Last time out against Shane Bieber, the White Sox offense was completely embarrassed. That day, the veteran Guardian allowed just one run in a complete game effort in Cleveland on July 12. Today went a little differently—Chicago knocked around Bieber for six runs, all of which came via the home run. Leury Garcia started the power surge in the second inning with a two-run shot, and A.J. Pollock followed suit with a two-out, three-run bomb. Eloy Jimenez added a little extra padding in the sixth inning, hitting his second homer in as many days, again a solo shot to left-center.
All-Star snub Dylan Cease wasn’t at the top of his game today but still managed to throw six scoreless innings. In other words, he did what aces do. Cease escaped damage in three straight runner-in-scoring-position situations to start the game, enjoyed smooth fourth and fifth innings, and then capped his outing by stranding another RISP in the sixth. His final line read 6 IP, 0 R, 7 H, 1 BB, 4 K. Jimmy Lambert, who is rocking a 2.35 ERA, threw an easy seventh frame before Kendall Graveman allowed a two-run homer to Franmil Reyes in the eighth. He would then strike out the side, but the damage was not completely over. Liam Hendriks let things get a little dicey in the ninth after a Steven Kwan homer and an Amed Rosario single, but shut the door by retiring the next two batters.
The White Sox are 48-48, one game back of Cleveland and four back of Minnesota. Chicago now has the task of taking advantage of an easy schedule for the next few weeks, as they play their next 19 games versus teams below .500.
W: Dylan Cease (10-4) | L: Shane Bieber (4-6)
Box Score
Offensive Recap:
Pitching Recap:
White Sox Scoring Recap:
Bottom 2nd: Leury Garcia homers to right field. Gavin Sheets scores. 2-0 White Sox
Bottom 2nd: A.J. Pollock homers to left field. Adam Engel scores. Tim Anderson scores. 5-0 White Sox
Bottom 6th: Eloy Jimenez homers to left-center field. 6-0 White Sox
Notable Performances
Dylan Cease: 6 IP, 0 R, 7 H, 1 BB, 4 K
Today represented Cease’s eleventh straight start allowing one or less earned run, with eight of those being scoreless. He has a 2.03 ERA. Did we mention Dylan Cease somehow didn’t make the All-Star Game?
A.J. Pollock: 1-for-3, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB
While it’s been an underwhelming season on the whole for Pollock, he’s shown out this series. Last night he came through with a game-winning, two-out single in the eighth inning. Today, Pollock secured the eventual game-winning RBIs once more, doing it again with two outs. With a walk alongside the three-run homer, Pollock is showing signs of being his usual self as he did in June. Hopefully, the trend continues.
Other Game Highlights
The Next Matchup
The White Sox have an off-day tomorrow before flying out to Colorado for a two-game set against the Rockies. Michael Kopech is listed as the Tuesday starter for the South Siders, while Colorado has yet to name a starting pitcher.
The game will be broadcast at 7:40 PM CT on NBC Sports Chicago.
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Featured Image: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
