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 After struggling with command issues for most of the season, the
left-handed rookie ironed things out nicely. He has thrown six
consecutive quality starts and has dominated for much of that span,
including his outing Tuesday night at U.S. Cellular Field.
Rodon got plenty of run support while leading the White Sox to a 7-4
win against the Cleveland Indians. He struck out eight in seven
innings of one-run ball. Rodon walked only one and scattered five
hits while holding an opponent to no more than two runs for the
sixth consecutive outing.
"For him to do this as quickly as he has is the impressive part,"
White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "He didn't have too many
innings in the minor leagues. To be able to come up here and do this
is impressive.
"Tonight, it was just a nice performance. Any time he got in
trouble, he seemed to find an extra gear and throw strikes and throw
tough pitches."
Catcher Rob Brantly hit a three-run home run in the second inning,
and first baseman Jose Abreu went 3-for-4 with his 26th home run to
lead Chicago (66-71), which won for the fifth time in six games.
White Sox right fielder Trayce Thompson finished 2-for-3 with two
RBIs.
Carlos Carrasco came off the 15-day disabled list and started for
Cleveland (67-70). The right-hander lasted only 2 2/3 innings and
took the loss after allowing four runs on four hits and three walks.
Two of the hits were homers by Brantly and Abreu.
Indians left fielder Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in the
eighth, and Jose Ramirez added a pinch-hit homer in the ninth to
complete the scoring.
"(Carrasco) came out of the chute throwing really hard, which was
good to see," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "I just thought
he got ambushed by Brantly, first pitch, and that's three runs. And
then Abreu ... I thought he hit a pretty good pitch, which he does."
Rodon worked out of a jam in the second, but had little trouble
otherwise. He got better as the start progressed, ringing up four
strikeouts during his final three frames.
This start and the five before it were starkly different than the
rest of his rookie season, as he hasn't had those frustrating
command issues. In his past six starts, Rodon is 3-2 with a 1.76
ERA, 41 strikeouts and 1.02 walks-and-hits-per-inning-pitched ratio.
The success is building up his confidence by quite a bit, as
evidenced by his preferences during tight situations. It was the
first time Brantly caught Rodon in the regular season, and Brantly
came away impressed.
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"Even when he was in a hitter's count or a 3-2 (count), he'd say, 'I
want the slider,' and put it right where he wanted it," Brantly
said. "It was great. I saw all three (sliders) today. I learned all
three. There's a hard one. It's like a cutter. There's one where he
wants to throw it for a strike, and there's his put-away one. That
one's pretty dirty."
Rodon needed all three to escape trouble in the second inning, which
turned out to be a big turning point. He got out of a bases-loaded
jam without allowing a run, and the White Sox took a 3-0 lead on
Brantly's homer in the bottom half of the inning.
"It was supposed to be a fastball down and away," Carrasco said. "It
just went right in the middle."
Abreu made it 4-0 with a one-out homer off Carrasco in the third
before the Indians starter issued two more walks and was pulled from
the game.
Cleveland finally broke through for a run in the fifth on a
run-scoring single by shortstop Mike Aviles, but Abreu countered
with an RBI single of his own in the bottom half to make it 5-1.
NOTES: White Sox GM Rick Hahn said "everything" will be re-evaluated
after the season, including coaches and manager Robin Ventura. ...
The White Sox recalled 2B Micah Johnson from Triple-A Charlotte.
Johnson, 24, started the season in Chicago but was optioned to
Charlotte on May 14 to work on defense. ... Indians CF Abraham
Almonte was scratched from the starting lineup with a minor right
arm issue. INF/OF Michael Martinez took his spot and went 1-for-4.
... Cleveland also didn't start SS Francisco Lindor. Indians manager
Terry Francona wanted Lindor to get a day off after the rookie
played through an illness Monday. ... Ventura didn't start C Tyler
Flowers (jaw, hand soreness) and 1B/DH Adam LaRoche (right patellar
tendinitis).
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reserved.]
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