White Sox bats go silent in 3-0 loss to Guardians
Mike Clevinger is on the 15-day injured list with right wrist inflammation, so Jimmy Lambert came out of the bullpen Monday and made a spot start against the Guardians.
Lambert had a 5.89 ERA and the White Sox's right-hander last pitched on May 12.
Hunter Gaddis started for Cleveland. Not only did he come in with a 6.86 ERA, Gaddis gave up 5 home runs over 4 innings during a start against the Sox last September.
In what shaped up as a big night for the bats at Progressive Field, it was just the opposite.
Gaddis allowed only 2 hits in 6 innings and the Guardians beat the White Sox 3-0.
"I would be lying if I didn't think of that," Gaddis told reporters when asked about last year's start against the Sox. "So yeah, it definitely makes it a little better."
Gaddis and four relievers held the White Sox to 3 hits.
"Everyone has their day in this game," second baseman Romy Gonzalez said of Gaddis. "Everyone's a professional, everyone's the best in the world. He definitely had his day."
Lambert pitched a scoreless first inning, giving up a hit and a walk, before giving way to Jesse Scholtens.
Called up from Class AAA Charlotte earlier Monday, Scholtens delivered 5 solid innings of relief while giving up 1 run on 2 hits and 2 walks.
"I just tried to get myself ready and go out there and execute as many pitches until they told me to stop," Scholtens said. "That's what I did."
With Clevinger likely to miss at least two more starts, Scholtens should get the nod to fill in until he returns.
"He pounded the strike zone and made some good pitches when he needed to," Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. "He did a nice job for us. He's a good guy to have around, especially in the minor leagues in case something like this happens. He can pitch a little bit."
With Cleveland clinging to a 1-0 lead in the seventh inning, slumping catcher Mike Zunino provided some breathing room with a 2-run homer off Sox reliever Gregory Santos.
Coming into the game, Zunino was 1-for-31 with 21 strikeouts in May.
The White Sox threatened in the fourth inning and again in the seventh, but they went 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position as their three-game winning streak came to an end.
"Couldn't get anything done," Grifol said.
Hendriks throws:
Liam Hendriks threw live batting practice before Monday night's game, and the Sox's all-star closer has another session scheduled for Thursday in Detroit.
If that goes well, Hendriks could be back with the White Sox early next week.
Hendriks has not pitched this season after being diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in early December. He was declared cancer free in April.
Eloy bats:
Eloy Jimenez took batting practice and worked out in right field Monday in Cleveland.
Manager Pedro Grifol said Jimenez is "really close" to going on a rehab assignment. He had an appendectomy on May 6.