After experiencing one numbing loss after another over the first five weeks of the season, White Sox fans would embrance a sequence of samey wins.
For the second night in a row, the White Sox thumped the Guardians for a five-run victory. This one unfurled a little earlier than the six-run blitz of Shane Bieber on Tuesday, but other characteristics remained intact. The White Sox once again homered thrice, including long balls by Gavin Sheets and Jake Burger, while their starter posted his longest start of the season.
The long climb remains, because the White Sox are still a dozen games under .500, but at least they're dragging Cleveland into the mud while they figure things out.
Another towering Sheets fly to right center put the White Sox back on even footing with the Guardians in the second, and the Sox started to distance themselves in the fourth. Andrew Vaughn smoked a hanging slider into the bleachers to open the inning for a 2-1 lead, while Sheets popped out, Yasmani Grandal followed with a line drive down the right-field line. Once again, he opted against trying to stretch a single into a double, and once again Burger rewarded him by allowing everybody to trot the rest of the way. This one left little doubt, and the Sox had all the runs they needed.
They did widen the cushion -- Andrew Benintendi doubled to lead off the fifth and came home on Yoán Moncada's single, while the Sox took advantage of a rookie error by Brayan Rocchio with a Tim Anderson hit-and-run RBI single and a productive out from Benintendi. The insurance ended up being largely unnecessary, but it was recommended given the amount of traffic Mike Clevinger invited.
A leadoff walk to open the game came around to score, but Clevinger managed to sidestep any damage over the next five. He stranded a Straw leadoff double with his defense in the third, gloving Amed Rosario's comebacker to freeze the runner at third for the second out. A double play diminished the threat of two singles to start the fourth inning, and he responded to a one-out double in the fifth inning with a couple of strikeouts.
Just like the night before, Pedro Grifol used the sizable lead to let his starter leave a mess for the bullpen. Clevinger departed with the bases loaded and nobody out after a single and two walks, and Reynaldo López had to work to minimize the damage. He struck out Rosario on a foul tip after seven pitches, and got Andres Gimenez to pop out to Moncada on the 10th pitch to put a scoreless inning within reach. (Moncada made a great catch after a long run, then had the presence of mind to get the ball to Anderson because his momentum wouldn't allow him to make a strong throw home.)
López didn't get that scoreless inning because he lost a seven-pitch battle to Josh Bell and walked in a run, but he recovered to strike out Will Brennan on six pitches to retain the comfortable margin. Joe Kelly and Kendall Graveman never caused any reason to worry.
Bullet points:
*Burger legged out a triple in the eighth inning after a strange carom off the right-center fence eluded Straw. He didn't score, but that's besides the point.
*Luis Robert Jr.'s home run streak ended at four games, as he went 0-for-4.
*Grandal departed the game with another hamstring issue after a single that raised his average to .295. He's day-to-day, and that's probably his permanent status.
*Sheets was tossed by Dan Iassogna after getting rung up on a very low strike three in the seventh inning. He probably knew that Jake Marisnick was going to replace him in right field afterward no matter what, so he got his money's worth.
*Every AL Central team is 5-5 over their last 10 games.
