Andres Gimenez hit a two-run home run in a four-run first inning and the visiting Cleveland Guardians went on to an 8-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Friday in the return from the All-Star break for both clubs.
Steven Kwan had three hits and Josh Naylor drove in three runs as the Guardians increased their winning streak to four games. Cleveland has won seven of the 10 games against Chicago this season.
Tim Anderson had a pair of hits and a run as the White Sox failed to resume their pre-break run of success. Chicago won five of its last six games before the All-Star Game, including two consecutive against the Guardians to close a four-game series last week.
White Sox starter Lucas Giolito (6-6) gave up six runs on nine hits in just three innings with no walks and two strikeouts. It was his shortest start of the season and in stark contrast to his two starts against the Guardians earlier this season, when he gave up one run in each.
Cleveland started fast when Kwan led off the game with a single. After a one-out double from Jose Ramirez, Naylor had an RBI single for a 1-0 lead. Owen Miller followed with a sacrifice fly to score a run, and Gimenez hit a two-run home run to right, his 11th.
The Guardians increased the lead to 6-0 in the second inning on an RBI single from Amed Rosario and a run-scoring ground out from Ramirez.
The White Sox scored a pair of runs in the third inning. Jose Abreu brought home the first on a double, and Yasmani Grandal added an RBI ground out. Chicago also received a scare in the inning when Eloy Jimenez was hit in the left wrist by a pitch but stayed in the game.
Naylor added a two-run double for Cleveland in the sixth.
Guardians starter Cal Quantrill (7-5) gave up two runs on six hits over five innings with one walk and four strikeouts.
The White Sox’s AJ Pollock had a single in the second inning off Quantrill to end an 0-for-21 slide.
–Field Level Media