Chicago pounds out 15 hits, beats Texas 8-2 for series split

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Andrew Vaughn had a two-run home run among his three hits, Luis Robert hit a two-run double, and AJ Pollock had two doubles in a three-hit game as the Chicago White Sox beat the Texas Rangers 8-2 on Sunday to split a four-game series.

Leury Garcia had three hits and scored twice and Jose Abreu had three singles as the White Sox broke out offensively. They had 15 hits, five for extra bases, after being limited to four runs and 13 hits in the previous three games.

The White Sox pulled within two games of first-place Minnesota in the AL Central and remained three games behind in the wild-card race.

The hitting attack came minus All-Star shortstop Tim Anderson – the team’s “igniter” according to manager Tony La Russa. Anderson began a two-game suspension for making contact with plate umpire Nick Mahrley during an argument on July 29 and was replaced at shortstop on Sunday by Garcia, who primarily plays second base.

La Russa said of Anderson: “He’s so special; you can’t replace him. But Leury, he’s a player, too.”

“When you see the team like today, we put everything together,” Garcia said. “Pitching, hitting, defense. We can do it.”

Lucas Giolito allowed one run in five innings on six singles and three walks to earn his second consecutive win. Giolito (8-6) struck out five and threw 103 pitches, four short of his season high.

Nathaniel Lowe hit a solo homer in the seventh inning and delivered an RBI single in the third among his three hits for the Rangers. The 452-foot homer, a lefty-on-lefty shot, was the longest by a Rangers player this season.

Texas completed a 2-5 homestand and dropped 12 games below .500, matching its season low.

“Once we fell behind, that third inning kind of put things in a tough spot for us,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said.

Spencer Howard (2-4) gave up six runs, five earned, in 3 1/3 innings.

Vaughn hit his 11th homer of the season in the third inning to give Chicago a 3-1 lead.

Robert’s two-run double came in the three-run fourth, making the score 6-1 and chasing Howard.

Pollock’s RBI single in the second inning scored the game’s first run. Pollock doubled in the fourth and the sixth for his third three-hit game of the season.

Howard struggled for a second consecutive start — he allowed six runs in four innings last Tuesday in an 8-2 loss to Baltimore — after his best outing of the season, when he outpitched Shohei Ohtani in a 2-0 road win over the Los Angeles Angels.

Garcia scored from first base in the seventh inning when Texas third baseman Ezequiel Duran’s throw to first went wide. As Garcia raced toward third base, third base coach Joe McEwing emphatically waved him on with both arms.

“‘Super Joe’ sent me,” Garcia said. “Oh, man. I’ve got to go.”

ANDERSON’S SUSPENSION BEGINS

Anderson will also miss the White Sox’s next game, the opener of Tuesday’s doubleheader at Kansas City.

MLB initially suspended Anderson for three games. He appealed, and the suspension was reduced.

“He just picked a day and the first game on Tuesday,” La Russa said. “Seemed to make the most sense.”

Anderson is hitting .301, but is hitless in his last 15 at-bats. La Russa said Anderson has been pressing.

SHORT HOPS

The Rangers left 11 runners on base, the White Sox 10. … Lowe has reached base in 14 consecutive games. … The White Sox recalled INF Lenyn Sosa from Triple-A Charlotte and optioned RHP reliever Tanner Banks. … Chicago is 3-0-5 in its last eight series.

UP NEXT

White Sox: RHP Lance Lynn (2-4, 5.87 ERA) will start one game on Tuesday at Kansas City. Royals RHP Brady Singer (4-4, 3.67) will start one game.

Rangers: LHP Martin Perez (9-2, 2.47) will open a three-game series at Houston on Tuesday night against RHP Jose Urquidy (10-4, 3.62).

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