The Dodgers (45-27) went into the sixth inning Sunday afternoon in the Windy City with a 1-0 lead and a cruising Emmet Sheehan. The White Sox (38-32) changed the trajectory of the game and series outcome with a three-home run offensive explosion against Sheehan and Jack Dreyer in the sixth inning.
The Dodgers tried to inch their way back with a run in each of the last three innings, but the offense wasted several scoring opportunities throughout the 6-4 loss. They went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position
and left eight men on base.
Sheehan redeemed himself after his last start when Dave Roberts hooked him after only 1 1/3 innings against the Angels. The right-hander struck out eight and only allowed one hit through five innings of work. The hiccup that was his last start was mostly a thing of the past once he stepped on the mound Sunday.
Roberts celebrated his daughter’s graduation, and he wasn’t with the team for the series finale at Rate Field. Danny Lehmann, Dave’s bench coach, stepped in to be the substitute skipper on Sunday.
The first hit in the series for Freddie Freeman was a two-out solo home run off Bryan Hudson’s four-seamer.
The Dodgers continued to add to their collection of double plays. They went into Sunday’s game leading baseball with 64 GIDP on the season. Andy Pages hit into a double play in the first inning for No. 65.
Sheehan was so locked in, he forgot how many outs were in the inning. After his two-out strike out of Drew Romo in the third inning, he started to walk back to the dugout. He returned to the mound with a small laugh and retired Sam Antonacci for the real final out of the frame.
Mookie Betts got on base on a swinging bunt hit with one out in the top of the fourth against Erick Fedde. Betts stole his first base of the year to put himself into scoring position. Kyle Tucker struck out to strand Mookie at second and keep it a 1-0 game.
Ryan Ward took a sinker away for a leadoff double against Fedde in the top of the fifth for the Dodgers. The offense couldn’t muster much else. It was the second straight inning the Dodgers stranded a runner in scoring position.
Sheehan continued to get the White Sox batters to chase balls off the plate. His changeup was wicked, and he used it to whiff Drew Romo for the second time to close out five shutout innings.
The Dodgers got their leadoff runner on four out of six innings, but they weren’t able to cash in any of them. They stranded two more in the sixth. Tucker finally made contact and got a base hit. Betts, who was on first after he erased Freeman on a force out, moved to third. Ward chased a Fedde changeup and went down on strikes to end the inning.
Antonacci reset the series finale with one swing of the bat. He crushed a hanging Sheehan changeup to right field for a leadoff home run to make it 1-1 in the bottom of the sixth.
Things unraveled quickly. The Sox put together six straight hits against Sheehan and Dryer including three home runs in a six-run attack.
Andrew Benintendi’s RBI double off Sheehan gave the White Sox a 2-1 lead. That would be it for Sheehan, but a booming two-run home run by Colson Montgomery against Dreyer gave the White Sox their third and fourth run of the inning. Chase Meidroth joined the home run party and launched a two-run shot to make it 6-1.
Grant Taylor came in to really shut down the Dodgers in the top of the seventh, but Dalton Rushing put a screw in the plans with a leadoff double. Alex Freeland’s fly ball was enough to bring in Rushing on a sac fly and get one back to make it 6-2.
Betts hit his seventh home run of the season, a solo shot against Taylor in the top of the eighth. Betts finally had his first multi-hit back-to-back games of the season.
The Dodgers once again got the lead runner on when Seranthony Domínguez walked Ward in the top of the ninth. Rushing struck out, but Freeland had the best at-bat of the night. After he fell behind 0-2, he worked the count back to 3-2, then scorched a RBI double to the right field corner to make it 6-4.
Ohtani was unintentionally intentionally walked just like old times representing the tying run. Pages grounded into a force out, but the inning continued. It was up to Freddie with first and third and two outs, but he struck out to end the game and series in favor of Chicago. It’s the first series win for the White Sox over the Dodgers since 2014.
Sunday particulars
Home run: Freddie Freeman (11), Mookie Betts (7); Sam Antonacci (2), Colson Montgomery (17), Chase Meidroth (6)
WP — Erick Fedde (2-5): 2 2/3 IP, 3 hits, no runs, 2 walks, 4 strikeouts (58 pitches)
LP — Emmet Sheehan (3-4): 5 IP, 4 hits, 3 runs, 1 walk, 8 strikeouts (85 pitches)
S— Seranthony Domínguez (12): 1 IP, 1, hit, 1 run, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts (33 pitches)
Up next
The Dodgers return home to host the Tampa Bay Rays for three games. The series opener Monday night will be televised on ESPN (7:10 p.m. PT; ESPN) and feature starters Eric Lauer (2-5, 5.47 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) for the Dodgers and Nick Martinez (6-2, 2.43 ERA, 1.159) for the Rays.
