Beckham delivers walk-off HR to top Rangers
CHICAGO -- Gordon Beckham delivered on a walk-off home run to left field in the 11th inning in the White Sox 3-2 win Sunday afternoon as his bullpen outlasted the Rangers' on Sunday afternoon.
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Behind four relievers, Chicago's bullpen held the Rangers scoreless in four innings of relief. Zach Putnam and Jake Petricka forced double plays to end both the 10th and 11th innings and extend the game before Texas' Alex Claudio surrendered the decisive home run.
"Winning those tight games finally is huge," Petricka said. "We've always been on the wrong side the last week and half or so. Now it's going to go our way."
The Rangers gave up three runs in five innings of relief, two of which came from reliever Ross Detwiler in the sixth inning, to spoil starter Yovani Gallardo's performance. Gallardo finished without a decision but went five scoreless innings and allowed five hits with three strikeouts. The Rangers finished 2-3 on their road trip with all three losses coming by one run.
Video: TEX@CWS: Gallardo holds White Sox scoreless over five
"We would have liked to have come out winning all of them," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "But our guys competed well. We've got to find a way to right the offense."
White Sox starter Jose Quintana kept his team in the game once more, allowing two solo home runs for the only damage. The second, in the seventh inning by Leonys Martin, tied the game at 2. Quintana finished with his 10th quality start of the season after he threw seven innings and surrendered two runs on five hits, adding five strikeouts.
Video: TEX@CWS: Quintana fans five Rangers in seven frames
MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Rangers miss extra opportunity: The Rangers couldn't push the go-ahead run in the 10th inning after Rougned Odor singled with one out and then went from first to third on reliever Putnam's wild pitch. Prince Fielder was walked intentionally so that the White Sox could play back for the double play. Their strategy succeeded as Mitch Moreland grounded one to second baseman Carlos Sanchez and the White Sox turned two.
Video: TEX@CWS: White Sox get out of tight spot with DP
The Rangers also had the bases loaded in the 11th with one out, but Hanser Alberto grounded into a double play. The Rangers had Elvis Andrus on the bench, but manager Jeff Banister decided against using him.
Video: TEX@CWS: White Sox turn two to escape jam in 11th
"Real good job of those guys staying focused. I know we're kind of wheeling and dealing, putting guys on trying to get a double play, and we had some big double plays there at the end of the game just to give us a chance," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura. More >
Doing it the small way: Chicago tacked on two runs in the sixth inning, thanks in part to a trio of singles and some keen baserunning. Jose Abreu led off the inning with a single and moved to second two batters later on Melky Cabrera's single. Then, Alexei Ramirez hit a bloop single into shallow right field to score Abreu from second. Conor Gillaspie scored Cabrera from third on a sacrifice fly to left field.
Video: TEX@CWS: Ramirez ties game at 1 with RBI single
Little help from my friends: Quintana found himself in a fifth-inning jam as the heart of the Rangers' lineup came up to bat with runners on the corners and one out. But his defense helped to bail him out. Catcher Tyler Flowers dove at home plate to tag a sliding Alberto and prevent a run. Two batters later, Quintana got Moreland to pop out to third base, where Gillaspie leapt to make an over-the-head catch.
Video: TEX@CWS: Gillaspie makes fine over-the-shoulder catch
Quintana received some more help in the seventh inning when Cabrera charged toward center field and extended to rob Shin-Soo Choo of a base hit.
Video: TEX@CWS: Cabrera dives to make a fine catch on Choo
Martin goes deep off lefty: The Rangers trailed 2-1 in the seventh when Martin led off with a home run off Quintana to tie the game. It was Martin's fifth career home run in 392 plate career appearances against a left-hander. The home run also snapped an 0-for-21 streak for Martin.
Video: TEX@CWS: Martin connects for a solo home run
QUOTABLE
"It's a great win for these guys. The way it's been going, you finally break through and get some momentum going" -- Ventura, after the team's second straight win
SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
The White Sox have now been outscored, 57-19, in the first inning this season, after the Rangers scored once on Sunday. The 57 runs allowed are the most in baseball, and the 19 runs scored are the least.
MELKY'S CAREER DAY
Cabrera's five hits on Sunday -- four singles and one double -- marked a career high for the 10-year veteran. It was the most for a White Sox player since Alex Rios hit six against Detroit in July 2013. Cabrera is now 7-for-14 against left-handed pitching in the past six games after going 4-for-50 in his first 31.
Video: TEX@CWS: Cabrera records his first five-hit game
WHAT'S NEXT
Rangers: Right-hander Chi Chi Gonzalez pitches for the Rangers at 7:05 p.m. CT Tuesday when they open a three-game series with the Athletics in Arlington. Gonzalez is 2-1 with a 0.90 ERA in four starts, and his only loss was to the Athletics on June 11, even though he only allowed one run in seven innings.
White Sox: Left-hander John Danks opens up a three-game series for the White Sox against the Twins at 7:10 p.m. CT on Monday at Target Field. Danks is trying to snap a three-game losing streak and has a 6.35 ERA in those three games.
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