CHICAGO (AP) — Angel Martínez hit a grand slam and drove in a career-high six runs and the Cleveland Guardians beat the AL Central-leading Chicago White Sox 8-2 on Friday night to end a three-game losing streak.
Steven Kwan added a solo home run to help the Guardians trim Chicago’s division lead to two games after being swept by the New York Mets.
Martínez’s third career slam came in the fifth inning after David Sandlin (2-2) gave up Chase DeLauter’s
single, walked José Ramírez and hit Jo Adell. Martínez drove the first pitch to center. Austin Hedges added an RBI single in the inning.
Munetaka Murakami and Braden Montgomery had solo homers for the White Sox, They've lost a season-worst four straight and five of six.
All-Star left-hander Parker Messick (9-6) allowed four hits and both Chicago home runs in the first seven innings to win for the first time since July 10. He struck out eight and walked just one.
Sandlin was pressed into a long relief stint after starter Noah Schultz had to leave the game in the first inning. The right-hander gave up six runs, seven hits and walked four while striking out four in 5 1/3 innings.
Schultz had to leave the game by rule in the first after mound visits by pitching coach Zach Bove and manager Will Venable. Martínez tagged him for a two-run single to open the scoring.
Kwan homered off Sandlin to lead off the sixth.
The hometown crowd saved its loudest boos for something that didn’t happen on the field. The White Sox announced halfway through the ninth that a planned postgame performance by rapper Ja Rule was canceled due to travel issues.
Guardians LHP Joey Cantillo (8-7, 3.87 ERA) was set to face RHP Davis Martin (9-6, 4.13) on Saturday. The White Sox will retire former player and manager Ozzie Guillen’s No. 13 before the game.
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