Marco Gonzales returned to the starting lineup after being sidelined with an injury for nearly three months, and the Pittsburgh Pirates secured their second consecutive win, defeating the White Sox 4-1 on Friday night.
Ke’Bryan Hayes contributed with two hits, an RBI, and a run scored for the Pirates, who have now won four of their last five games.
Gonzales, making his first start since April 13 due to a forearm strain, pitched five innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits. He struck out four batters and did not issue any walks.
“It was a positive day,” Gonzales commented. “I’m happy to contribute to a win.”
Pittsburgh turned a 1-0 deficit around in the fifth inning with RBIs from Jared Triolo and Michael A. Taylor. They extended their lead in the sixth inning with runs driven in by Nick Gonzales and Hayes.
David Bednar, the Pirates’ final reliever of the night, pitched the ninth inning to secure his 17th save of the season.
Jonathan Cannon took the loss for the White Sox, giving up all four runs in relief of Garrett Crochet, who pitched two innings in his first appearance since being named an All-Star.
Crochet added four strikeouts to his season total, leading the majors with 150 strikeouts. However, Chicago manager Pedro Grifol had planned for a short outing for Crochet before the game.
“We had a plan in place to maximize the break,” Crochet explained, expressing his hope to pitch in the All-Star Game on Tuesday night in Texas.
Luis Robert Jr. drove in the only run for the White Sox, who have struggled recently, losing eight of their last 11 games.
Earlier in the day, the Pirates received news that rookie right-hander Paul Skenes will start the All-Star Game.
