White Sox edge Rangers in 10 on safety squeeze

[June 22, 2019]  Yolmer Sanchez drove home the winning run on a safety squeeze and the bullpen contributed 4 2/3 innings of one-run relief as the Chicago White Sox topped the host Texas Rangers 5-4 in 10 innings on Friday night.

Sanchez guided a sacrifice bunt down the first base line to score Eloy Jimenez, who singled earlier in the inning and advanced to third on a Tim Anderson single. Jimenez and Anderson had two hits apiece.

White Sox pitching recorded 12 strikeouts, including five straight spanning the eighth and ninth innings to help force extras. Alex Colome navigated a leadoff walk in the 10th to earn his 16th save in as many chances.

Jimenez's RBI single scored Yoan Moncada with one out in the third, giving the White Sox a 4-3 lead. Moncada doubled twice, once each from both sides of the plate. Danny Santana tied it for the Rangers with an RBI single in the seventh.

Texas opened the scoring on Nomar Mazara's two-run home run to right field with two out in the first inning. The Rangers struck for another long ball in the second inning, as Rougned Odor connected on a one-out solo shot against Reynaldo Lopez, who has surrendered 21 home runs in 86 2/3 innings this season.

Lopez recovered after that, retiring nine of the next 11 batters he faced. Willie Calhoun's one-out single in the sixth chased him from the game and prevented Lopez from working six innings for his third successive start, but the Chicago bullpen maintained the lead for the moment, as Aaron Bummer fanned Asdrubal Cabrera and Odor to end the threat.

White Sox starting pitcher Reynaldo Lopez (40) throws during the first inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Kelvin Herrera (3-3) struck out the final batter of the ninth to earn the victory. Shawn Kelley (3-2) took the loss, allowing one run and two hits in the 10th while striking out two.

Chicago's Zack Collins drilled a three-run home run in the second inning for his first career hit. Collins, a highly-touted catching prospect, started at designated hitter and batted eighth. His fiancé was in attendance at Globe Life Park.

Both starters took no-decisions. Lopez scattered three runs on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts, while Rangers right-hander Ariel Jurado struck out three and walked one in six innings of four-run, six-hit ball.

Shin-Soo Choo went 3-for-4 for the Rangers.

--Field Level Media

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