CHICAGO — Just getting a win against any team, anywhere, felt good for the scuffling Chicago White Sox.
That it came at Wrigley Field against the Cubs made it a little sweeter.
Adam Engel and Matt Davidson homered, and the White Sox snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 3-1 victory over their crosstown rivals in their North Side ballpark Monday.
“I was emotional just because we’ve been down eight days in a row,” White Sox Manager Rick Renteria said. “We’ve been looking for a victory and looking for our [starter] to give us a little length and he did.”
Miguel Gonzalez (5-9) allowed 1 run and 7 hits in 7 1/3 innings to end a four-game losing streak and win for just the second time in 11 decisions.
Engel lined his third home run of the season off reliever Justin Grimm (1-1) into the wind and several rows into the left-center bleachers to snap a 1-1 tie in the sixth. Davidson led off the eighth with his 19th home run, which sailed over the left-field stands and onto Waveland Avenue.
“It felt good just to put us ahead,” Engel said.
The Cubs lost for just the second time in 10 games after the All-Star break to fall a half-game behind idle first-place Milwaukee in the NL Central. Monday’s game was the first of four consecutive this week between the Cubs and White Sox.
In his first start since June 4 because of tendinitis in his pitching hand, Cubs right-hander Kyle Hendricks pitched 4 1/3 innings and allowed 1 run and 8 hits.
Hendricks struck out five and walked none, but White Sox hitters battled to extend at-bats and drove up the righty’s pitch count. Hendricks was replaced by Grimm with one out in the fifth after throwing his 92nd pitch — one that resulted in Abreu’s RBI double that tied it at 1-1.
Hendricks said he felt fine physically but was out of sync.
“It was good being back out,” Hendricks said, “but it really didn’t go the way I wanted it to. I’ve just got to get back that fastball command, be more aggressive with less pitch count.”
Cubs Manager Joe Maddon agreed Hendricks wasn’t his old self yet, but he said the righty took a solid step.
MARLINS 4, RANGERS 0 Giancarlo Stanton hit two home runs and moved into a tie for the major league lead, sending Adam Conley and visiting Miami over Texas. Stanton has 32 home runs, including six in his past seven games, and matched Yankees rookie Aaron Judge for most in the majors. Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre went 4 for 4, giving him 2,993 career hits. He moved closer to becoming the 31st player to reach 3,000.
INDIANS 6, REDS 2 Josh Tomlin pitched six innings, Carlos Santana homered twice and host Cleveland won its fourth consecutive game.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
ROYALS 5, TIGERS 3 Salvador Perez and Mike Moustakas hit consecutive home runs in the 12th inning, and visiting Kansas City won its sixth consecutive game.
ORIOLES 5, RAYS 0 Kevin Gausman pitched six innings, Adam Jones homered and visiting Baltimore sent Tampa Bay to its season-worst fifth consecutive loss.
BLUE JAYS 4, ATHLETICS 2 Francisco Liriano won for the first time in three starts, Russell Martin homered and host Toronto beat Oakland, snapping a three-game losing streak.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
CARDINALS 8, ROCKIES 2 Randal Grichuk hit a two-run home run, Mike Leake pitched seven scoreless innings and host St. Louis beat Colorado. Leake’s six-strikeout performance was his best since giving up one run over eight innings against Washington on June 30. Grichuk’s two-run home run off Rockies starter Antonio Senzatela (10-4) gave the Cardinals a 4-0 lead in the fourth, extending his home run streak to a career-high four games.
Sports on 07/25/2017