CLEVELAND — Dominic Fletcher hit a two-run double in the eighth inning as the Chicago White Sox snapped a five-game losing streak with their first road win, 7-5 over the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night.
Fletcher's shot to right-center off Scott Barlow (0-2) broke a 5-5 tie as the White Sox finally busted out of an early season offensive funk.
Chicago, which came in with an MLB-low 16 runs in 10 games, scored five in the first and got the big hit — from Fletcher — when it needed one.
“It’s been a tough stretch, obviously,” Fletcher said. "We’ve been close and in a lot of games. It feels good to get one and try to get something going here. We’ve had a lot of chances. We’ve just been waiting for that big hit to break us through and get us going, so it felt good.”
Steven Wilson (1-1) struck out the side in the seventh, and Michael Kopech, a former starter now in a late-relief role, struck out three in the eighth and José Ramírez for the final out for his second save.
“He was 100 miles per hour, pounding the strike zone, electric,” White Sox manager Pedro Grifol said. “I love that style of baseball. ... It’s here’s what I’ve got, go ahead and beat me. He wasn’t trying to trick anybody.”
“He's an animal,” White Sox starter Michael Soroka said of Kopech.
Josh Naylor hit a two-run homer for the Guardians, who had their winning streak stopped at five and dropped to 8-3.
Chicago's win came with a price as the White Sox lost third baseman Yoán Moncada, who went down with a groin injury in the second inning.
Moncada was running to first after hitting a grounder when he pulled up and collapsed short of the bag. The 28-year-old Moncada was helped to his feet and assisted off the field.
“I feel for him because he was in some severe pain," said Grifol, who added Moncada will be evaluated and undergo medical imaging tests on Wednesday.
Before the game, Grifol said Moncada had been dealing with a nagging hip/adductor injury the past few days.
“I don’t know if it’s the same thing,” Grifol said. “I don’t think it is.”
Moncada's injury is just the latest for Chicago, which is already missing outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (hip flexor) and slugger Eloy Jiménez (adductor).
“It sucks,” Fletcher said. "You hate to see guys go down with Eloy and Robert as well. That’s a lot of good hitters in our lineup that are missing, so guys gotta step up and continue to play hard.”
With the score tied in the eighth, Korey Lee reached when Barlow splintered his bat but the barrel flew at the pitcher, who had to avoid being hit. Andrew Benintendi walked before Flether, who came in to pinch-hit in the sixth, doubled into the gap and was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.
Down 5-0 in the first, the Guardians chipped away.
They got two back in the bottom of the inning when Naylor connected for his second homer, a shot into the right-field seats.
Grifol was confident his team would bust out of its slump sooner or later — the White Sox came in last in runs, on-base percentage and batting just .091 (5 for 55) with runners in scoring position.
Chicago's hitters wasted no time getting to Guardians starter Logan Allen. The first five White Sox reached, with Lenyn Sosa, Andrew Vaughn and Lee getting RBIs before Kevin Pillar's two-run double capped the five-run outburst.
“They jumped him early,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “They were really aggressive, got to him early in counts.”
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: RHP John Brebbia (calf strain) expects to be back once he's eligible to come of the 15-day injured list.
Guardians: LHP Sam Hentges (swollen middle finger) is scheduled to throw live batting practice Friday as he moves closer to rejoining the club. Hentges is expected to have a major role in Cleveland's bullpen once he returns.
UP NEXT
White Sox RHP Erick Fedde (0-0, 2.79 ERA) will start the series finale against Guardians RHP Tanner Bibee (1-0, 3.86 ERA). Fedde allowed just one run in five innings in a start against Kansas City last week.
