Beckham Leads Sox Past D-Backs
The Chicago White Sox started strong and held on to defeat the Diamondbacks Thursday night. The White Sox scored their five runs within the first three innings, while Arizona struggled to catch up.
Gordon Beckham and the Chicago White Sox are heating up.
Beckham hit a two-run homer in Chicago's three-run first inning, leading a split-squad of White Sox to a 5-3 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday night.
The White Sox have 33 extra-base hits and 43 runs in their last five games. Beckham finished with three hits against Arizona and is 9 for 18 with four RBIs in his last five.
"Gordon's swinging the bat pretty good," White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said. "He's a little bit stronger (this spring). This is the best he's swinging the bat right now."
The Diamondbacks fielded a lineup of mostly regulars but managed only three hits off Gavin Floyd, who allowed a run and three hits over 4 2-3 innings in his third spring training start.
Russell Branyan and Gerardo Parra homered for Arizona. Parra hit a two-run shot off top prospect Chris Sale in the seventh.
Armando Galarraga pitched three innings for the Diamondbacks, yielding five runs and seven hits in his third spring start. He struck out two and walked two.
The right-hander has allowed seven earned runs in eight innings this spring.
"The slider was not really good, not really effective," Galarraga said. "It was a little high. I feel strong and my fastball was good and the velocity was good."
Barry Enright, another Diamondbacks starting pitcher, struck out three in four innings, allowing just one hit.
NOTES: The Diamondbacks optioned RHP Juan Jaime to Class A South Bend and assigned RHP Matt Gorgen and OF Marc Krauss to Double-A Mobile, C Rossmel Perez to Class A Visalia and INF Andy Tracy, OF David Winfree and LHP Clay Zavada to Triple-A Reno.
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