Shoemaker Can't Match Sale In Angels' 8-2 Loss To White Sox
JEFF ARNOLD, Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) — Matt Shoemaker put the Los Angeles Angels in a major hole. And with his teammates facing a spot-on Chris Sale, that was too much to overcome.
Sale was back in All-Star form, and Avisail Garcia homered twice to drive in four runs as the Chicago White Sox beat the Angels 8-2 Monday night.
"Sale is tough, and the first-and-foremost thing you have to do is pitch with him, and we didn't do that tonight," Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said. "We'll just turn the page with Shoe and hopefully he'll get back where he needs to be."
Shoemaker (5-8) had thrown 19 consecutive scoreless innings before Melky Cabrera's sacrifice fly drove in Adam Eaton to put Chicago ahead in the first.
After going three starts without allowing a run, Shoemaker was tagged for seven on nine hits in 5 2-3 innings as Los Angeles dropped its seventh straight on the road.
"My whole focus is to go out there and put up zeros," Shoemaker said. "If I do that, we're going to have a lot of chances to win. Today, I didn't."
Tyler Flowers added a solo shot to back Sale (10-7), who rebounded with a gem after allowing 14 earned runs and 18 hits in 10 1-3 innings while losing his previous two outings. The lanky left-hander didn't permit a run until Johnny Giavotella drove in two with a double in the seventh.
"I'm just trying to do what I've always done — just throw strikes and win games (and) just give my team a chance to win," Sale said. "That's all I can do."
Sale was charged with two runs and five hits. He struck out seven.
Garcia had his third career multihomer game to reach 11 for the season. His three-run drive was the big blow as the White Sox sent nine hitters to the plate and pulled away with a four-run sixth.
Sale set the tone as he allowed no more than a single baserunner in any of the first six innings — including a 13-pitch walk to Mike Trout in the fourth.
The Angels failed to score while Shoemaker was on the mound for the third straight game.
"We just have to try to put things together," Trout said. "We had a couple of opportunities and it just fell short. It's just one of them days. You try to get that big hit and with guys like him, it's tough."
LUCKY 13
Trout put together the longest plate appearance of his career with that 13-pitch duel against Sale. Trout fouled off seven two-strike pitches — five were clocked in the upper 90s (mph). "It's a fun challenge," he said. "He's got good stuff and I'm trying to hit it. ... It's a tough battle for sure."
Said Sale: "That was real fun. I gave him everything I had. It's a tough straw to pull right there. That's why he is who he is and he's done what he's done."
TRAINER'S ROOM
Angels: 3B David Freese (broken right index finger) could begin a minor league rehab assignment as early as this weekend. Freese took batting practice Monday but is still 65-70 percent with his throwing, Scioscia said. Freese was hurt when Minnesota's Mike Pelfrey hit him with a pitch on July 22. ... OF Collin Cowgill (strained right wrist) could also begin a rehab stint Tuesday or Wednesday and will spend time both in the outfield and as the DH.
White Sox: Flowers, who left Sunday's game in humid Kansas City after seven innings with cramps due to dehydration, returned to the starting lineup. "He just couldn't go any more at that point and (trainer Herm Schneider) got him fixed up and he feels good," manager Robin Ventura said before the game.
UP NEXT
Angels lefty Hector Santiago (7-5, 2.78 ERA) faces White Sox rookie left-hander Carlos Rodon (4-4, 5.00) on Tuesday night in the middle game of the series. Both starters have been scuffling.
Santiago, a late addition to the AL All-Star team last month, has allowed 12 runs and 19 hits over 16 innings in his last three starts. Rodon has given up 12 runs and walked six in in his last two outings, lasting just three innings against the Yankees on July 31 and 4 2-3 against Tampa Bay last Wednesday.
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