Throwback Tuesday victory for Chicago White Sox
Forget the sideshow. The Chicago White Sox are threatening to become a main attraction.
On Tuesday night, the Sox won their fourth straight game Tuesday since all-star pitcher Chris Sale was suspended five games for destroying the team's 1976 throwback jerseys.
Out of respect for the winning streak, the Sox wore their 1983 throwbacks for the fourth straight game and defeated the Chicago Cubs 3-0 in front of 39,553 fans at U.S. Cellular Field.
The win allows the Sox to retain ownership of the Crosstown Cup. More important, it marks their first four-game winning streak since May 6-9 and improves their record to 50-50. Their longest winning streak this season was six in a row in April.
"They just keep playing. They're resilient," Sox manager Robin Ventura said of his players. "You sit there and you think it's going to go the other way and they find a way to pull together and pull it out."
Sox starting pitcher James Shields snapped a personal three-game losing streak, thanks to a changeup that got better as the game progressed.
The veteran right-hander held the Cubs scoreless for 7⅔ innings on 4 hits and 4 walks and struck out five.
"I felt I utilized it pretty well tonight, keeping it down in the zone for the most part," Shields said of his change. "Last game I hung one changeup to (Miguel Cabrera) and he hit it out of the ballpark. Other than that, I'm feeling really good with my changeup right now. Just trying to keep it down and keep it located."
Shields pointed to his former manager, Joe Maddon, in the Cubs' dugout as he left to a standing ovation in the eighth inning. Consider his former boss impressed.
"He was good," Maddon said. "I thought we were in good shape. After 3 innings we had seen 56 pitches. Then he had a really quick fourth and that put him back into a really good rhythm."
Shields (3-5) outdueled Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks (9-7), whose streak of 19⅔ scoreless innings ended four batters into the game when Jose Abreu poked a one-out single to center field, scoring Adam Eaton, who drew a leadoff walk. Hendricks allowed 3 earned runs on 6 hits and 2 walks and struck out seven in 5⅔ innings.
The White Sox took a 2-0 lead in the fifth when Adam Eaton yanked a hanging, 1-1 curveball to right for his seventh home run of the season.
The Sox added a sixth-inning insurance run when Cubs reliever Travis Wood struggled with his control. He issued 3 straight walks, including a free pass to Tyler Saladino that forced in Frazier.
The Cubs mounted their best threat in the second inning when they loaded the bases with two outs. Shields didn't blink. He ended an 8-pitch at-bat and the inning by getting Dexter Fowler to popup to Navarro in foul territory.
"It's big-game James," Ventura said. "This is the guy that we were thinking of when we got him and he came up big."
Sox reliever Nate Jones stranded a runner at first base in the eighth inning, and closer David Robertson earned his 24th save by retiring the Cubs in order in the ninth.