Lucas Giolito threw six shutout innings to lead the visiting Chicago White Sox to a 5-2 win against the Cleveland Indians on Sunday in the rubber game of their five-game series.
Giolito (11-9) allowed five hits, struck out six and walked one in his second straight winning start for the White Sox, who clinched the American League Central on Thursday.
Liam Hendriks pitched the ninth for his 36th save.
Everyone in the starting lineup for the White Sox had at least one base hit, led by Yasmani Grandal with three. Eloy Jimenez drove in two runs for Chicago (88-68).
Cleveland right-hander Triston McKenzie (5-8) struggled for the second straight start. He allowed three runs and five hits in 2 1/3 innings, striking out three and walking three.
Myles Straw had four hits in the leadoff spot and Harold Ramirez belted a solo homer among his two hits for the Indians (76-79).
McKenzie walked Tim Anderson to start the game and gave up a one-out infield single to Jose Abreu. Grandal then delivered an RBI single to give the White Sox a 1-0 lead.
Chicago got its leadoff batter on base for the third straight inning when Leury Garcia doubled to start the third. McKenzie issued back-to-back walks to load the bases, and Jimenez came through with a two-run single to stretch the lead to 3-0.
The White Sox got their leadoff batter on base again in the sixth after Andrew Vaughn singled. Billy Hamilton sacrificed him to second and Garcia had a two-out RBI single to make it 4-0.
Michael Kopech replaced Giolito to start the seventh and gave up three straight base hits to plate the first run for Cleveland.
Garrett Crochet came on to face Jose Ramirez with runners on the corners and one out and induced him to hit into an inning-ending double play.
The White Sox got the run back in the eighth when Hamilton stole home on a double steal for a 5-1 lead.
Harold Ramirez homered in the bottom half of the inning to make it 5-2.
--Field Level Media
Chi. White Sox | Cleveland | |
Lucas Giolito | Player | Triston McKenzie |
Win | W/L | Loss |
6.0 | IP | 2.1 |
6 | Strikeouts | 3 |
5 | Hits | 5 |
0.00 | ERA | 11.57 |
Chi. White Sox | Cleveland | |
Yasmani Grandal | Player | Myles Straw |
3 | Hits | 4 |
1 | RBI | 1 |
0 | HR | 0 |
3 | TB | 5 |
.750 | Avg | .800 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
Chi. White Sox | 13 | 0 | 14 | .342 | 34 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
Cleveland | 10 | 1 | 15 | .270 | 18 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |