0 lead before Rodon recorded an out.

White Sox manager Robin Ventura wasn't pleased with the way his team responded.

"We have to stop that," Ventura said. "You get to a point where you have to be able to put something back on them and push back a little bit and do something offensively and we didn't do it."

The first inning began well for the White Sox with speedy center fielder Adam Eaton reaching base on an error. But he was erased two batters later when first baseman Jose Abreu grounded into an inning-ending double play.

"It started out with a good hustle play from Eaton getting on base," Ventura said. "Then after that, I don't know what we did well. There wasn't anything that was good about it."

Rodon did not make it out of the fourth inning when the Pirates scored another run. Shortstop Jordy Mercer led off with a double and scored on Harrison's single for a 6-0 lead.

Right-hander Daniel Webb entered for the White Sox and allowed his inherited runner to score when Marte singled Harrison home after he stole second.

Rodon (2-1) gave up seven runs and nine hits in 3 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out three.

"Fastball command wasn't too great," Rodon said. "[I was] leaving balls over the plate and balls [were] getting hit. It's a good-hitting club."

Rodon had allowed one run or fewer in his last four starts but that didn't faze the Pirates entering Monday's game.

"What he's done previously has nothing to do with what he does the day of," Harrison said. "We knew what he had done, but baseball is different every day so we had to see what he had and we were able to work counts and get in hitters counts and capitalize."

Mercer drove Kang home with his second double to extend Pittsburgh's lead to 8-0 in the fifth.

The Pirates added to their lead in the sixth when Harrison scored on Marte's double to right. Marte would have been out trying for a triple, but was able to score when Chicago third baseman Gordon Beckham muffed the throw from the cut-off man.

McCutchen and Kang hit back-to-back doubles to complete the three-run, sixth-inning rally that gave the Pirates an 11-0 lead.

NOTES: Pittsburgh announced it signed SS Kevin Newman, the No. 19 overall pick in last week's draft. ... Chicago manager Robin Ventura rejoined the team after he missed the team's series in Tampa Bay to attend his daughter's graduation. ... The Pirates and White Sox played each other for the first time since 2010, when Chicago swept Pittsburgh at PNC Park.

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