Viciedo homer ends White Sox losing streak
CLEVELAND — Dayan Viciedo hit a three-run homer in the ninth inning off John Axford, lifting the White Sox over the Cleveland Indians 4-3 Sunday and stopping a four-game losing streak.
Corey Kluber struck out a career-high 13 in eight innings, including a team-record seven straight. He allowed one run, three hits and two walks, leaving with a 3-1 lead after 110 pitches.
Axford (0-2) walked Gordon Beckham leading off the ninth and struck out Jose Abreu, who hit his major league- leading 12th home run in the first. Adam Dunn walked, and Viciedo homered to right on a 2-2 pitch, a 96 mph fastball.
Daniel Webb (2-0) pitched the eighth, and Matt Lindstrom threw a one-hit ninth for his fourth save in seven chances.
George Kottaras, the Indians' backup catcher, became the first player to homer in his first two plate appearances for Cleveland.
Andre Rienzo allowed three runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings.
Kluber's streak began when he struck out Gordon Beckham and Abreu for the final two outs of the third. He fanned Adam Dunn, Dayan Viciedo and Alexei Ramirez in the fourth, and Jordan Danks and Tyler Flowers struck out beginning the fifth. Leury Garcia broke the streak by walking on a 3-2 pitch, and Kluber struck out Alejandro De Aza.
Kluber fell two strikeouts short of the AL record set by Doug Fister for Detroit against Kansas City on Sept. 27, 2012. Tom Seaver holds the major league record of 10 for the New York Mets against San Diego on April 22, 1970.
Cleveland's previous mark was six by Bob Feller, Bartolo Colon, Chuck Finley and Mitch Talbot.
Four of Abreu's five hits against the Indians this season have been homers.
Kottaras, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Columbus on Saturday when Yan Gomes was placed on the paternity list, hit solo homers in the third and fourth. Kottaras had been 2 for 25 (.080) in the minors.
Lonnie Chisenhall had an RBI single for Cleveland in the third.
Indians center fielder and leadoff hitter Michael Bourn missed the game because of tightness in his left hamstring. He was replaced by Nyjer Morgan, who was called up from Triple-A Columbus.
Morgan provided some comic relief in the third inning when he attempted to bunt for a hit. He tripped while tossing the bat away and fell down about 20 feet from the bag. Rienzo threw to first for the out, and Morgan received a loud ovation as he returned to the dugout.
Morgan doubled in the fourth and singled in the eighth.