Downtown goes Frazier! Slam tops Texas

May 9th, 2016

ARLINGTON -- Todd Frazier hit a grand slam in the top of the 12th inning that lifted the White Sox to an 8-4 victory over the Rangers on Monday night. It was Frazier's second home run of the game and gave the White Sox a four-game winning streak.
The Rangers had a three-game winning streak snapped despite rallying to tie the game in the eighth and ninth. They have also lost four straight to the White Sox this season, including two in extra innings.
"All are tough when when they get away from you," first baseman Mitch Moreland said. "But we play them tomorrow and the next day. We've got two more against them and we're going to try to win them both."
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Adam Eaton led off the 12th by drawing a four-pitch walk from Rangers reliever Cesar Ramos. Jimmy Rollins followed with a high chopper that shortstop Elvis Andrus fielded on the outfield grass. He tried for the force at second, but the ball got past second baseman Rougned Odor, allowing the runners to advance to second and third. Jose Abreu was walked intentionally to load the bases.

That brought up Frazier and he hit a 1-0 changeup into the left-field seats. He finished the game with four hits and a career-high six RBIs.
Slam latest evidence of Frazier busting out
"It was one of those things, you have bases loaded, nobody out, it's either a sac fly or a home run," Frazier said of his approach to the at-bat.

The Rangers trailed, 3-1, going into the bottom of the eighth, but Odor led off the inning with a triple and scored on a one-out single by Adrian Beltre. After pinch-runner Drew Stubbs moved up on Prince Fielder's grounder, Ian Desmond doubled him home.
The White Sox took the lead in the top of the ninth on a squeeze bunt by Austin Jackson. But the Rangers tied it in the bottom of the inning against closer David Robertson. Andrus led off with a walk, was bunted to second by Bobby Wilson and scored on a single by Hanser Alberto.

"They battled," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "It seems like every time we got a little bit of a lead, they'd come right back and score. It's a good game and it's one you like to be on the right side of."
White Sox starter Miguel Gonzalez, called up from Triple-A Charlotte earlier in the day, made his second start of the season, and held the Rangers to one run over 5 2/3 innings. He allowed three hits, walked three and struck out four.

Rangers starter Colby Lewis pitched almost as well, going seven innings and allowing two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out five. It's the third straight start Lewis went seven innings and the Rangers came back to keep him from getting his first loss of the season.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Desmond fools Sands: Desmond tied the game for the Rangers in the bottom of the eighth, capping the two-run rally with a double to left off Robertson. Desmond hit a wicked line drive that left fielder Jerry Sands started in on, then tried to go back as he saw the ball carry. But he was too late to catch up and Desmond had an RBI double.

DeShields can't hold on: Eaton opened the top of the first with a high drive to deep center. Delino DeShields raced to the wall and got his glove there, but missed a great catcher when the ball jarred loose as he crashed into the barrier. Eaton ended up with a triple and scored on Rollins dribbler back to the mound.
"It was in my glove," DeShields said. "It just hit the wall and slid out. I felt it in my glove."

Double play saves Sox in 10th: With runners on first and third and one out, the White Sox shifted the infield to the right against the lefty Moreland and were in perfect position for a dramatic, game-saving double play. Moreland hit a hard grounder to second baseman Brett Lawrie, playing halfway between first and second. Lawrie fielded the ball cleanly and quickly relayed to Rollins at second. Rollins' throw to Abreu beat Moreland to the bag, ending the inning.
"If that's soft, I'm probably going to have to take the guy out at home," Lawrie said of Moreland's grounder. "But it was hard and directional at me so we ended up getting two out of it. It was a big play for us. [Rollins and I] spoke right before it actually happened, I said to him, 'Anything kind of smashed, you gonna be there?' And he said, 'Yeah, let's spin it.' Surely enough it was a step and a throw and we spun it, on to the next one."

Avila's hit sets up Sox, sets off Banister: Against Rangers closer Shawn Tolleson in the ninth, Avisail Garcia singled up the middle and Alex Avila followed with a single to right. But Tolleson was clearly rattled when he thought he had thrown the third strike to Avila on a 2-2 changeup that flirted with the high part of the strike zone. Avila's hit two pitches later moved Garcia to third and brought an animated Rangers manager Jeff Banister out of the dugout to argue with home-plate umpire Laz Diaz, who ejected Banister. The next batter, Jackson, squeezed home the go-ahead run.
"You guys look at the game on the monitor," Banister said. "You can come up with your own opinion what I was upset about. I felt our guy executed a good pitch and didn't get the pitch called." More >

QUOTABLE
"When you see Frazier come up in a situation like that, you know he wants to do something. That was a big one." -- Ventura, on Frazier's 12th-inning grand slam
CABRERA EJECTED
White Sox left fielder Melky Cabrera was ejected by Diaz after Cabrera struck out looking to end the sixth inning. Cabrera lingered at the plate after Diaz signaled the third strike and a few seconds later, Diaz threw Cabrera out of the game. Sands took over in left for Cabrera.

WHAT'S NEXT
White Sox: Lefty Carlos Rodon pitches against the Rangers at 7:05 p.m. CT Tuesday. Rodon is 1-0 in three career starts vs. Texas and earned a no-decision in his only career start at Globe Life Park, going six innings and striking out 10.
Rangers: Left-hander Derek Holland pitches against the White Sox at 7:05 p.m. CT on Tuesday. Holland is 0-2 with a 6.86 ERA in four career starts against the White Sox.
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