Grandal, Abreu power White Sox to 4-2 win over Pirates
Aug 31, 2021, 8:23 AM | Updated: 10:05 pm
Yasmani Grandal and Jose Abreu homered, and five relievers combined for 4 2/3 innings of two-hit ball as the Chicago White Sox beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 on Tuesday night.
Grandal, who hit a solo homer to lead off the second, is batting .500 (7-for-14) with four homers and 11 RBIs in four games since returning from the 10-day injured list.
“Having Yas around really deepens our lineup,” manager Tony La Russa said. “He’s doing it all. He’s swing the way he did before he got hurt. It’s really important to get him back.”
Abreu hit his 28th homer in the third. He finished with a .330 batting average, 10 home runs and 25 RBIs in 28 games in August.
The Sox (77-56), who hold a 10-game lead in the AL Central, won for the fourth time in five games. The Pirates (48-84) lost for the fourth time in six games.
White Sox starter Lucas Giolito was pulled with one out in the fifth due to left hamstring tightness. Giolito squatted awkwardly to field Ben Gamel’s infield hit and required medical attention.
Giolito then threw a wild pitch to score Hoy Park, cutting Chicago’s lead to 2-1. Three pitches later, Giolito was in noticeable discomfort after throwing a ball to Wilmer Difo and was pulled after throwing a warmup pitch. Giolito will be checked Wednesday.
“It reminded me of the feeling in 2019 when I pulled it,” said Giolito, who missed two weeks. “This wasn’t as intense. It didn’t want to hold strong. I can’t see it being very long.”
Colin Moran hit a game-tying single off reliever Ryan Tepera.
That was the last hit by the Pirates until one out in the ninth when Kevin Newman singled.
Tepera, Michael Kopech (4-2), Aaron Bummer, Craig Kimbrel and Liam Hendricks blanked the Pirates the rest of the way.
“The name of the game is everyone stepping up and doing their part,” said Kopech, who pitched a scoreless sixth.
The White Sox regained the lead for good in the sixth on a bases-loaded walk by Brian Goodwin off reliever Chasen Shreve, and Leury Garcia added a sacrifice fly.
Giolito, who threw a no-hitter against the Pirates on Aug. 25, 2020, didn’t allow a run through the first four innings.
Giolito’s injury will further test Chicago’s rotation depth, especially after Lance Lynn was placed on the 10-day IL, retroactive to Aug. 27, due to right knee inflammation.
Pirates starter Bryce Wilson (2-6) retired seven of the next eight batters after Abreu homered. But Wilson was pulled after allowing hits to Abreu and Eloy Jimenez to start the sixth.
“When you face a lineup like this one, with power and diversity, the pitching line doesn’t show it,” Wilson said. “But I threw the game I wanted to throw. I take nothing but confidence out of this outing going into the next one.”
Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada extended his career-best hitting streak to 15 games with a double in the first inning.
ROSTER EXPANSION
INF Philip Evans and RHPs Shelby Miller and Max Kranick are on the Pirates’ taxi squad and are candidates to be added Wednesday when rosters can be expanded to 28 players. … OF Billy Hamilton (right oblique strain) will be added to the White Sox roster, La Russa said.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: INF/OF Michael Chavis was placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to Aug. 29), because of a right elbow strain. Park was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis.
White Sox: Lynn (10-4, 2.59) said he first felt discomfort after pitching Aug. 12 in the Field of Dreams game against the Yankees, but La Russa believes Lynn could miss only one start because of days off on Thursday and Monday. RHP Reynaldo Lopez is tentatively scheduled to start Saturday in place of Lynn at Kansas City. … INF Danny Mendick was recalled from Triple-A Charlotte … SS Tim Anderson (leg soreness) didn’t start for the second consecutive game and isn’t likely to return to the lineup until this weekend at Kansas City. “They’re sore, stiff, and it’s not smart to push it,” La Russa said. … OF Adam Engel (left shoulder inflammation) is expected to start a minor league rehabilitation assignment this weekend.
UP NEXT
Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (4-10, 6.75) will face the White Sox on Wednesday night. Keller was tagged for seven runs in 5 1/3 innings but received a no-decision in an 11-7 win over the Cardinals.
White Sox LHP Carlos Rodon (10-5, 2.43) will take the mound against the Pirates. Rodon allowed two runs on five hits in five innings in a 10-7 win at Toronto on Thursday.
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