Brewers Blank Sox 5-0
CHICAGO (AP) — Jhoulys Chacin combined with two relievers on a five-hitter, and the Milwaukee Brewers backed him with four home runs in a 5-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.
Chacin (4-1) pitched three-hit ball over 5 2/3 innings and the Brewers won for the sixth time in eight games.
The NL Central leaders also picked up a rare victory over the White Sox after dropping 13 of their last 16 against them.
Josh Hader got four outs. Taylor Williams retired all three batters in the eighth and escaped a second-and-third jam in the ninth.
He retired Tim Anderson on a pop fly and got Omar Narvaez to foul out before striking out Daniel Palka to preserve the shutout.
Erik Kratz led off the third with a drive to the left-field bullpen for his second homer in three games since a trade from the New York Yankees last week.
Jonathan Villar made it 2-0 when he homered down the right-field line in the seventh.
Lorenzo Cain chased James Shields (1-6) with a shot to left in the eighth, and Jesus Aguilar added a two-run homer against Jace Fry in the inning to make it 5-0.
Chicago lost for the fifth time in six games and fell to 17-38 despite a solid outing by Shields.
The right-hander allowed three runs and eight hits in seven-plus innings, but he remained winless in 11 starts and 12 appearances since a season-opening victory at Kansas City.
Chacin struck out five and walked one.
PINTO OUTRIGHTED
The White Sox outrighted right-hander Ricardo Pinto to Triple-A Charlotte after designating him for assignment on Monday.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Brewers: The Brewers expect 1B Eric Thames (torn ligament in left thumb) to begin a rehab assignment with their extended spring training team in Arizona on Monday.
Thames was injured diving for a grounder April 24 at Kansas City and had surgery three days later.
White Sox: LHP Carlson Rodon (shoulder) will make another rehab start for Triple-A Charlotte on Sunday before the White Sox determine if he's ready to join them for the first time this season.
"I don't want to prematurely tell you that he's gonna be back," manager Rick Renteria said. "I want to make sure that everybody feels comfortable with where he's at."
The 25-year-old Rodon had surgery on his pitching shoulder in September and will be making his fourth rehab start — third for Charlotte.
UP NEXT
Brewers: LHP Brent Suter (5-3, 4.63 ERA) looks to win his fourth straight start.
White Sox: RHP Dylan Covey (1-1, 3.63) tries to bounce back from a shaky outing at Cleveland on Monday.
He gave up five runs and three walks in 4 1/3 innings in a 9-6 loss, though he did not figure in the decision.
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