Freddy Peralta pitched six shutout innings and Carlos Santana hit a three-run home run as the visiting Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Chicago White Sox 7-3 on Sunday to secure a three-game sweep.
Milwaukee stretched its lead atop the National League Central to 3 1/2 games over the Chicago Cubs after its fourth straight victory.
Peralta (9-8) won his third straight start, scattering four hits — all singles — while walking three and striking out six.
Carlos Perez delivered an RBI double with two outs in the ninth to help Chicago avoid the shutout. Elvis Andrus’ two-run single for the White Sox accounted for the final margin.
Andrew Vaughn singled three times to pace the White Sox, who have lost four of five. Perez and Andrus had two hits.
Milwaukee opened the scoring in the second inning. Sal Frelick and Willy Adames singled before Mark Canha lofted an RBI sacrifice fly to right field. White Sox starter Dylan Cease escaped further trouble, inducing Andruw Monasterio into a double-play grounder to shortstop.
In the fifth inning, Milwaukee started with a walk and a single before Monasterio knocked a run-scoring double to left field.
With runners and second and third and no outs, Cease got two popouts, then struck out William Contreras with the bases loaded after an intentional walk to Christian Yelich.
Santana’s three-run blast, his 15th of the season and third since joining the Brewers in a trade with Pittsburgh last month, broke things open in the eighth. Santana connected against White Sox reliever Aaron Bummer to put Milwaukee ahead 5-0.
Yelich hit a two-run single in the ninth to make it 7-0. Canha finished with two hits.
Cease worked a season-high seven innings, scattering two runs and five hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. He fell to 5-6 while throwing 67 of his 97 pitches for strikes.
White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. missed his third straight start with a sprained right pinky finger in his right hand.
–Field Level Media
