LDN - Sports

White Sox stop slump with 6-2 win over Indians

[April 24, 2017] CHICAGO -- The Chicago White Sox wasted little time getting their offense going after being shut out for two straight days.

Then starting pitcher Derek Holland played his part.

Holland threw six strong innings to help the White Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 6-2 on Sunday afternoon, allowing Chicago to avoid a three-game sweep.

Melky Cabrera drove in two runs, and Tim Anderson and Jose Abreu had two hits apiece as the White Sox ended a 23-inning scoreless streak and a three-game losing streak.

"It's huge. That's what we've been wanting -- to see the offense take off," Holland said. "We know what we're capable of for the little bit we've gone through. We're still hanging with everybody else, and nobody's picking us to do that."

Francisco Lindor homered for the reigning American League champions, whose season-high five-game winning streak was snapped. The Indians were going for their first three-game sweep in Chicago since May 1999.

Holland (2-2) allowed a run and three hits while striking out six and walking three. He has given up no more than two earned runs in all four of his starts. Holland improved to 7-1 in his career against Cleveland.

"He threw to the right-handers, which we had in the lineup, fastball in aggressively and then off that, the breaking ball, changeup," Indians manager Terry Francona said. "He was a little more aggressive today with his fastball in."

Indians starter Danny Salazar (1-2) struck out nine but allowed four runs, seven hits and three walks in five innings.

"I didn't have that great a feeling with the changeup the whole game," Salazar said.

The White Sox snapped their scoreless streak by scoring three runs in the first.

Anderson led off with a double and scored on Cabrera's sacrifice fly. Right fielder Abraham Almonte committed an error on Abreu's single to add another run. Leury Garcia followed with an RBI single.

The Indians' rotation had thrown 19 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings before the three-run inning. Corey Kluber tossed a three-hit shutout Friday before Carlos Carrasco pitched eight scoreless innings Saturday against the White Sox.

"Everybody knows how good these Cleveland pitchers are, especially the first two games with Carrasco and Kluber," Abreu said. "Our offense was silent. But today we had more life against Salazar. We know him, and we did our job."

Lindor hit his fifth home run, a solo shot in the fourth, to cut the lead to two.

The Indians put runners at second and third in the fifth before Holland struck out two, issued a walk and struck out Lindor to escape the jam.

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White Sox third baseman Todd Frazier (21) and first baseman Jose Abreu (79) celebrate after defeating the Cleveland Indians at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Caylor Arnold-USA TODAY Sports

"He's been having an unbelievable season so far, definitely fun to watch," Holland said of Lindor. "He's an All-Star. I didn't want to give in. He got me last time, so it was my turn to get him."

Plate umpire Dan Belino talked to Salazar after the right-hander plunked Abreu with a pitch in the fifth. Salazar said he didn't intend to hit Abreu, who scored on Avisail Garcia's double off the top of the center field wall.

The Indians committed their third error on a grounder to first baseman Carlos Santana, resulting in an unearned run in the eighth.

"It makes it hard to win when you play like that," Francona said. "We didn't finish some plays. We kicked around the ball a little bit."

Cleveland scored on a wild pitch from David Robertson in the ninth.

"Despite not having very many hits, it seemed like we had chances and guys on base, just couldn't get a big hit," said Francona, whose team stranded eight.

The Indians went 5-1 on the road trip.

"We played really good baseball," Cleveland outfielder Brandon Guyer said. "It's starting to come together. We're swinging the bats a lot better, getting all the guys back. And the pitchers are doing what we know they can do. If that continues, good things are gonna happen."

NOTES: White Sox LF Melky Cabrera was in the lineup at designated hitter after hitting his left wrist against a wall while attempting to make a catch Saturday. ... Indians 2B Jason Kipnis was due for a planned day off, but he pinch-hit in the ninth inning. He was activated from the 10-day disabled list Friday after coming back from a sprained right shoulder. INF Michael Martinez started at second. ... Chicago manager Rick Renteria said the team had no concern about RHP Zach Putnam, who exited Saturday's game against Cleveland with right elbow tenderness. Renteria said Putnam was available to pitch Sunday. ... White Sox LHP Carlos Rodon (left biceps bursitis) and RHP Jake Petricka (strained right lat) returned to Chicago to be re-evaluated after rehabbing in Arizona.

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