CHICAGO -- The White Sox had a grand total of eight hits over their first 18 innings played against the Cardinals this weekend prior to the fifth inning of Sunday’s 7-2 victory over St. Louis at Guaranteed Rate Field.
They knocked out six hits in that fifth alone -- including four home runs, with Yoán Moncada, Yasmani Grandal, José Abreu and Eloy Jiménez going back-to-back-to-back-to-back, marking the second time in franchise history the White Sox have hit four straight homers. They last achieved the feat on Aug. 14, 2008, against the Royals, when Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez and Juan Uribe did the honors.
“We showed what we are capable of doing,” said Moncada through interpreter Billy Russo. “We've been working hard every day, we're trying to do our best. We know that we have a very good team, not just a good offense but a very good team. And I think our goal is just to keep working hard every day, because the ultimate goal for all of us is to be in the playoffs.”
“Exciting,” said White Sox manager Rick Renteria of the home run barrage, a four-peat he had never previously seen in person. “It was a big inning, a huge inning. We needed something like that to kind of spark us, albeit just one game. But certainly signs of the things that are capable of being done.”
It marked the 10th time in Major League history four homers in a row were hit, matching the record.
Here are a few details on each home run, per Statcast, with all of them coming off of Roel Ramirez in his Major League debut:
Moncada: 105.3 mph exit velocity, 31-degree launch angle, xBA .890
Grandal: 108.1 mph, 26-degree launch angle, xBA .990
Abreu: 112.2 mph, 22-degree launch angle, xBA .990
Jiménez: 101.5 mph, 27-degree launch angle, xBA .870
Moncada’s connection on a 2-2 four-seamer marked his first homer since Aug. 8 and snapped a 7-for-44 funk. Grandal, who entered the game with a .281 slugging percentage, connected for his first White Sox homer.
“It's always fun to do it back-to-back, or back-to-back-to-back-to-back, but when you've got four guys who are doing it in a row, no matter who it is, I think it becomes special,” Grandal said. “You don't get to see it too many times in a season. The fact that you're able to do it, that's what makes it special. The fact that you get to be one of the guys to do it."
Abreu launched his 183rd as a member of the White Sox, moving him within five of passing Magglio Ordonez for Top 5 all-time with the team. Jiménez homered for the fourth time in five games, with nine RBIs over that same stretch.
Dallas Keuchel earned the victory by allowing two runs over 5 2/3 innings. He was checked on in the sixth by Renteria and assistant athletic trainer James Kruk, but the meeting was quick and Keuchel stayed in the game.
“Just was a little tight. Overall body, back started tightening up, but it's nothing really to worry about,” said Keuchel, who improved to 3-2 and ended a personal two-game losing streak. “We scored a bunch of runs and I was trying to loosen up in between, just didn't get to the point I wanted.
“Not really concerned about it, just gave them a heads up before the inning, hopefully that it loosens up. I didn't want to put us in a bad position there. I got bailed out, but not really too worried about it.”
Jimmy Cordero relieved Keuchel with two on and two out in the sixth, retiring Dylan Carlson on a line drive to center fielder Luis Robert, meaning he has allowed only one of 33 inherited runners to score over the last two seasons. Matt Foster, who threw 25 pitches as the team’s opener in Game 2 of Saturday's doubleheader, pitched a scoreless eighth as Renteria took a look at him in a higher-leverage role.
Ross Detwiler slammed the door with two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 ninth.
Sunday’s victory improved the White Sox to 11-11, giving them a more powerful feeling just beyond the season’s one-third mark than they had after losing both games Saturday.
“No one is pleased with the record,” Renteria said. “Everybody has had challenges, but with the challenges we’ve had, we are kind of holding our own. Do we want to be better? Everybody wants to always be better. We want to be better. I think these guys are starting to be better.”