CHICAGO -- Two hits. No runs. And a division lead that suddenly feels far less comfortable.
The White Sox were held hitless through six innings Thursday night before Colson Montgomery’s seventh-inning double in a 2-0 loss to the Pirates at Rate Field, completing a three-game sweep in which Chicago scored just five runs.
Montgomery came within inches of changing the night’s direction. With two outs in the seventh, he lined a ball off the top of the right-field wall to break up Jared Jones’ no-hit bid. But Braden Montgomery flied out one batter later, stranding him and ending Chicago’s most real threat.
It was a frustrating conclusion to a difficult homestand for the White Sox (75-71), who have now dropped four of their last five and eight of 11. With Cleveland idle Thursday, Chicago’s lead atop the American League Central shrank to 1 1/2 games before a three-game weekend series in St. Louis.
The lack of offense spoiled an encouraging night from Chicago’s pitching staff. Hagen Smith tossed two scoreless innings in his first Major League start before Erick Fedde entered as the planned bulk reliever and kept the White Sox within striking distance.
Oneil Cruz provided the first damage in the fourth, crushing a changeup over the heart of the plate 433 feet to right-center. Fedde was charged with one more run in the eighth after exiting with a runner aboard, finishing with two runs allowed over 5 1/3 innings.
Fedde gave the White Sox every opportunity to respond. The response never arrived, sending Chicago to St. Louis searching for both its offense and hopefully some separation in an increasingly tight division race.