Field Level Media
Aug 31, 2021
Yasmani Grandal and Jose Abreu launched solo home runs and the Chicago bullpen contributed 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief to boost the White Sox to a 4-2 win against the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night.
The White Sox earned their fourth victory in five games while the Pirates lost for the third time in four games.
Chicago scored twice in the sixth inning to snap a 2-all tie. After the White Sox loaded the bases with no outs, Brian Goodwin drew a run-scoring walk against Chasen Shreve before Leury Garcia contributed a sacrifice fly.
Liam Hendriks pitched the ninth inning to earn his 30th save for Chicago, following the work of Ryan Tepera, Michael Kopech, Aaron Bummer and Craig Kimbrel. The five White Sox relievers allowed two hits and no walks while striking out four.
White Sox starter Lucas Giolito left the game after 4 1/3 innings due to left hamstring tightness, having scattered two runs on three hits with four walks and five strikeouts. The training staff visited Giolito twice in short succession after the right-hander lost his balance fielding a grounder in the fifth.
Giolito needed 101 pitches to no-hit the Pirates in Chicago on Aug. 25, 2020. Numerous deep counts and an eventual injury prevented him from going deep into the Tuesday contest.
Pittsburgh forced Giolito to throw 43 pitches through two innings. The Pirates worked leadoff walks in both frames but had no hits until collecting consecutive singles with two outs in the third.
Down 2-0, Pittsburgh scored twice in the fifth on a Giolito wild pitch and a Colin Moran RBI single.
White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a one-out double in the first.
It was the first of six hits allowed by Pirates starter Bryse Wilson (2-6), who yielded four runs in five-plus innings with one walk and one strikeout.
Kopech (4-2) was the winner, striking out two in a perfect sixth.
Grandal homered in the second inning and Abreu went deep in the third to stake Chicago to a 2-0 lead. Abreu finished with two hits.
Chicago shortstop/leadoff man Tim Anderson missed the game to rest his sore hamstrings. He is expected to sit out the series finale on Wednesday, too.
Pirates third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes missed the game with a right hand contusion.
--Field Level Media