Chicago White Sox rally late but fall short at Cleveland
CLEVELAND - Shane Bieber struck out nine over 7 innings to snap a three-game losing streak and Franmil Reyes hit a 2-run homer as the Cleveland Indians defeated the Chicago White Sox 8-6 on Wednesday night.
All-Star Game MVP Bieber (13-7) allowed 2 runs and 6 hits in winning for the first time in 5 starts since Aug. 9. The right-hander also earned his first victory over the White Sox in three outings this season.
The Indians are in a tight race with Oakland and Tampa Bay for the second wild card spot in the AL.
Reyes belted his 34th home run - his seventh since being acquired from San Diego - to extend Cleveland's lead to 6-2 in the fifth. He is batting .400 with 5 homers and 15 RBI over his last 12 contests.
The Indians held an 8-2 advantage in the eighth before Jose Abreu and Tim Anderson each hit 2-run homers for the Sox, the latter off closer Brad Hand.
Nick Wittgren replaced Hand with the bases loaded and one out in the ninth, retiring Eloy Jimenez when Oscar Mercado made a spectacular leaping catch in center field, then struck out Ryan Goins for his fourth save.
Mercado had 3 hits and fellow rookie Yu Chang singled twice and drove in 2 runs for Cleveland, which has lost four of six. Reyes scored three times and Yasiel Puig went 2-for-5 with an RBI.
White Sox starter Ivan Nova (9-12) gave up 6 runs and 11 hits in 4⅓ innings. The right-hander entered the day with the highest opponent batting average in the majors at .294 and ranks second with 198 hits allowed.
Anderson had 3 hits and scored 2 runs. Daniel Palka went hitless in 4 at-bats, making him 1-for-53 on the season.
• Indians manager Terry Francona admitted having second thoughts about using right-haner Carlos Carrasco in the eighth inning Tuesday. Carrasco gave up a 3-run homer to James McCann and a solo shot to Jimenez that gave the White Sox a 6-5 win.
Carrasco, who was diagnosed with a treatable form of leukemia in June, had only made one appearance since being activated two days earlier.
"Maybe I rushed into it a little bit," Francona said. "That's what I was thinking about after the game."
• White Sox second baseman Danny Mendick was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte after finishing among the International League leaders with 133 hits, 66 walks and 19 stolen bases. "I'm certainly going to give Danny some starts," manager Rick Renteria said. "We're happy he's here and we're going to give him an opportunity to enjoy being in the big leagues."
• White Sox outfielder Jon Jay (right-hip strain) was transferred from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL, officially ending his season. The 34-year-old batted .267 with no home runs and 9 RBI in 47 games. He will be a free agent in November.
Indians right-hander Corey Kluber (left-oblique strain) has "got a ways to go" in his recovery, according to Francona. The two-time AL Cy Young Award winner was injured in the first inning of a rehab assignment at Triple-A Columbus on Aug. 18.
• White Sox right-hander Reynaldo Lopez (8-12, 5.41 ERA) allowed 6 runs in a career-low two-thirds of an inning in his last start Aug. 31 at Atlanta. It was the eighth time he has given up at least 6 runs in 28 appearances this year.
Lopez gets the start in today's series finale against Indians right-hander Zach Plesac (7-5, 3.61 ERA).
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