Homer-Happy White Sox Hit 5 More, Rout Tigers
CHICAGO (AP) — Tim Anderson hit a pair of home runs, including his second to lead off the game against starter Matthew Boyd in six days, and the Chicago White Sox coasted to a 7-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Monday night.
Luis Robert also hit two home runs for Chicago (12-11), which had six in the game and 10 in their last two. It won for the fourth time in the last six tries to move back over the .500 mark.
White Sox starter Gio Gonzalez allowed two runs on six hits and two walks in 4 2/3 innings but remained winless this season. He struck out 10, the 15th time that he reached double figures in his career.
Codi Heuer (1-0), the second of five Chicago relievers, pitched one scoreless inning to get first big league victory.
While the White Sox are serious about the playoffs for the first time in years, the Tigers appear to be headed in a different direction.
Prior to their sixth consecutive loss, the Tigers (9-11) promoted right-handed pitcher Casey Mize, left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal and infielder Isaac Paredes, an indication that player development will become an even bigger priority in the shortened 60-game season. All three are on the short list of top prospects in the organization.
In his major league debut, Peredes, 21, had a two-run single in the fourth in four at-bats. Mize and Skubal are scheduled to make theirs in the four-game series.
Boyd (0-3) had vowed to be better after the White Sox dealt him a 7-5 loss five days earlier in Detroit. But it was more of the same for the Tigers starter, who gave up three runs on four hits and two walks in four innings.
In the first matchup, Boyd allowed homers to Anderson and Eloy Jiménez to open the game. This time it was Anderson and Yoan Moncada who achieved the feat on consecutive pitches.
Chicago became the first team in major league history to open two games in one season with back-to-back home runs off the same pitcher, according to STATS
Two innings later, Anderson hit an opposite-field home run, the fourth two-homer game of his career and first since May 26, 2018, at Detroit.
Robert and Danny Mendick homered off reliever Rony Garcia in the sixth. Robert went deep again in the eighth for the final runs, this time off Kyle Funkhouser after Edwin Encarnacion doubled in the eighth.
ENGEL TO COVID LIST
White Sox OF Adam Engel was placed on the COVID injured list as a precautionary measure. The veteran reserve has not tested positive and is without symptoms, but he may have been in contact with a non-baseball person who has the virus.
"He is being isolated and will return once futher testing is complete," general manager Rick Hahn said. "The experts have all determined there is fortunately no additional risk to anyone associated with the club at this time."
OF Luis González was activated from the Schaumburg training facility.
MOVIN' ON UP
The 23-year-old Skubal will make his first big league appearance on Tuesday night, while Mize is slated to follow on Wednesday night. Mize, also 23, was the No. 1 pick overall in the 2018 amateur draft.
"It was more important for us that these guys got more work (in the minors) before we rushed them in there," said general manager Al Avila, who added, "We felt they were ready."
Infielder Dawel Lugo was designated for assignment.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Tigers: INF Niko Goodrum will be idle for a few days because of right back tightness that forced an early exit on Sunday. Willi Castro made the start at shortstop, while Paredes played third base.
White Sox: C Yasmani Grandel left the game because with lower back stiffness in the sixth inning. His status was said to be day-to-day. ... RHP Reynaldo Lopez (right shoulder soreness) could return by the end of the month.
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