Beckham Gives White Sox 5-1 Win Over Cubs

CHICAGO (AP) — Gordon Beckham's tiebreaking homer in the eighth inning helped the Chicago White Sox beat the rival Cubs 5-1 on Tuesday night.

Beckham was 1 for 6 in the White Sox's 3-1, 12-inning win Monday over the Cubs, but he matched a career high with four hits Tuesday. The fourth one, on a 1-2 pitch with two outs from Neil Ramirez (0-1), gave Beckham his first homer of the season and the White Sox the lead, one they held to sweep the two-game series at Wrigley Field.

The teams start a two-game series Wednesday across town at U.S. Cellular Field.

Moises Sierra had a career-high four hits for the White Sox, starting in place of Adam Dunn who was scratched about 30 minutes before the first pitch because of a bruised right calf. Dunn did pinch-hit for reliever Zach Putnam in the eighth and grounded out to short.

Putnam (1-0) had an 18.90 ERA in five games for the Cubs last season but threw two scoreless innings for the White Sox, who have won consecutive games against the North Siders for the first time since taking three in a row in 2012.

Their starter had another good night but wasn't the beneficiary of Beckham's home run and the three ninth-inning insurance runs — capped by pinch-hitter Jordan Danks' two-run double off Pedro Strop — that also gave the White Sox their third straight win after a four-game skid.

Hector Noesi gave the White Sox their second straight strong start against their crosstown rivals. One day after Jose Quintana took a no-hitter into the sixth, Noesi went five innings and allowed one run while striking out six.

It was also a departure from Noesi's first start of the season, when he lasted just 3 2-3 innings and allowed four runs in an April 30 loss to Detroit.

Like Noesi, Cubs starter Edwin Jackson saw one of his better outings end up in a no-decision. Jackson entered with a 5.24 ERA but went seven innings and gave up one run while striking out a season-high nine.

That wasn't enough for the Cubs to avoid their third straight loss, who also had Strop leave the game with assistant trainer Ed Halbur after delivering a pitch to Alejandro De Aza.

The White Sox took a 1-0 lead in the fourth on Alexei Ramirez's run-scoring fielder's choice, bringing in Beckham. But in the fifth, the Cubs tied the game on Emilio Bonifacio's two-out single, driving in Junior Lake.

NOTES: Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer said there have been no trade talks yet. "Teams have to have a sense that they can't fill a hole internally," he said. "People don't usually come to that conclusion in May." ... White Sox manager Robin Ventura said LHP Chris Sale (left arm) was feeling "good" one day after a 40-pitch bullpen session and that he'll have another session "in the near future." ... Cubs RHP Jose Veras, on the disabled list since April 26 with a strained left oblique, threw a scoreless inning Tuesday during a rehab stint for Double-A Tennessee. ... White Sox 3B Conor Gillaspie (left hand) is eligible to come off the DL Wednesday, and Ventura said "you're hoping that he's back pretty soon." ... The Cubs will play a day-night doubleheader at Cincinnati on July 8 to make up the game from April 28, which was postponed due to rain.

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