Dominic Fletcher smacked a two-run double in the eighth inning, helping the Chicago White Sox break a five-game losing streak and secure their first road victory with a 7-5 win over the Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night.
Fletcher’s hit to right-center off Scott Barlow (0-2) untangled a 5-5 deadlock, providing the White Sox with a crucial breakthrough after struggling offensively earlier in the season.
“It’s been a rough stretch,” Fletcher remarked. “We’ve been in a lot of close games. It feels good to finally get a win and try to turn things around. We’ve had plenty of opportunities. We’ve just been waiting for that big hit to push us forward, so it was a relief.”
Steven Wilson (1-1) fanned all three batters he faced in the seventh, while Michael Kopech, transitioning from a starter to a late-relief role, struck out three in the eighth, including José Ramírez for the final out, earning his second save.
“He was throwing 100 miles per hour, throwing strikes, electric,” praised White Sox manager Pedro Grifol. “I love that style of play. … It’s like, ‘Here’s what I’ve got, try to beat me.’ He wasn’t trying to fool anyone.” “He’s a beast,” added White Sox starter Michael Soroka, referring to Kopech.
Josh Naylor blasted a two-run homer for the Guardians, who saw their winning streak halted at five and fell to 8-3.
However, Chicago’s victory was overshadowed by the loss of third baseman Yoán Moncada, who exited the game in the second inning due to a groin injury.
Moncada pulled up while running to first after hitting a grounder, collapsing before reaching the bag. The 28-year-old was assisted off the field and will undergo medical tests on Wednesday.
“I feel bad for him because he was in a lot of pain,” expressed Grifol, revealing that Moncada had been dealing with a hip/adductor issue in recent days.
“It’s unfortunate,” lamented Fletcher. “You never want to see teammates go down, especially with Eloy and Robert also sidelined. That’s a lot of firepower missing from our lineup, so others need to step up and keep playing hard.”
Despite falling behind 5-0 in the first inning, the Guardians gradually narrowed the deficit.
