Sierra Single Lifts White Sox Over Indians, 3-2
CHICAGO (AP) — Moises Sierra drove in the winning run with a single in the ninth inning, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 3-2 Wednesday night to complete a three-game sweep.
Chicago's Hector Noesi and Cleveland's T.J. House each came through with dominant starts. The Indians' Jason Giambi hit his 440th homer, but the White Sox came away with their seventh win in 10 games.
The Indians had just scored a run in the top of the ninth off Ronald Belisario (3-3) when the White Sox answered in the bottom half against Bryan Shaw (1-1).
Third baseman Mike Aviles bounced the throw to first on Tyler Flowers' leadoff grounder. Pinch-runner Leury Garcia stole second and moved up on a fly by Marcus Semien before Sierra won it with a single to right on a 3-2 pitch, getting mobbed at first base by teammates.
The White Sox took a 2-1 lead in the eighth when Adam Dunn drove in Gordon Beckham with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly against Cody Allen, but Belisario couldn't hold it in the ninth.
Michael Brantley drove a leadoff single off the pitcher's right hip, and the problems just mounted from there.
The Indians caught a break when Adam Dunn overthrew second after fielding Jason Kipnis' grounder to first. With two out, Belisario intentionally walked Jason Giambi before Brantley scored on Yan Gomes' single, barely sliding in ahead of a strike from Sierra in right to tie it at 2-all.
The blown save was the third in six chances for Belisario.
The Indians took a 1-0 lead on Giambi's solo homer off Noesi in the second. But Chicago tied it in the seventh when Adam Dunn singled leading off against T.J. House and scored on a two-out base hit by Marcus Semien against Scott Atchison.
Noesi, meanwhile, dominated over 7 1-3 innings but still is seeking his first win in more than two years.
He gave up one run and five hits while striking out five without a walk. But the winless streak continued.
The right-hander is 0-4 in six starts and 12 appearances this season with Seattle, Texas and Chicago and 0-14 in his last 40 games. His most recent win? That was when he beat Minnesota while with Seattle on May 6, 2012.
House gave up one run and five hits in 6 1-3 innings and struck out eight while walking one. He left with a 1-0 lead after giving up back-to-back singles to Dunn and Alexei Ramirez, who was thrown out trying to stretch it to a double.
NOTES: The White Sox have not decided if slugger Jose Abreu (left ankle tendinitis) will need rehab at-bats, although he is on course to return from the disabled list when he's eligible. "As of right now, there is not a plan for him to go out," manager Robin Ventura said. "He would stay here. I think (trainer Herm Schneider) wants him here, just to watch him." He doesn't expect Abreu to be limited when he returns. ... Indians manager Terry Francona said RHP Zach McAllister (lower back strain) will throw Friday on the field at Progressive Field, possibly in a simulated-game setting. McAllister was placed on the 15-day disabled list last Thursday and threw a 50-pitch bullpen session Monday. . Francona said INF Nick Swisher (left knee) was examined and "structurally, he's pretty good" and had injections in both knees. "I think that the initial view is that it won't be an extended DL," Francona said. . Francona said Carlos Santana (concussion) wanted to drive home to Cleveland with his wife but the team training staff "wasn't comfortable with that." ... With Kipnis activated from the 15-day disabled list, INF Justin Sellers was optioned to Triple-A Columbus.
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