CHICAGO — Lane Thomas hit a three-run homer and Cleveland's bullpen was terrific once again, helping the Guardians beat the Chicago White Sox 5-0 on Tuesday night after Ben Lively departed with a leg injury.
At 33-113, the White Sox are closing in on the post-1900 record for losses — 120 by the 1962 New York Mets in their inaugural season.
Thomas also doubled and scored on Kyle Manzardo's second-inning single. With two on and one out in the sixth, he drove Gus Varland's second pitch deep to left-center for his 11th homer of the season.
Thomas was acquired in a July 29 trade with Washington. The outfielder struggled right after the deal, but he is batting .364 (12 for 33) with three homers and nine RBIs in September.
“You just work day in and day out, and eventually you find something that kind of helps,” Thomas said. “I feel like the game kicks you in the teeth quite a bit, and you just got to work through those little stretches.”
Six Cleveland relievers combined for seven innings of four-hit ball after Lively departed with a bruised right thigh. Pedro Avila (6-1) got six outs for the win.
Led by Thomas and their reliable bullpen, the AL Central-leading Guardians stayed 3 1/2 games ahead of second-place Kansas City.
“Those guys stepped up in a huge way,” manager Stephen Vogt said of his relievers. “They were all efficient. Did their job, and then some.”
Chicago was shut out for the 17th time, finishing with five hits. It has dropped a franchise-record 14 straight at home.
“We had a couple of good swings here and there,” interim manager Grady Sizemore said. “We got some guys on, but just not the big hit when guys were on and weren’t able to grind at-bats and make them work at all.”
The 32-year-old Lively was hit on the outside of his right leg by Dominic Fletcher’s liner in the second. The ball deflected to first baseman Josh Naylor, who stepped on the bag for the final out of the inning.
Lively said he got treatment and ice, and he thinks he should be able to take his next turn in the rotation.
“It hit me and like my leg just gave out,” he said. “Next thing I know I was on the ground and it was just stinging.”
After Avila departed, Eli Morgan, Cade Smith, Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis and Erik Sabrowski combined to close it out.
Cleveland's bullpen has a 37-11 record and a major league-best 2.76 ERA.
“That's a really close-knit group out there,” Vogt said.
White Sox rookie Jonathan Cannon (3-10) was charged with three runs and seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.
Varland got two outs before Sean Burke pitched three innings in his major league debut. The right-hander, brought up from Triple-A Charlotte, allowed one run and three hits.
Burke, a third-round pick in the 2021 amateur draft who was hampered by shoulder soreness last year, likely will make at least one start for Chicago in the final part of the season.
“It was unbelievable. This is definitely the best day of my life,” Burke said. “It’s something I’ve worked for since I picked up a baseball for the first time. It’s hard to put into words right now.”
TRAINER'S ROOM
Guardians: RHP Alex Cobb (blister on his right middle finger) is throwing weighted balls, and Vogt said the team is going day to day with the pitcher. LHP Joey Cantillo is in line to start on Saturday. “If Cobb can come back, then we'll figure that out,” Vogt said. ... LHP Sam Hentges is going to have shoulder surgery on Sept. 18. Dr. Neal ElAttrache is going to perform the operation in Los Angeles, and Hentges is expected to be sidelined for about a year.
White Sox: RHP Drew Thorpe said his season-ending elbow surgery went as expected. “Should have a normal offseason and be ready to go for next year,” he said. ... INF Brooks Baldwin (right wrist sprain) "still hurts kind of when he hits," Sizemore said. “Want to make sure, even though the scans and X-rays look good, that he’s not swinging through pain and creating more problems,” Sizemore said.
UP NEXT
Guardians left-hander Matthew Boyd (2-1, 2.20 ERA) and White Sox right-hander Davis Martin (0-3, 3.29 ERA) take the mound for Wednesday's series finale. Boyd has a 1.50 ERA over his last three starts, striking out 18 in 18 innings. Martin is 0-2 with a 2.53 ERA over his last six outings.
