Rangers' Allard shuts down Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox could not solve rookie Kolby Allard on Saturday night in a 4-0 loss to the Texas Rangers at Guaranteed Rate Field.
The 22-year-old, acquired from the Atlanta Braves on July 30 in exchange for pitcher Chris Martin, blanked the Sox for 6⅓ innings on 6 hits. Selected by Atlanta with the 14th overall pick of the 2015 draft, the 6-foot-1 left-hander looked every bit the part while striking out eight without issuing a walk.
"He threw a lot better than we had seen," White Sox manager Ricky Renteria said after his team was shut out for the 11th time this season. "He was actually much more effective. His fastball could get on top of you. It was a little sneaky. Then using his slider underneath to get some outs. He did a nice job. Tip your cap. He kept us completely at bay."
Allard (2-0) outdueled Ivan Nova (9-10), who absorbed his first loss since July 17 and his first home loss since June 29 despite another in a string of solid outings since the all-star break. The right-hander held the Rangers scoreless until Elvis Andrus reached on a sixth-inning throwing error by shortstop Tim Anderson and Willie Calhoun hammered a 93-mph, four-seam fastball to the right-field bleachers to give Texas a 2-0 lead.
The Rangers doubled the lead in the seventh inning. Shin-Soo Choo singled with two outs and Danny Santana sent the next pitch from Sox reliever Jimmy Cordero over the left-center field wall to make it 4-0.
Nova limited the Rangers to 2 runs (1 earned) on 6 hits over 5⅔ innings. He struck out six and walked none.
"It was a good one," he said of the performance. "Unfortunately, we didn't win the game, but I do my part."
It was the latest in a series of strong outings for the 32-year old pitcher, who has allowed 2 or fewer earned runs in 7 consecutive starts.
"I'm just throwing better pitches," he said. "We keep working hard. We're still hungry and want to keep pitching better."
The White Sox's offense could not make his latest strong performance a winning one. Allard and Texas relievers Rafael Montero and Jose Leclerc scattered 8 hits.
The highlight of the game for Sox fans came in the first inning, when Jose Abreu singled to right field for his 1,000th career hit and received a big ovation.
"That just showed me the respect that they have for me and the respect for all the work that I put in day in and day out," Abreu said of the cheers. "It reinforced that because of all that work, I am who I am right now and I reached this point."