Stewart gives up 3 runs in Sox loss
CHICAGO — Ubaldo Jimenez threw six effective innings, Luis Valbuena homered and the Cleveland Indians beat the White Sox 7-3 on Sunday.
Valbuena also singled twice and scored two runs as the Indians collected 14 hits. Trevor Crowe had three singles, and Jason Donald and Lonnie Chisenhall added two hits apiece.
Jimenez (3-2) issued five walks, but allowed just two runs and three hits. The right-hander, who was acquired from Colorado before the July 31 trade deadline, struck out two and improved to 2-1 with a 3.12 ERA over his last four outings.
White Sox starter Zach Stewart (2-4) yielded three runs and seven hits over five innings in his first outing since he tossed a one-hitter at Minnesota last Monday.
The Indians broke it open with three runs in the eighth against Matt Thornton. Donald drove in a run with an infield hit and Carlos Santana lashed a two-run double to right.
Alejandro De Aza went 2 for 3, scored two runs and stole two bases for Chicago. Juan Pierre and Alexei Ramirez each singled twice and drove in a run.
Stewart set down his first five batters before Cleveland put together a two-out rally in the second. The Indians strung together four straight hits, highlighted by Crowe’s RBI single and Lou Marson’s two-run double.
It was Crowe’s first hit and RBI of the season. After starting 106 games in the outfield for Cleveland in 2010, Crowe had shoulder surgery on March 30 and was activated on Wednesday.
Chicago responded with two runs in the third. De Aza led off with a single and stole second and third, then scored on Gordon Beckham’s fielder’s choice. Beckham eventually came around on Ramirez’s fielder’s choice, trimming the Indians’ lead to 3-2.
Beckham has driven in runs in consecutive games for the first time since he had RBI in five straight outings sandwiched around the All-Star break.
Jimenez walked the bases full in the fourth, the last of the free passes issued to Brent Morel, who has drawn seven of his 14 walks this season since Sept. 1. Jimenez got Beckham on a grounder to third to escape the threat.
The White Sox also left the bases full four times on Saturday.
Valbuena hit a solo drive off Will Ohman in the sixth, making it 4-2 Tribe. It was Valbuena’s first extra-base hit and RBI this season.