Well-timed homers carry Indians past White Sox

[September 22, 2020]  Carlos Santana belted a go-ahead two-run homer and Jose Ramirez went deep for the fifth time in five games to lift the host Cleveland Indians to a 7-4 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Monday.

Cleveland (30-24), which has won four of its past five games, can clinch a postseason berth with another win Tuesday over Chicago.

Cesar Hernandez hit an RBI single in the second inning and scored on Franmil Reyes' sacrifice fly in the seventh for the Indians.

Eloy Jimenez launched a two-run homer and Jose Abreu had a two-run single for the White Sox (34-20), who fell to 2-5 versus Cleveland this season. Chicago saw its lead atop the American League Central trimmed to 1 1/2 games over Minnesota.

Cleveland answered Chicago's four-run fifth by scoring two in its half of the inning.

Ramirez worked a one-out walk off Jace Fry (0-1) before Santana deposited a 2-1 sinker over the wall in left-center field to stake the Indians to a 6-4 lead.

Ramirez's sixth homer of 2020 made a winner of Aaron Civale (4-5), who pitched well before running into trouble in the fifth inning.

That inning saw Abreu's single to center plate Tim Anderson and Yasmani Grandal before Jimenez sent a 1-0 sinker from Civale over the wall in right-center field for his 14th homer of the season.

Civale allowed four runs on eight hits in six innings to pick up the win. He walked three and struck out six. Nick Wittgren struck out the side in the seventh, James Karinchak fanned two in the eighth, and Brad Hand did the same in the ninth for his 14th save.

Indians center fielder Delino DeShields (0) reaches for a two-run home run by Chicago White Sox left fielder Eloy Jimenez (74) in the fifth inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland raced to an early lead as Francisco Lindor and Hernandez each singled to begin off the first inning before Ramirez deposited a 3-1 fastball from rookie Dane Dunning over the wall in right field. Ramirez's homer was his team-leading 16th of the season.

Cleveland pushed its advantage to 4-0 in the second inning as Josh Naylor ripped a one-out double before coming home on Hernandez's two-out single to right field.

--Field Level Media

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