With 27th blast, Palka sets new pinch-hit homer record for White Sox

Daniel Palka pinch-hit for Kevan Smith with nobody out in the sixth inning Friday when right-hander Dillon Maples relieved Jose Quintana, a lefty.

Maples left a 2-2 slider up over the plate and Palka smoked his 27th home run of the season to extend the White Sox's lead in their eventual 10-4 win over the Cubs at Guaranteed Rate Field.

The blast was Palka's fourth pinch-hit homer of the year, a new White Sox record. He also leads all of MLB rookies in home runs with just over a week to play in the regular season.

"It's nice, but it's not something I'm really thinking about," Palka said about leading all rookies in homers. "I'm just going out there doing what I can and whatever the outcome is, it's been a positive year in that aspect."

Palka was called up in late April to replace the injured Avisail Garcia, though there was no telling how long he would remain in the majors.

"I just wanted to make sure I made the most of every opportunity I got and made sure I produced enough to that the question was there," Palka said. "That maybe I would have to stay."

"I think he's worked extremely hard to put himself on the map, to be part of our conversation as an organization," manager Rick Renteria said. "He deserves a lot of credit because he's taken it and kind of run with it and done a lot of good things for us."

Moncada heating up:

Yoan Moncada recorded 3 hits for the second straight game. He is now 9 for his last 18 and is batting .319 in September.

"I think his at-bats have been improving over the last two or three weeks," Renteria said. "At times, we get so locked up in looking at his overall numbers that we lose sight of how he has been improving on both sides of the plate. I think his at-bats continue to improve. They will continue to improve [with] the more experience he gets, the more he's out there."

Abreu still sore:

First baseman Jose Abreu remains out of the White Sox's lineup Friday and likely will miss the remainder of this weekend's series with an infection in his right thigh. He was first hospitalized Tuesday in Cleveland with the infection, which was caused by an ingrown hair.

"I'm still a little sore," Abreu said through an interpreter. "I'm feeling better. What the doctors did in Cleveland was outstanding. They took care of the situation. It was good. I have a lot to be glad for. I thank them a lot. All the people here have been very, very good with me. I'm just getting the treatment, taking pills and things to get the process going."

It is the second non-baseball injury for Abreu this month, after he had surgery at the beginning of the month to alleviate pain in his lower abdomen/groin area.

"You just know you are not in charge of this," Abreu said. "It's God. We are here just following the things He guides you, He tells you to do. If you understand that, it will be easier to take all these things, to digest all the things happened the last few weeks. I've done it. I've understood that."

High-leverage experience:

The White Sox have made a point to get their young relievers more experience in high-leverage situations during the final few weeks of the season.

"I think you cannot simulate that anywhere else other than here," Renteria said. "When I talk to them, I say: "You experience that in A-ball or Double-A or Triple-A?" You can't do it. It's got to be here."