Rangers Win In Chicago
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CHICAGO — Many hitters have trouble picking up the ball against Chris Sale.
Texas Rangers second baseman Adam Rosales is not one of them.
He sees the ball just fine against the Chicago White Sox’s ace left-hander and proved it Wednesday afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field. Rosales hit two homers, one off Sale, and went 2-for-4 to drive in all three runs in the Rangers’ 3-1 victory to win the three-game series after dropping the opener.
“I feel like I’ve always picked up the ball pretty well against Sale,” said Rosales, who’s from nearby Park Ridge, Ill., and had family and friends watching. “I’m an aggressive hitter and he just comes right at me. Same thing with C.C. Sabathia. Power pitcher. He’s going to come right at you. You better be ready.”
Rosales was definitely ready in the second inning. Sale threw him a 2-2 fastball with a runner on first base and he drove the ball over the fence in right-center field for a 2-0 lead.
Rangers right-hander Nick Tepesch (4-7) took it from there. Getting back on the mound after having his last turn in the rotation skipped because of soreness in his left knee, Tepesch didn’t allow a run in 5 2/3 innings.
“We were successful getting that first guy on and he kept rolling that double play ball,” said White
Sox manager Robin Ventura, whose team hit into double plays to kill potential rallies in the third, fourth and fifth innings. “It’s a rally killer and everything else, but it’s a big lift for him to be able to double us up that many times.”
Three relievers made a slim lead hold up after Tepesch left the game. Right-hander Roman Mendez and left-hander Neal Cotts each had holds, allowing one run between them in 2 2/3 innings, and right-hander Neftali Feliz got the final two outs in the ninth inning for his fourth save.
Sale (10-2) allowed two runs and took the loss after throwing six innings and striking out nine. He gave up the first homer to Rosales and that was all the Rangers needed.
Rosales came into the game 5-for-9 with two home runs in his career against Sale, which is a feat not many major leaguers share.
“He’s a great pitcher,” Rosales said. “I’ve just been fortunate in the few at-bats that I’ve had against him and the little success I’ve had against him. I’ve just been fortunate.”
Sale feels hexed.
“I guess I jinxed myself,” he said. “I checked it (Tuesday) just to see and sure enough, (Rosales) had two homers (off me). Everyone’s got their guy, I guess.”
Adding to the downside of that play, Chicago (55-60) also lost starting center fielder Adam Eaton — who ran full speed into the outfield wall chasing after the ball. Eaton left under his own power, replaced by utility specialist Leury Garcia, and is day to day with a bruised lower back.
Neither team scored again until the seventh inning when Rosales launched his second homer, off right-hander Daniel Webb, for the first multi-homer game of his career and a 3-0 lead.
Sale was trying to become the first White Sox pitcher since Eddie Cicotte in 1919 to start a season 11-1, but he didn’t get any run support and fell short after throwing 111 pitches. He struck out nine, walked two and allowed three hits.
Tepesch was effective utilizing a different approach.
Working under a cap of 80 pitches, he needed to be efficient to get into the fifth inning or beyond. That’s exactly what happened. He gave up six hits and finished with 79 pitches. He also forced the double-play grounders to prevent rallies.
“It was just trying to get a ground ball at somebody and turn a double play, and it happened a couple times,” Tepesch said. “That was the approach I took with it, just trying to get a quick out, a quick ground ball at somebody.”
Outfielder Dayan Viciedo got Chicago on the scoreboard with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning by hitting a solo shot to right field off Mendez. That made it 2-1 and gave the White Sox their first run in 15 innings, but that was all they could generate.
