White Sox fizzle and fade in 4-2 loss to Indians
Looking to keep the sizzle going the day after Carlos Rodon's no-hitter, the White Sox got off to a good start.
Wrapping up a four-game series against the Indians Thursday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field, Adam Eaton was right in the middle of a near brawl in the first inning.
After Tim Anderson came off the 10-day injured list and led off with a single, Eaton followed with another base hit.
As Anderson advanced to third base, Eaton dug in for second and was called out after getting tangled up with Cleveland shortstop Andres Gimenez.
Feeling he was pushed off the bag, Eaton got to his feet and pushed Gimenez. Indians second baseman Cesar Hernandez also got involved in the fracas and both benches emptied.
No punches were thrown and there were no ejections, and the Sox wound up wasting a solid start from Lance Lynn in a 4-2 loss.
"(Anderson) and I were trying to hit the ground running there," Eaton said. "T.A. did such a good job dekeing the right fielder, slowing down and speeding back up to cause a throw, which was awesome. I tried to sneak in there behind him. From my viewpoint, I slid in and I stopped and once I stopped my slide I'm safe.
"It happened pretty quick but my arm gets lifted up and pushed off the bag. Then things kind of escalated a little bit there, not that I wanted that. Both of those guys in the middle infield, I respect highly. They both play the game really the right way. I let the emotions kind of get the best of me there just because I felt like any time you get pushed off the bag when you are safe, it's a little frustrating."
Anderson did score on Yoan Moncada's single, and Lynn was cruising until giving up a 2-run homer to Jose Ramirez on a 3-2 count with two outs in the sixth inning.
That turned the sizzle to fizzle as the White Sox and Indians split the series.
Lynn allowed 2 runs on 5 hits over 6 innings to go with 10 strikeouts and no walks.
"For the most part, everything went well," Lynn said. "One mistake today cost us the game, and then they were able to add on after that. So I'd like to have that one pitch back and it could be a whole new ballgame."
After the game, manager Tony La Russa said the COVID-19 tests on Dylan Cease came back negative and he should be able to come off the IL and start against the Red Sox Friday night at Fenway Park.