Tony Gonsolin pitched six strong innings to remain unbeaten and Will Smith, Cody Bellinger and Trea Turner each homered as the visiting Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Chicago White Sox 4-1 on Wednesday night.
The Dodgers snapped a three-game losing streak, out-hitting the White Sox 6-4.
The support proved enough for Gonsolin (7-0), who allowed one run on three hits with one walk and five strikeouts to lower his ERA to 1.58.
Yency Almonte, Brusdar Graterol and Daniel Hudson followed with three combined innings of one-hit relief with five strikeouts, as Dodgers pitching retired 14 in a row before Yasmani Grandal singled with two out in the ninth. Hudson pitched the ninth for his fifth save in as many opportunities.
Gonsolin has not yielded more than two earned runs in any of his 11 starts. On Wednesday, he retired nine of the first 10 White Sox he faced, pitching effectively upon being staked to an early lead.
After Chicago starter Johnny Cueto set down the first two Dodger hitters of the game, he allowed a bloop single to Turner before Smith drove the first pitch he saw over the left-field fence for a two-run home run.
Bellinger launched a solo homer leading off the second, but Cueto retired the next eight batters after that. Still, the early damage coupled with scarce run support ultimately amounted to the veteran right-hander’s third straight defeat.
Cueto fell to 0-3 after scattering three runs and four hits in six innings with one walk and five strikeouts.
Jake Burger put Chicago on the board with a solo homer leading off the fifth. Gavin Sheets followed with a double and AJ Pollock walked, but Gonsolin escaped further damage by inducing a groundout, strikeout and flyout.
The White Sox had a three-game winning streak snapped. Chicago stranded five runners while going 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.
Bennett Sousa and Matt Foster each pitched a scoreless inning for the White Sox before Turner connected for a solo home run against Jose Ruiz in the ninth for the final margin.
Turner and Smith had two hits apiece.
–Field Level Media