White Sox Deal Angels' Wild-Card Hopes A Blow With 4-2 Win
CHICAGO (AP) — James Shields tossed seven strong innings, Nicky Delmonico drove in a pair of runs and the Chicago White Sox beat the Angels, 4-2, on Monday night, dealing a serious blow to Los Angeles' slim playoff hopes.
With six games remaining, the Angels trail Minnesota by five games for the second AL wild card.
Mike Trout hit his 30th homer for Los Angeles, which has dropped seven of eight.
Trout joins Alex Rodriguez, Jimmie Foxx, Jose Conseco and Joe DiMaggio as the only players in AL history with four 30-homer years before their age-26 season.
Delmonico went 2-for-4. Matt Davidson and Adam Engel each had an RBI for Chicago, which has won four of five.
Shields (5-7) allowed two runs on four hits. The 35-year-old has won three of his last four starts.
Aaron Bummer and Gregory Infante combined for a scoreless eighth, and Juan Minaya got the final three outs for his seventh save in eight chances.
Ricky Nolasco (6-15) allowed four runs, two earned, on seven hits in five-plus innings.
Delmonico had a two-run double with two out in the first. Both runs were unearned because of a throwing error by shortstop Andrelton Simmons.
Los Angeles got a run back in the second on Martin Maldonado's RBI single.
The White Sox took a 3-1 lead in third. Avisail Garcia led off with a triple and Davidson followed with a sacrifice fly.
Trout hit a solo shot in the fifth.
Chicago reclaimed a two-run lead in the sixth on an RBI groundout by Engel.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Angels: 3B Yunel Escobar (right oblique strain) took live batting practice in Arizona on Monday and is scheduled to play in a game on Tuesday. He could return to the activate roster Wednesday or Thursday.
White Sox: 1B Jose Abreu (left shin) and 2B Yoan Moncada (right shin) were held out of the lineup. Both could return Tuesday. ... RHP Carson Fulmer (blister) had been scheduled to start on Thursday but has been pushed back to Saturday at Cleveland.
UP NEXT
RHP Chris Volstad (1-0, 1.08 ERA) makes his first start with the White Sox — and first in the majors since 2012 — on Tuesday night in the second game of the series. RHP Parker Birdwell (8-3, 3.86) goes for the Angels. He is 4-0 with a 3.20 ERA on the road.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press.
