Sale Outpitches Lester, White Sox Beat Cubs 5-1
CHICAGO (AP) — Chris Sale dominated into the eighth inning while outpitching Jon Lester, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Cubs, 5-1, on Saturday for their ninth win in 11 games.
Sale (8-4) showed why he was picked to his fourth consecutive All-Star Game, helping the White Sox move into position to sweep the weekend series with their crosstown rivals. Lester's winless streak reached 10 starts.
The South Siders took a 2-0 lead in the first on an RBI triple by rookie Tyler Saladino for his first major league hit and a run-scoring single by Jose Abreu.
They broke open the game with three more in the seventh against Lester (4-8), making the most of third baseman Kris Bryant's errant throw on Avisail Garcia's grounder. The rookie's 11th error put runners on second and third with no outs.
Alexei Ramirez then singled in a run and Tyler Flowers had a two-run double for a 5-0 lead, more than enough support for Sale.
The lanky left-hander gave up one run and six hits He departed after Anthony Rizzo led off the eighth with a single.
Sale struck out 10 after his record-tying streak of eight consecutive starts with at least 10 Ks was stopped by Toronto on Monday.
Lester, who signed a $155 million contract in the offseason, is 0-6 since he beat Pittsburgh on May 16.
The left-hander was charged with four earned runs and seven hits in seven innings. He struck out eight without a walk.
Lester, who took a no-hitter to the seventh against St. Louis on Monday, retired 14 in a row before Melky Cabrera singled leading off the seventh. Bryant then overthrew first after fielding Garcia's grounder, and the White Sox tacked on three more runs.
The Cubs scored with one out in the bottom half on an RBI double by Jonathan Herrera, batting for Lester. Before that hit, White Sox pitchers went 30 1/3 innings without allowing a run.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: Ramirez said he is still feeling some pain after fouling a ball off his left foot Wednesday against Toronto. The shortstop was in the lineup for the second straight game after sitting out Thursday against the Blue Jays.
Cubs: C Miguel Montero exited the game because of a jammed left thumb. He struck out swinging in the second inning and did not take the field in the third. Taylor Teagarden replaced him behind the plate.
UP NEXT
RHP Jake Arrieta (9 -5, 2.80 ERA) goes for his 10th win for the Cubs, while LHP Jose Quintana (4-8, 3.69 ERA) starts for the White Sox. Arrieta is 3-0 in his past four starts.
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