Rodon, Palka spark White Sox to 1-0 win over Indians

Carlos Rodon and Daniel Palka were quite the tag team Friday night.

Facing the first-place Indians at Guaranteed Rate Field, Rodon delivered his sixth straight quality start, scattering 4 hits and 2 walks over 8 innings.

With the game still scoreless in the ninth, Palka led off the inning with an opposite-field home run to left field, giving the Chicago White Sox a 1-0 win.

Over his last 6 outings, Rodon has a 1.28 ERA, the lowest in the major leagues over that stretch.

"I feel pretty good," said Rodon, who continues to perform like the Sox's ace of the future. "I might not have all my stuff, but it's working. Just throwing it up over the dish and letting the defense do the work for me. We got through some games and I've been fortunate."

Rodon survived a rocky first inning, when he allowed both walks and the Indians stole 2 bases.

"It just took a little bit to settle in the first," the 25-year-old lefty said. "Luckily we got through it and out of that inning."

Rodon breezed through 8, tying a career high, but Cleveland starter Shane Bieber matched him for 6⅔ innings and the Indians' bullpen held the White Sox scoreless until Palka connected on Neil Ramirez's 96-mph fastball that was high and outside.

"I was looking up," said Palka, who struck out in his first 3 at-bats. "They were getting me on some bad pitches to hit down, whether it was heaters or breaking balls, early in the game. I just wanted something up in the zone. I didn't think I'd get another one after I missed the first pitch, but (Ramirez) came back to it and I got it."

Making the most of a rare win against Cleveland, Yolmer Sanchez dumped a bucket of Gatorade on third-base coach Nick Capra as Palka rounded the bag.

"That was hilarious," Palka said. "I wasn't sure what he was doing, and right when I noticed he was getting Cappy, I couldn't help but start laughing."

Dropping down:

Mired in a 2-for-29 slump with 18 strikeouts, Yoan Moncada was dropped to No. 8 from the leadoff spot Friday night.

"Trying to give him a break, push him back a little bit," manager Rick Renteria said. "He still need him to be in there; we need him to get his at-bats. We're going to give him a little breath as opposed to just sitting him and not playing him."

Moncada responded to the move, going 1-for-2 with a walk. Nicky Delmonico batted leadoff and went 0-for-3.

Collins tees off:

Catcher Zack Collins hit 2 home in the ninth inning for Class AA Birmingham in an 18-2 win at Montgomery Friday night.

The second homer was a grand slam. Collins was the Sox's first-round draft pick in 2016.