But after the Cubs rallied to tie the game in the ninth, the White Sox responded with one of their own to continue their streak of walk-off victories.
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While the Sox have been on this three-game winning streak the Cleveland Indians have dropped three in a row.
Tyler Saladino held out his arms as the Chicago White Sox poured out of the dugout to mob him near second base. Javier Baez brought Miguel Montero home to score on a two-run home run in the top of the seventh that chased Gonzalez to the showers and brought the White Sox bullpen into the game.
CHICAGO, IL – JULY 26: James Shields #25 of the Chicago White Sox pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at U.S. Cellular Field on July 26, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. He advanced to second base on a Dioner Navarro sacrifice bunt, and promptly scored the winning run on a Tyler Saladino walk-off RBI single.
Recording four RBIs in the Angels’ win, Pujols connected on three singles to push his average to.
One day after a blockbuster trade, star closer Aroldis Chapman is expected to join the major league-leading Chicago Cubs for their game at the crosstown White Sox.
The Sox are 4-0 since Chris Sale was sent home before his scheduled start Saturday for tearing up the Sox’ 1976 throwback uniforms they were supposed to wear that night.
Cubs right-hander Jason Hammel (9-5, 3.35 ERA) will look to win his third straight outing when he takes the mound against the White Sox.
The Cubs had no extra-base hits. What was impressive is that three of his strikeouts were against NL MVP candidate, Kris Bryant. Already at 20 scoreless innings for the month, he just needed to pitch into the sixth without allowing an earned run to become the first pitcher in major league history not to allow a run in the month of July.
“This is the guy we were thinking of when we got him”, Sox manager Robin Ventura said of the starter who has staged a remarkable turnaround since a horrid start with the Sox after he was acquired from the Padres on June 4. Fortunately only two runs crossed the plate in the ninth inning, allowing the White Sox offense an opportunity to put the game away if one run could be scored. Chapman said he couldn’t recall a conversation with Cubs personnel about off-field conduct that Chicago described in a team release when it announced the trade.
Cubs manager Joe Maddon defended Chapman.
Minutes later, Ventura asserted he can work with Sale despite the ace’s critical comments of the manager for not sticking up for him when he was suspended for the collared jerseys he objected to.
Hernandez (5-4) gave up four runs – all in the first two innings – and struck out three in six innings in his first win since May 21.
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“It wasn’t a really hard fly ball, it was more high and I tracked the ball perfectly”, Cabrera said. If and when it happens, I’d rather the moment not be tainted by the pitcher who recorded the final out not being a man who laid his hands in violence upon his significant other, who fired a gun eight times so that she would know he meant business, who compelled her to hide in the bushes while she waited for help. “The only thing I can give is staying ahead of hitters and having better fastball command”. With runners on first and second, Jose Abreu drove in his 56th run to give the Sox an early 1-0 lead. “It’ll be nice to get off my feet a little bit”, he said. “After (the slide), I felt fine”.
