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Chicago (90-68), which clinched the American League Central
division crown last week, won its third straight to send
Cincinnati (82-76) out of the running for the second National
League wild card and snap the Reds' four-game winning streak.
The White Sox earned the franchise's first 90-win season since
the 2006 club went 90-72. The 2008 White Sox, who secured
Chicago's most recent division crown before this season, won 89
games.
An early power surge against Reds starter Riley O'Brien and
reliever Luis Cessa set the White Sox on course. O'Brien, in his
major league debut, retired Chicago leadoff man Tim Anderson on
a groundout before yielding a home run to Robert one batter
later.
Moncada opened the second inning with another solo blast, and
O'Brien was removed from the game after sandwiching a pair of
walks around a strikeout. The right-hander fell to 0-1 after
scattering two runs and two hits in 1 1/3 innings with three
walks and two strikeouts.
Sheets' fourth-inning shot against Cessa put Chicago ahead 3-0
before Sheets broke the game open with an RBI single in the
sixth. A groundout scored another run. The support proved to be
plenty for Lopez (4-3), who spaced one run and two hits in six
innings with zero walks and four strikeouts to win for the first
time since Aug. 27.
Eugenio Suarez launched a solo shot in the fifth, his 30th home
run of the season, for the lone blemish against Lopez. Suarez
joined Joey Votto and Nick Castellanos, who both singled
Tuesday, as 30-home run hitters for the Reds.
Robert capped the scoring with a two-run blast in the eighth.
Robert (three RBIs), Sheets (two) and Eloy Jimenez had two hits
apiece for Chicago.
The White Sox improved to 2-1 against the Reds this season. The
teams split a two-game series in Cincinnati in May.
--Field Level Media
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