Klay Thompson's Brother Trayce Gets The Silent Treatment After First MLB HR [VIDEO]
BRIAN SANDALOW, Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — A pair of rookies came through for the Chicago White Sox.
Carlos Rodon threw seven scoreless innings, Trayce Thompson hit his first career home run in their 3-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels on Tuesday night.
Rodon (5-4) had struggled in his previous four starts, going 1-2 with a 9.33 ERA. He did considerably better Tuesday, striking out a career-high 11, allowing four hits and finishing seven innings for the first time for the White Sox, who have won the first two of the three-game series.
"I've been trying to get seven innings this whole year and it just hadn't been happening for me," Rodon said.
He set the tone in the first. Shane Victorino started the game with a walk and Kole Calhoun followed with a single. Rodon struck out Mike Trout and Albert Pujols, before getting Erick Aybar to fly out to left and end the inning.
"That's not a good position for anybody to be in, but he handled it great," Chicago manager Robin Ventura said.
Melky Cabrera gave Chicago the lead in the fourth with his two-run double against Hector Santiago. Thompson put the White Sox in front 3-0 with two outs in the fifth when his towering drive landed a couple rows into the deep left-center field stands.
Thompson, the son of former NBA player Mychal and brother of current Golden State Warriors star Klay, was playfully ignored in the Chicago dugout until making it almost to the end of the bench before getting mobbed by his teammates.
"It was funny," Thompson said.
David Robertson picked up his 23rd save in 28 tries for Chicago by pitching a perfect ninth.
Los Angeles' last chance came in the eighth. With one out, Chicago's Zach Duke allowed a Victorino single before walking Calhoun. Jake Petricka replaced Duke, and Trout grounded to Jose Abreu but his throw to second was dropped by Alexei Ramirez to load the bases.
Petricka ended the inning when he fielded Pujols' tapper and flipped to home for the force and Tyler Flowers threw to first for the double play.
"No excuse," Pujols said. "Obviously I didn't do my job, but he really didn't give me anything."
After that, Los Angeles couldn't make a winner of Santiago in his return to Chicago.
Santiago (7-6) was making his first start at U.S. Cellular Field since being acquired by Los Angeles from the White Sox in a December 2013 three-team deal. He pitched 5 1/3 innings and gave up three runs and four hits while striking out four.
That wasn't enough to prevent the Angels from losing their eighth straight on the road, their longest streak since dropping nine in July 1993.
Los Angeles also fell 1 1/2 games behind Houston in the AL West race, with the Astros playing late Tuesday at San Francisco.
"Two bad pitches. That's it," Santiago said. "Game over."
Chicago, meanwhile, got big nights from its youngest players.
"It's great," Petricka said. "Gives us hope for later this year and even further into the future."
STILL STRUGGLING
White Sox 1B/DH Adam LaRoche wasn't in the Chicago lineup. Signed as a free agent in the offseason to a two-year, $25 million contract, LaRoche is hitting only .213.
IN MEMORIAM
The White Sox added a jersey patch on their right arm in memory of Billy Pierce, who died July 31 at age 88 after his battle with gall bladder cancer. Pierce is being honored with a black patch that has his number 19 displayed in white.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Angels: LHP C.J. Wilson (left elbow) had an evaluation Tuesday but there was no update on how the appointment went. Wilson is expected to miss the remainder of the season.
White Sox: INF/OF Emilio Bonifacio (left oblique) was sent to Triple-A Charlotte on a rehab assignment, while OF J.B. Shuck (left hamstring) took fly balls before the game.
UP NEXT:
Angels LHP Andrew Heaney (5-1, 2.45) faces Chicago LHP John Danks (6-9, 4.79). Heaney has a 1.83 ERA on the road, while Danks is 3-4 with a 3.11 ERA lifetime against the Angels.
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