The Sports Xchange
Jul 9, 2017
DENVER -- Tim Anderson led off the ninth inning with a home run Saturday night that gave the Chicago White Sox a 5-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies.
Anderson drove closer Greg Holland's 1-2 fastball over the wall in center for his ninth home run. It was only the second homer off Holland (1-1), who had yielded 17 hits in 32 1/3 innings in his 34 prior appearances before Anderson connected.
White Sox closer David Robertson threw a called third strike past Charlie Blackmon for the second out of the ninth inning.
An irate Blackmon argued with home plate umpire Sam Holbrook and was ejected. Rockies manager Bud Black was also tossed when he came out to defend Blackmon, who slammed his helmet and bat to the ground.
Robertson then struck out pinch hitter Carlos Gonzalez to end the game and earn his 13th save.
Mark Reynolds led off the eighth with a triple against former Rockies pitcher Tommy Kahnle (1-3). Right fielder Alen Hanson leaped unsuccessfully at the wall and the ball came bounding back toward the infield, far enough for Reynolds to easily reach third with his first triple of the season.
Gerardo Parra followed with a sacrifice fly that tied the game at 4. With two outs, Raimel Tapia's checked swing resulted in a slow roller to third baseman Todd Frazier, who had no play on the speedy Tapia. Tapia reached second on Kahnle's wild pitch, but Kahnle got Tony Wolters to ground out.
Rockies starter Jeff Hoffman worked seven innings and faced only one batter with a runner in scoring position after the first. That was White Sox starter Jose Quintana, who netted his first career RBI with a sacrifice fly after Willy Garcia's one-out triple in the fifth to give Chicago a 4-2 lead.
Quintana issued his only two walks of the game in the sixth and paid for it when Parra doubled home a run. That hit cut the White Sox's lead to 4-3 and finished Quintana after 5 1/3 innings and 103 pitches. He gave up three runs and five hits while striking out a season-high-tying 10 (nine swinging).
Anthony Swarzak, who pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings, came on and threw a called third strike past Trevor Story. Swarzak intentionally walked Tapia to load the bases before retiring Wolters on a grounder to second.
Hoffman pitched a career-high-tying seven innings for the second straight outing and fourth time in 10 starts this season. He allowed four runs and seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
The White Sox scored three runs in the first after Hoffman retired the first two batters on seven pitches. Jose Abreu tripled as right fielder Tapia made a leaping attempt for the ball but banged into the wall and ended up on the ground.
Hoffman walked Frazier on four pitches before Yolmer Sanchez lined a triple over the head of center fielder Blackmon and Kevan Smith lined a single up the middle. Hoffman finished the inning with 25 pitches (13 strikes).
The Rockies quickly erased most of that lead in the bottom of the first. Nolan Arenado belted his 17th home run, a two-run shot. The homer was the second in as many games for Arenado after 15 homerless contests. The blast scored Blackmon, who opened the inning with a single.
The White Sox made two mistakes on the bases. Anderson led off the fourth with a single, but Wolters picked him off first base.
Sanchez flared a single into short left field with two outs in the fifth. Frazier, who had been hit with a pitch, made it to third ahead of left fielder Parra's throw, but Sanchez tried to take second and was thrown out on the play that went 7-5-4.
NOTES: Rockies RHP Antonio Senzatela was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque, and LHP Zac Rosscup was recalled from that club and is awaiting his Rockies debut. ... Rockies RF Carlos Gonzalez was not in the lineup for the second straight game. ... White Sox RHP Michael Ynoa was outrighted to Triple-A Charlotte after being designated for assignment Thursday and clearing waivers. ... White Sox OF Avisail Garcia's sprained right middle finger was improved. He is expected back in the lineup Sunday after missing two games. ... White Sox LHP Jose Quintana is hitless in 27 career at-bats. ... The crowd of 48,118 was the Rockies' ninth sellout of the season. ... The White Sox had three triples in a game for the first time since Aug. 16, 2011, when they had five against Cleveland. ... Rockies RHP Greg Holland yielded a home run to St. Louis' Paul DeJong on May 28, also at Coors Field.