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The Chicago White Sox played a doubleheader against the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday. The first game was a makeup of a rainout on May 11. The South Siders were looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss in the first game of the four-game set. They fell 8-2 to the Guardians on Friday.
Game 1
Johnny Cueto took the bump for his first second-half start in the afternoon contest. Cueto once again proved to be as reliable as he’s been all year. The righty delivered his 10th quality start out of his 12 starts in 2022. He allowed four runs (three earned) on eight hits with one walk and, oddly, no strikeouts. He needed just 93 pitches to get through his seven innings. The only blemish on the day came in the fifth inning when he was tagged for all four runs.
Cueto put the first two runners on when he walked Nolan Jones and plunked Austin Hedges. Steven Kwan doubled to left field to score Jones. Amed Rosario plated two runs in the following at-bat when he singled to right. He reached third after Gavin Sheets’ throwing error. Jose Ramirez hit a sacrifice fly and Cleveland was out to a 4-1 lead.
Sox Fight Back
The White Sox came back to tie it up in the seventh with three runs. Leury Garcia reached on a fielder’s choice with two outs and came home on a double by Josh Harrison. Yoan Moncada followed with a double to deep left to score Harrison. Andrew Vaughn’s base hit in the next at-bat scored Moncada.
The Pale Hose had a chance to break the game open with the bases loaded, but Gavin Sheets struck out swinging.
It did not stay tied for long. Things quickly came unglued for closer Liam Hendricks in the top of the ninth. Nolan Jones led off the inning with a double into right field. Josh Naylor pinch hit for Hedges and wasted no time driving in the go-ahead run. Alex Call ran for Naylor and advanced to second on Myles Straw’s sacrifice. Steven Kwan singled to left center to score Call and moved to third on Rosario’s base hit. Jose Ramirez once again drove in the run from third on a sacrifice fly to put the Guardians ahead by three. The Sox quickly went 1-2-3 to end the game.
Game 2
The Sox looked to split the doubleheader and avoid their third straight loss. Lance Lynn pitched like the 2021 version of himself and got support from a pair of RBIs by Yoan Moncada and a solo homer from Eloy Jimenez.
Lynn tossed six strong innings, allowing just three hits and one walk. He fanned six and needed just 87 pitches to keep the Guardians scoreless. Lynn’s night was done and the Sox bullpen took over with a 3-0 lead thanks to a third-inning bases-loaded walk by Yoan Moncada, who also doubled home Tim Anderson in the fifth for the second run. Eloy Jimenez hit his second homer since returning from the injured list to give the White Sox an insurance run in the sixth.
The bullpen had another rough game. Jose Ruiz quickly put a runner on second after Andres Gimenez reached on an infield single and advanced on Ruiz’s wild pitch. Ernie Clement singled to score Gimenez. Myles Straw tripled to plate Clement and scored on Steven Kwan’s single. Amed Rosario hit the second triple of the inning to score Kwan and put the Guardians in front 4-3.
White Sox Steal One
The Pale Hose loaded the bases in the eighth after Vaughn doubled and Abreu and Grandal drew walks against Bryan Shaw.
AJ Pollock singled to shallow left to score Abreu and Vaughn and take back the lead at 5-4. It proved to be the final score as Matt Foster was able to strand a ninth-inning leadoff walk and record the save.
Notes
Yasmani Grandal collected three hits in his second game since returning from the injured list.
The White Sox signed Noah Schultz, their first-round draft pick (No. 26 overall), to a minor-league contract with a $2.8 million signing bonus.
What On Tap Next?
The Chicago White Sox look to split the four-game series in the finale on Sunday. Two of the best pitchers in the league will do battle as Dylan Cease throws for the Sox against Cleveland Guardians’ ace Shane Bieber. Cease, who is 5-1 with a 0.65 ERA in his last seven starts, will look to continue his breakout season. NBC Sports Chicago will air the game at 1:10 PM CT and Sox On Tap will have the postgame show.
Tune in to the Sox On Tap podcast for postgame reaction and further White Sox commentary all season.
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