Dominic Fletcher's 2-run double helps White Sox beat Guardians
CLEVELAND (AP) — Dominic Fletcher hit a two-run double in the eighth inning as the Chicago White Sox snapped a five-game losing streak with their first road win, 7-5 over the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night.
Fletcher's shot to right-center off Scott Barlow (0-2) broke a 5-5 tie as the White Sox finally broke out of an early-season offensive funk.
Chicago scored five runs in the first and got the big hit when it needed one.
The White Sox had scored just 16 runs in their first 10 games, and the club was off to its worst start (1-9) since 1968 (0-10).
Steven Wilson (1-1) struck out the side in the seventh, and Michael Kopech struck out four in two innings for his second save.
Josh Naylor hit a two-run homer for the Guardians, who had their winning streak stopped at five and dropped to 8-3.
While they got their second win, the White Sox lost third baseman Yoán Moncada, who went down with a hip injury in the second inning.
Moncada was running to first after hitting a grounder when he pulled up and collapsed short of the bag. The 28-year-old Moncada was helped to his feet and assisted off the field.
Before the game, White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said Moncada had been dealing with a nagging hip/adductor injury the past few days.
Moncada's injury is just the latest for Chicago, which is already missing outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (hip flexor) and slugger Eloy Jiménez (adductor).
With the score tied in the eighth, Korey Lee reached when Barlow splintered his bat but the barrel flew at the pitcher, who had to avoid being hit. Andrew Benintendi walked before Flether, who came in to pinch-hit in the sixth, doubled into the gap and was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.
Down 5-0 in the first, the Guardians chipped away.
They got two back in the bottom of the inning when Naylor connected for his second homer, a shot into the right-field seats.
Grifol was confident his team would bust out of its slump sooner or later — the White Sox came in last in runs, on-base percentage and batting just .091 (5 for 55) with runners in scoring position.
Chicago's hitters wasted no time getting to Guardians starter Logan Allen. The first five White Sox reached, with Lenyn Sosa, Andrew Vaughn and Lee getting RBIs before Kevin Pillar's two-run double capped the five-run outburst.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: RHP John Brebbia (calf strain) expects to be back once he's eligible to come of the 15-day injured list.
Guardians: LHP Sam Hentges (swollen middle finger) is scheduled to throw live batting practice Friday as he moves closer to rejoining the club. Hentges is expected to have a major role in Cleveland's bullpen once he returns.
