Eloy Jimenez launched a go-ahead, two-run home run in the ninth inning in his first game against his original organization, boosting the visiting Chicago White Sox to a 3-1 victory against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday night.
Jimenez, a rookie left fielder, smacked a 1-0 pitch from Pedro Strop (1-3) into the left field bleachers for his 12th home run of the season and sixth in nine games.
Alex Colome pitched a perfect ninth for his 15th save in as many chances, capping a solid outing from the White Sox bullpen. The White Sox relief corps contributed four scoreless innings of two-hit ball with zero walks and four strikeouts.
Kyle Schwarber lined Ivan Nova's first pitch of the game into the left field bleachers for his 16th home run of the season and a quick 1-0 Cubs lead.
The White Sox had loaded the bases with one out in the top of the inning but were unable to score as Jimenez, acquired in a 2017 trade that sent left-hander Jose Quintana to the Cubs, grounded into a 5-4-3 double play against Cubs lefty Cole Hamels.
The White Sox tied the game in the sixth. Leury Garcia, who opened the inning with a double, scored on shortstop Javier Baez's throwing error on a Tim Anderson infield single. The tally snapped a streak of 28 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run for Hamels, who spaced six hits, two walks and eight strikeouts over seven innings with just the one run allowed.
Nova took a no-decision for the White Sox, scattering one run and four hits in five-plus innings with two walks and one strikeout. Evan Marshall (3-0) was the winner, allowing one hit in two-thirds of an inning.
Garcia, Jimenez and James McCann had two hits apiece for the White Sox.
Kris Bryant paced the Cubs with three hits, while Jason Heyward added two. But the only other hit the Cubs could muster was Schwarber's home run, going 0-for-2 in their rare chances with runners in scoring position.
The White Sox improved to 61-58 in the all-time interleague series against the Cubs. The teams have split 60 meetings at Wrigley Field.
--Field Level Media
Chi. White Sox | Chi. Cubs | |
Ivan Nova | Player | Cole Hamels |
No Decision | W/L | No Decision |
5.0 | IP | 7.0 |
1 | Strikeouts | 8 |
4 | Hits | 6 |
1.80 | ERA | 1.29 |
Chi. White Sox | Chi. Cubs | |
Eloy Jimenez | Player | Kris Bryant |
2 | Hits | 3 |
2 | RBI | 0 |
1 | HR | 0 |
5 | TB | 3 |
.667 | Avg | .750 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
Chi. White Sox | 8 | 1 | 12 | .242 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Chi. Cubs | 6 | 1 | 9 | .194 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |