White Sox Lead In Division Trimmed To Half-Game After Loss To Indians
CHICAGO (AP) — Corey Kluber allowed two runs over 7 1/3 innings and the Cleveland Indians roughed up a top White Sox pitcher for the second straight day in a 4-3 win over Chicago on Wednesday.
After sending Chris Sale to his first loss after a 9-0 start, the Indians got three runs and five hits in six innings against Jose Quintana (5-4). Quintana's ERA, an AL-best 1.98 at the start of the day, rose to 2.22.
Before Tuesday, the White Sox had been 15-3 in games started by Sale and Quintana.
Cleveland, which trailed by six games before play on May 10, closed within a half-game of the AL Central-leading White Sox, who lost for the ninth time in 12 games. Chicago finished a 3-7 homestand in which it scored more than three runs just twice.
Lonnie Chisenhall hit a two-run triple, Yan Gomes had an RBI triple and Juan Uribe had a sacrifice fly.
Melky Cabrera hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning, and Jose Abreu had three hits for the White Sox.
Kluber (4-5) allowed two runs — one earned — and seven hits in 7 1/3 innings with nine strikeouts. Cody Allen struck out two in a perfect ninth to remain perfect in 11 save chances.
After the Indians scored six runs in 3 1/3 innings against Sale on Tuesday, Chisenhall put Cleveland ahead in the second with a triple that rolled to the right-field wall after Adam Eaton missed on his attempt for a diving backhand catch.
Uribe's fly made it 3-0 in the third, and the White Sox cut the gap in the sixth when Todd Frazier walked, stole second, took third as Gomes' throw sailed into center field for an error and came home when center fielder Rajai Davis overran the ball for another run.
Gomes' triple boosted the lead to 4-1 in the eighth. Cabrera greeted Bryan Shaw with a home run on a 1-2 pitch in the bottom half.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Indians: SS Francisco Lindor was held out of the starting lineup after a three-hit game on Tuesday. It was his fourth three-hit game in his last 10 games.
UP NEXT
Indians: RHP Trevor Bauer (3-2, 4.31 ERA) starts Friday against visiting Baltimore and RHP Mike Wright (2-3, 4.97) in the opener of a three-game series.
White Sox: RHP Miguel Gonzalez (0-1, 4.57 ERA) looks to keep the No. 5 spot in the rotation at Kansas City in the opener of a 10-game trip. LHP Danny Duffy (0-0, 2.13) is to start for the Royals.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.