Mike Clevinger pitched five shutout innings in his return from the injured list while Tim Anderson and Andrew Vaughn homered to spark the Chicago White Sox to a 7-2 win against the visiting Cleveland Guardians on Saturday.
Chicago has won two straight on the heels of a six-game losing streak after seizing control of Saturday’s contest in the early going.
Anderson connected for a leadoff home run against Guardians starter Logan Allen, blasting his first long ball since July 15, 2022, at Minnesota. It was the first of 12 hits for Chicago, which assured at least a split of the four-game weekend series that concludes Sunday.
Yoan Moncada’s two-run single in the fifth put the White Sox ahead 3-0, and Vaughn delivered a two-run shot an inning later.
Cleveland finally got on the board thanks to Tyler Freeman’s RBI single in the seventh. However, the White Sox responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame.
Anderson had three hits for Chicago, while Steven Kwan had three hits for Cleveland.
Activated from the IL before the game, Clevinger (right biceps inflammation) picked up the victory in his first start since June 14. The right-hander scattered two hits and three strikeouts without issuing a walk to improve to 4-4.
Allen (4-4) took the loss, yielding five runs and eight hits in six innings with three walks and four strikeouts.
Chicago’s Eloy Jimenez extended his hitting streak to nine games with an RBI single in the seventh. That followed an RBI single from Luis Robert Jr., who joined Vaughn with two hits.
Jose Ramirez had two hits for the Guardians, who are 3-6 against the White Sox this season.
First-base umpire Todd Tichenor ejected Cleveland manager Terry Francona moments before Anderson’s homer. Ramirez flied into a double play to end the Cleveland first, and the Guardians bench deliberated whether it might challenge.
Tichenor gestured toward the bench in an effort to prompt a decision. Francona was ejected when he came onto the field to argue. Bench coach DeMarlo Hale managed the rest of the game for Cleveland.
–Field Level Media